WORDS
from the
WORD by Charles L. Feinberg, Th.D., Ph.D., Director, Talbot Theological Seminary 81
MESSIAH
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P robably no word in the Hebrew language is filled with more spirit ual connotations and hope to the pious Jew who believes and loves the Old Testament, than the word Mes siah. It is a transliteration of the Hebrew mashiah. The Greek and New Testament equivalent is Christos or Christ. The Hebrew root means “to stroke or to draw the hand over” anything, “to spread over” with any thing, “to smear,” “to paint,” “to anoint.” The term is used with reference to inanimate objects as well as with persons. We find the anointing of a stone (Gen. 31:13), an altar (Ex. 29:- 36), a sanctuary (Ex. 30:26; Dan. 9:- 24), and utensils (Num. 7:1). The underlying thought in all these anointings is to set apart the object for the glory of the Lord. When the word is found of individuals in the Old Testament, the dominant con cept is a setting apart and consecra tion to the service of God. Since oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:6), the enduement and empowering of the Spirit of God for service was thus indicated. The Mosaic law called for an anointing of priests to the Levitical ministrations in the taber nacle in the wilderness (Ex. 28:41 and 40:15). The high priest is desig nated as the anointed priest. (Lev. 4:- 3,5,16 and 6:15.) The prophets of Israel, called individually by God for specific service, were also anointed. (1 Ki. 19:16.) “Anointed of the Lord” was the name given to kings in Israel as set apart by God to their office by anoint ing. The expression is found often in the books of Samuel. (See 1 Sam. 2:10,35 and 2 Sam. 1:14,16 among others.) In one context the plural anointed ones of the Lord is used to speak of the patriarchs; it is found in the historical setting in Psalm 105:15, with its parallel, 1 Chron. 16:22). Besides the general use of the word for individuals of certain classes, we find it employed in a special sense in Isaiah 45:1 of Gyrus, king of Persia. The passage reads:
“Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut.” Cyrus is here given the title of the Lord’s anointed, because God had called him and granted him victory repeat edly for the express purpose of termi nating the Babylonian kingdom and liberating exiled Israel. The word under discussion has its highest significance when used as the name of the coming King of Is rael of the house of David. The great prophetic Psalm 2 (v. 2) foretells that the universal confederacy against God will be directed also against the Mes siah. His Son, His King yet to rule on Zion’s mountain. (See also Dan. 9:25, 26.) He will be anointed simi larly for prophetic ministry. (Isa. 61:- 1-3.) He will possess the two pre requisites of every true prophet: the anointed ear to hear and the anoint ed tongue to speak the message of God (Isa. 50:4). He will be anointed priest (Psa. 110:4) to take away all sin and end all sacrifice. (Isa. 53.) The New Testament bears eloquent testimony that all these glorious of fices were and are fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth whom God anointed (Acts 10:38). He is called the Mes siah, the Christ in the New Testa ment. (Compare John 1:41; 4:25; and Acts 4:26.) As the Prophet (Deut. 18:15-18) He told forth faithfully the message of God; as the Priest He made a full and adequate sacrifice for the sin of the world (Hebrews chanters 7 to 10); and as King He will yet establish God’s kingdom over Israel and the world (Luke 1:33). The Jews have been a people who looked to the future, and in this they were unique among the peoples of antiquity. Other nations looked to the past as their golden age: Israel knows not that Messiah has come, but the believing one today, Jew and Gentile, knows that Messiah who has come will come again to fulfill all the counsel of God. END. |
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