Isaiah 10:27 (KJV)
27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
More than any other scripture in the Bible we have been inundated with what is often the Pentecostal Mantra of yoke breaking anointing. I cannot count on all my fingers and toes the times that I have heard the declaration, “It is the anointing that breaks the yoke.”
I am not preaching against principles of dominion and it is not my purpose to speak in a way that is contrary and disrespectful towards a traditional train of thought. What exactly does this scripture mean in the context it is given in? What exactly is the anointing that destroys the yoke?
In the Old Testament there are two applications of the word “anoint or anointing.” The first application (Suk) deals with the ordinary application of oil for fragrance, protection and soothing relief from the sun, and healing qualities. The other word (Masha/Mishach) is a spiritual and religious word which literally means to “smear” or “rub.” In the truest understanding of the word, anointing is the separation of a thing or person unto the service of the Lord.
It is from this word, Masha or Mishach, that we get our word Messiah. When we read the name “Jesus Christ,” in the New Testament they were not giving Jesus a first and last name but rather they were declaring that Jesus was the Anointed One. Jesus was the fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy found in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 61:1 (KJV)
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Too often when we read this scripture we fail to understand its literal meaning based upon the way it has been translated from Hebrew into Greek and then into English. When we say, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,” and then follow with the word “because,” we lose a major understanding of the scripture. Isaiah 61:1 is practically telling us the purpose of the Spirit of God when applied to our lives.
The word, “because,” in the Greek is “Heneka” which means: “on account of, for the sake of, for, or for this cause.”The word “because” does not appear in the Hebrew translation or the Septuagint. Why is this important for us to understand? It would seem that Jesus is applying the purpose for the Spirit of the Lord being placed upon Him.
In other words, if one was to rephrase what Jesus stated based upon Isaiah 61:1 we would arrive at, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me FOR THIS CAUSE or IN ORDER TO.” When scripture goes on to say, “he hath anointed me,” we are actually looking at one Greek word for that phrase, which is “Chrio,” or our word Christ. In other words, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me IN ORDER TO anoint me.”
Suddenly we find PURPOSE which connects to the action of the Spirit being ON Him. If we take the basic understanding of first mention which tells us anointing is the separation of a thing or person unto the service of the Lord we come to a very powerful understanding of what exactly anointing is!
If we take this idea and apply it to our experience of receiving the Holy Ghost we are then given a purpose for what we have received. Why did God give us the Holy Ghost? Is getting into heaven the only purpose of receiving the Holy Ghost? There is a much greater application!
Isaiah 61:1 (KJV)
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Anointing is a separation from the common into the uncommon. Anointing only comes through the reception of the Spirit of the Lord. I will submit that when Jesus looked at the disciples and those present before the ascension that what He was telling them was they were not yet anointed. They had to receive the promise of the father in order to become witnesses.
Luke 24:49 (KJV)
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
To be endued literally means to invest with clothing, but gives us the sense of something sinking into a garment (1746 NT). In light of the Greek definition it is safe to say that being clothed does not simply mean to put something on, but rather to become part of the substance being put on. It is very much like the process of tattooing. The markings are not something which is simply applied to the skin with a pen but rather the ink actually becomes a part of the skin and is not easily taken out without damaging the skin.
This is the implication of the word clothed. This metaphorical sense of clothed is found in classical Greek. Aristophanes has clothed with audacity; Homer, clothed with strength; Plutarch, clothed with nobility and wealth. (Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament notes on Luke 24:49) To be “endued with power” is more than just being clothed externally but rather assuming the characteristics of that which covers us. I become a part of that which clothes me.
Romans 13:12-14 (KJV)
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.Galatians 3:27 (KJV)
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
In both of the scriptures, Romans 13:12, 14 and Galatians 3:27, the words “put on,” are the exact same word used in Luke 24:49, “endued.” Christ is the ANOINTED ONE and thus when we are baptized INTO the Spirit we are putting the anointed one upon us and thus we are taking the characteristics and qualities of that One called Jesus!
What is so interesting is that the word “baptism” means to “immerse or sink a vessel into.” Any vessel that is placed in water that has an opening it in will begin to FILL UP with the water surrounding and eventually that water will cause the vessel to completely sink until nothing of that vessel remains at the surface. The vessel is claimed by the water around it.
Both actions, being endued and being baptized, involve SINKING INTO. I will submit that you cannot separate the BAPTISM of the Spirit from being ENDUED with power. They are a simultaneous process. Many times scripture likens the Spirit of God as water.
John 4:9-14 (KJV)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.John 7:38 (KJV)
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
In the Old Testament we are shown in type these very principles. When the people hungered God gave them “bread from heaven.” When the people thirsted God gave them “water from a rock.” Both the bread and the water were types of that which was spiritual. Jesus is the bread of life and the rock of our salvation (John 6:35; Psa. 89:26; 1 Cor. 10:4.)
John 6:53-58 (KJV)
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
We are to receive the Spirit of God IN ORDER TO be anointed (set apart for the purpose of service). To be anointed is not something we STIR UP which is commonly a traditional concept. Often times we hear there expression or pray the pray, “God please stir up the anointing.” Many times we ask God to anoint us for a sermon or for outreach.
True anointing is a SEPARATION that only comes through being CLOTHED WITH POWER by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Anointing is a LIFESTYLE made possible by LIVING and WALKING IN the Spirit.
Isaiah 61:5-10 (KJV)
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.