1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 2:4; 2 Samuel 5:3
Introduction: The oil came before the crown
There are seasons in life when God puts something on you before He puts you into it. David was anointed before he was appointed. Before he wore the crown, he carried the oil. Before he sat on the throne, he stood in the field. Before the nation recognized him, God had already chosen him. David's story teaches us that God can place His calling on your life long before He places you in the position connected to that calling. When Samuel came to the house of Jesse, nobody expected David to be the chosen one. His father presented his other sons, but David was still in the field taking care of sheep. Yet God had already seen him. Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. But something surprising happened after the anointing: David went back to the sheep. The oil came, but the crown did not. The calling came, but the position did not. The promise came, but the fulfillment required a process. This is where many people struggle. We want the crown immediately after the oil, but God often gives us the oil first and then takes us through a process that prepares us to carry the crown.
1. The first anointing.
1 Samuel 16:13
David's first anointing happened in a hidden place. He was not in a palace; he was in a field. He was not surrounded by thousands of people; he was surrounded by sheep. He was not famous; he was unknown. Yet God said, in effect, “This is the one.” Samuel anointed David while he was still a shepherd. This first anointing was about choice, identity, and calling. David was chosen before he was recognized. He was called before he was promoted. He was anointed before he was appointed. This teaches us that your present position does not determine your future. People may overlook you, but God does not overlook you. Your family may not understand you. Your friends may not see what God has placed inside you. Your current environment may not look anything like your future, but God sees beyond your present condition.
The first anointing teaches us another important lesson: the anointing does not remove responsibility. After David was anointed, he returned to the sheep. He still had work to do. He still had battles to fight. He still had lessons to learn. He still had character to develop. The anointing did not mean David was finished with preparation; it meant preparation had begun. David learned faithfulness in the field before he received authority over a nation. He fought the lion and the bear before he confronted Goliath. He learned to worship when nobody was watching before he became a worshiping king. What you do in your hidden season may be preparing you for your public season.
2. The second anointing
2 Samuel 2:4
Years passed after David's first anointing. There was persecution, rejection, uncertainty, and waiting. Saul pursued David, but David refused to take God's promise into his own hands. Eventually Saul died, and the men of Judah came to David at Hebron and anointed him king over Judah. This was the second anointing. Something had changed. David was no longer only a shepherd. He had entered a visible position of leadership. But notice carefully: David was king, but not yet king over all Israel. The promise was becoming reality, but it was not yet complete.
The second anointing teaches us about progressive fulfillment. Sometimes God brings you into your calling in stages. You may not receive everything at once. You may experience a portion before you experience the fullness. You may move from the field into Judah, but Judah is not yet all Israel. Therefore, do not despise your Judah season. Do not become frustrated because your current blessing is smaller than your future promise. Thank God for the progress. If God has moved you one step forward, celebrate that step while preparing for the next one. You may not be where you want to be, but you are not where you used to be. A small beginning can be evidence of a great future.
3. the third anointing — appointed over all Israel
2 Samuel 5:3
Then came the third anointing. The elders of Israel came to David at Hebron and anointed him king over all Israel. Now David's journey had reached another level. The shepherd who had once been overlooked was now recognized by the entire nation. The promise that began privately in the field had become publicly visible. This third anointing represents expanded influence, greater responsibility, and public appointment. David was no longer preparing to become king; he was now carrying the responsibility of kingship over the entire nation. But remember the journey. Between the first anointing and the third anointing were years of preparation.
David had to learn how to handle pressure. He had to learn patience. He had to learn restraint. He had opportunities to kill Saul and take the throne, but David refused. He understood that God's promise did not require him to compromise his character. This is a powerful lesson for us: never destroy your character trying to obtain your destiny. Do not manipulate people to get ahead. Do not compromise your values to open a door. Do not hurt someone because you think they are standing between you and your promotion. If God has appointed something for you, trust God to bring it to you in His time.
4. The process between the anointings
The greatest part of David's story is what happened between the anointings. There was a process between the oil and the crown. David experienced the field, the wilderness, the cave, rejection, conflict, loneliness, and waiting. These seasons were not meaningless. God was preparing David for what He had already promised him. Sometimes we ask, “God, why am I still here?” But perhaps the better question is, “God, what are You developing in me while I am here? "The wilderness develops endurance. The waiting develops patience. Rejection can develop dependence upon God. Difficult relationships can develop wisdom. Hidden seasons can develop character. Small assignments can prepare us for larger responsibilities. God does not only prepare the place; He prepares the person.
You may be praying for a larger ministry, but God may first be developing your character. You may be praying for leadership, but God may first be teaching you how to serve. You may be praying for influence, but God may first be teaching you how to remain faithful when nobody is watching. The waiting season is not an empty season.
It is a training season.
5. Do not force your appointment
David had opportunities to take the throne prematurely. Saul was trying to kill him, and David knew that God had promised him the kingdom. Yet David refused to become king through murder or manipulation. David teaches us that you do not have to force what God has promised. You do not have to kill your “Saul.” You do not have to destroy somebody else's reputation. You do not have to manipulate circumstances. You do not have to compromise your integrity. If God called you, God knows how to establish you. There is a difference between being anointed and being appointed. The anointing may reveal what God has called you to become, while the process prepares you to carry it.Sometimes God delays the appointment because He is developing the person who will occupy the position.
God knows when you are ready.
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