Anointed and Appointed

# 112 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 9:16a "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; " (1 Sam 9:16) The word “anoint” here brings God into the picture in a way that most Christians don't like to dwell on. We would much rather curse our rulers than acknowledge that God appoints and anoints. This “anointing” signified that “the appointed individual was separated for God's service and chosen by Him. It was a very serious responsibility, and God was the authorizing agent.” (Zodhiates Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible) David knew this. Right or wrong Saul was God's appointed ruler, and even as he sought to kill David, the shepherd boy never trash talked him. He never spoke evil of him, and he never did evil to him, even though he had ample opportunity. I guarantee you that if Facebook and Twitter would've been around in David's day, he never would've posted a disparaging remark about our president. In fact listen to what David said and did to the one who slew Saul. 2Sa 1:14, “ So David said to him, "How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died. All authorities are appointed and therefore anointed by God. Ro 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Think about these things the next time you are tempted to pass along a disparaging remark about God's commander in chief, whether he or she be democrat or republican, or anything else. And may I ask, how are any of these disparaging remarks related to the command we have to “pray for “kings and for all that are in authority”? (1 Tim 2:2)