Driving home on a Saturday, after picking up a 2 x 8 pressure treated board for my fence job, I end up behind a little red Pontiac. Nothing of anything that stood out, except for a bumper sticker.

First thing I think, since I have been studying in the gospels lately, is that verse speaks of the truly anointed One, Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah, the fullest and only completely true expression of the term “Anointed” found in this verse.

As a matter of fact, the verse is found twice in the Scriptures.

1 Chronicles 16:22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

Psalm 105:15 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

And yet when I research the verse a wee bit, and look at other translations, the term “anointed one” is sometimes translated in the plural. A little further research takes me to the context of the verse in 1 Chronicles. The passage is speaking of the protection God provided to Abraham and his immediate family.

They were few in number, of little account and sojourners in the land God promised to them, yet it was only a promise. No wars had been fought, no victories by bloodshed and sword. This promise was given to a man and his immediate family, while in the midst of a land they didn’t originate from, amongst people they were not related to.

Can we as believers in this age claim this promise? Is there anything in the New Testament that might help me see that this promise extends to all believers, or at least to those who claim a calling of God on their lives for ministry?

As many of you may know, I am a Canadian by birth, but we emigrated to Texas in the late 90’s, to a small town in the Panhandle. We were a family that were in a somewhat strange land (when compared with Canada) and amongst those to whom we were not related to or had any background with.

At one point, I remember some teenagers driving by our home, yelling for us to “go back where we came from”. Teenagers! So much energy, and so much desire! No matter, we stayed amongst the townsfolk, found some friends and tried to live the Christian life.

I’m telling the story only to try to understand the situation Abraham found himself in. Amongst strangers, he was vulnerable to the slightest rumor floating through the tribes nearby. Jealous tribal leaders , or power hungry men may see Abraham as one to be taken out, to be dominated over. He truly was a sojourner in a strange land, without any visible support.

How precious it must have been for Abraham to know of the Lord’s protection, of God rebuking kings in his favor. (see Genesis 12:17) How often he must have recalled this promise, and placed his trust in the One who said it, Who gave His word.

And yet the Anointed One was touched. He was not only touched, but whipped, scourged and crucified. This promise was not one that He referred to, for He knew His mission, and it wasn’t to be protected, but to rescue, to save others, to be the One who would be touched (by death) in order that others might escape.

Let’s give Him thanks for His focused love today, for His constant care over His body, for protecting those who were vulnerable, and for providing an example for us to follow.

So one last question for my gentle reader – Do we need the promise given to Abraham, or should we rely on the One who gave it? My friends, there is a difference!

---

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

Come join us at Considering the Bible