The Anointing Spirit of God

1 Samuel 16:7-15 

Good afternoon! How are you? I really thank God for Deborah’s first Bible study on Luke 5 with Vee on Friday! I pray that through this Bible study, she may come to know God personally and meet Jesus as her Savior and Lord. 

After Deborah studied the Bible with Vee, Deborah and I went to Grand Rapids to help with Sarah’s move, and we returned yesterday evening. 

Last Lord’s Day, we learned that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a divine person. He has a mind, emotions, and a will. The Holy Spirit speaks to individuals and to the church as a whole. He guides, convicts, and instructs based on John 16:7-15. He is an advocate and teaches us about sin, righteousness, and judgment. He does what Jesus is doing and reveals Jesus’ glory. He is also the Spirit of truth. 

Today, we will study the anointing Spirit of God. I believe the briefest and best explanation of the anointing of the Holy Spirit is found in Genesis 1:2-3: 

 "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." 

Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, there is emptiness, meaninglessness, and darkness. However, when the Spirit of God comes to a person, environment, group, or even a nation, His light shines upon them. New life begins in that environment. 

Do you know what darkness is? It means there is no light at all. If light disappears, darkness comes. In the spiritual world, it is the same. Jesus introduced Himself, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). If we are apart from Jesus or fail to follow Him, darkness will come upon us and reign over us. 

If we do not follow Jesus, the darkness of our corrupted nature or worldly pleasures begins to take control. There is no middle ground. This is why Scripture speaks spiritually of two territories: those who are in Christ and those who are out of Christ. If anyone is outside of Christ, they are in darkness, no matter how good their attributes or how genuine their heart may be. Why? Because there is no true light, Christ Jesus in their heart.

If the light of Jesus shines upon us, darkness disappears, and a new era of life begins. So, everyone desperately needs the true light—Christ Jesus—to live in the light. 

John’s Gospel also describes sin as darkness. 

Today, we will study the contrast between those who are anointed with the Holy Spirit and those who are not. May God give each of us a humble heart to receive His grace through today’s passage. I earnestly pray that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit!

Part One - Saul’s Case 

It is so easy for us to choose someone outwardly smart, handsome, or beautiful with a good career when selecting a spouse. The same applies when choosing a leader for a group or nation based on worldly standards. However, the spiritual world is different from the worldly view. 

One great example is the case of David and Saul in the Old Testament. If we study this, I believe it will teach us a valuable lesson about what the most important factor is when making such choices. 

The Israelites requested a visible leader instead of relying on God, following the example of their powerful neighboring nations. They refused to obey the voice of Samuel, who spoke God’s will as His prophet. The people longed for a strong and powerful figure. In response to their demand, Saul was chosen. He was a man from the tribe of Benjamin, the son of Abiel, a wealthy man. Saul was handsome and tall — from his shoulders upward, he was taller than any of the people (1 Samuel 9:2b). 

Saul initially showed faithfulness to his father. When his father’s donkeys were lost, Saul searched across the entire territory to find them. When he was anointed by the prophet Samuel, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among a group of prophets. At the beginning of his reign as king, he appeared humble. When others despised him, saying, “How can this man save us?” he endured their scorn. 

However, Saul did not fear God or follow His law. When Samuel was delayed in arriving to offer the burnt offering, and the people began scattering, Saul took it upon himself to offer the burnt offering — a task that should have been performed by the priest or prophet. 

When God commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely — including men, women, children, infants, oxen, sheep, camels, and donkeys — Saul disobeyed. Driven by greed, he kept the best sheep and oxen and excused himself by saying, “I left all to sacrifice to the Lord your God” (1 Samuel 15:15). When Samuel rebuked him and revealed God’s judgment, saying, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you and given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you,” Saul’s concern was still about his own honor instead of true repentance. He pleaded, “I have sinned, yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God” (1 Samuel 15:30). 

What was Saul’s problem? He didn’t know the LORD. Because of this, he had no fear of God or His law. Without a personal relationship with God, Saul compromised and relied on his own ways rather than obeying God’s commands. He sought his own glory and honor rather than God’s. that attitude is very natural upon those who don’t know God.

Leading a godly nation is God’s work for His glory. Yet Saul, even after being anointed by the prophet Samuel and experiencing victories through God’s help, never truly knew God. Despite being anointed by the Holy Spirit and witnessing the Spirit’s power, Saul was not converted or governed by the Holy Spirit. He remained spiritually blind. 

This is similar to the case of Judas Iscariot. Although Judas followed Jesus, witnessed His miracles, and even managed financial matters in Jesus’ ministry for three years, he never truly knew Christ. Like Saul, Judas’ inner motive was greed. Instead of seeking God’s glory, he sought personal gain and honor. 

This same issue can be seen in churches today. When churches assess people based on worldly standards and appoint them as leaders, the church becomes secular, and the Holy Spirit cannot dwell there. It doesn’t matter how large the church is. Likewise, for individuals, it doesn’t matter how long they have attended church or what position they hold — what truly matters is whether they personally know Christ Jesus, are converted, and are governed by the Holy Word of God and His Spirit. 

We see that people can experience God’s mighty works and the presence of the Holy Spirit without genuine conversion, just like King Saul and Judas Iscariot. If you are truly converted by Jesus’ blood, your inner desire will be to love and follow the guidance of God’s Word and His Spirit. 

That is why one of the Beatitudes warns us in Matthew 7:21-23: 

 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" 

Unconverted people like King Saul can prophesy among other prophets. They can enthusiastically praise God in a godly environment, crying, “Lord, Lord!” However, they cannot be governed by the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit does not dwell in their inner being. Why? Because they are not yet converted. They are not yet God’s people. 

If we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, Scripture promises that God will send the Holy Spirit as His gift. 

Acts 2:38 declares: 

 “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 

Scripture also promises that God will never abandon His people. 

Hebrews 13:5-6 says: 

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his book Great Doctrines of the Bible, chapter 10, A Child of God and in Christ, teaches us seven evidences of regeneration. 

1. Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ 

    “No man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). 

   The first sign is a genuine belief in Jesus Christ as Lord, which is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit. 

2. Keeping the Commandments 

   “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3). 

   A person who has been regenerated strives to obey God's Word out of love and reverence for Him. 

3. Receiving the Holy Spirit 

    “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6). 

   The presence of the Holy Spirit in one's heart is evidence of being a child of God. 

4. Love for the Brethren 

   “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). 

   A true believer displays a sincere love for fellow Christians. 

5. Someone who has been regenerated is conscious of the struggle within. “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other…” (Gal. 5:17). If we have been given the Holy Spirit and a new disposition, yet we still have the flesh and its desires, then we’ll see/feel/experience this battle within us. An unregenerate person can simply live according to the flesh without conviction, but the believer is not able to do so.

6. A Desire to Know God 

   A child of God longs to know their Father more deeply. They don’t merely seek His blessings; they desire Him personally. 

    “The unregenerate mind is at enmity against God” (Romans 8:7) and does not desire Him. 

   A believer, however, declares: 

  “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1). 

7. Hatred of Sin 

   A regenerated person hates sin — not just its consequences, but sin itself. The root of original sin is seeking one’s own glory instead of God’s. When Adam and Eve sought their own glory through Satan’s deception, sin entered the world. 

What happened to King Saul, who was not converted and sought his own glory and honor? 

1 Samuel 16:14-15 tells us: 

"Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul's servants said to him, ‘Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you.’" 

This is truly miserable. If the Holy Spirit departs from us, evil spirits gain entry — just as darkness comes when the light is gone. 

That is why David earnestly pleaded with the LORD when he committed serious sins, as seen in Psalm 51:9-11: 

"Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me." 

David understood the vital importance of God’s presence and the guidance of the Holy Spirit — something Saul tragically was not converted so it shows as the unconverted natural character with his disobedience and self-glorification.

Part Two — David’s Case 

How was David different from Saul? 

David was the youngest son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite. When the prophet Samuel visited Jesse’s house to anoint the next king, Jesse invited his seven older sons — but overlooked David, who was tending his father’s sheep. David was completely ignored by his father. 

Jesse’s eldest son appeared impressive in stature and outward appearance, but the LORD told Samuel: 

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature... for the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”** (1 Samuel 16:7) 

David’s appearance is described in 1 Samuel 16:12: 

“He was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome.” 

When the prophet Samuel anointed David, “the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.”(1 Samuel 16:13) 

David was not only overlooked by his father but also despised by his brothers. When David visited the battlefield to deliver food to his brothers, they mocked him: 

“Why have you come down? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” (1 Samuel 17:28) 

Despite being disregarded by his family, David fully depended on the LORD from his youth and demonstrated a deep reverence for God. 

In 1 Samuel 17:33-36, David explains his trust in God’s power to King Saul: 

 "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion or a bear and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God." 

David’s courage wasn’t based on personal pride but on his unwavering trust in God’s mighty power. Because David personally knew God, he had experienced His presence and strength firsthand.

David’s heart for God is beautifully expressed in his psalms. He deeply loved God's law and sought His guidance with joy and devotion. 

In Psalm 19:7-11, David writes: 

> *"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; 

the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 

the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; 

the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 

the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; 

the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; 

sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 

Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."* 

David’s devotion to God’s Word reveals his sincere heart for God — a heart shaped by genuine faith and love for God’s guidance.

Even before David’s anointing as king, 1 Samuel 13:14 describes him as a man after God’s heart:  “The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart...” 

The New Testament reaffirms this in Acts 13:22: 

“He raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’” 

David personally knew God, desired to be like Him, and delighted in following His instructions. Without genuine conversion, no one can know God or obey Him in this way. David’s life was marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit, guiding and strengthening him.

Why Did the Spirit of God Dwell in David but Depart from Saul?

The key difference lies in their relationship with God:  David** personally knew God, revered His law, and delighted in following His guidance. His life was centered on God’s glory. Because of this, the Spirit of God dwelled in David and directed him. 

- Saul, on the other hand, did not personally know God. He lacked reverence for God’s law and instead followed his own judgment based on circumstances. Saul’s heart pursued his own glory rather than God's. As a result, the Spirit of God departed from Saul. 

David’s example teaches us that genuine faith — rooted in knowing God personally, loving His Word, and seeking His glory. God’s  presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit was with him.

Part Three — The Spirit of God Always Works with the Promised Word of God 

If you carefully read the Bible, you'll notice that every revival — from Genesis to Revelation — occurs when the Spirit of God intervenes. 

How Does the Spirit of God Work? 

The Spirit of God always works in accordance with God’s Word. The Hebrew word for the Spirit of God is Ruach (pronounced roo-akh), meaning spirit, breath, or wind. 

Just as powerful winds can sweep away everything in their path, the Spirit of God carries supernatural power. When the Spirit of God moves over individuals, groups, or nations, He brings revival and makes them new creations. 

A powerful example of this is found in Ezekiel 37 — the vision of the valley of dry bones. 

In this vision, the Spirit of God leads Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones — a powerful symbol of Israel's spiritual condition. At that time, the Israelites were captives in Babylon, and their situation seemed hopeless, like lifeless, dry bones. 

Yet, the LORD commanded Ezekiel: 

"Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD."** (Ezekiel 37:4) 

What happened when Ezekiel obeyed and prophesied God’s Word? 

 "There was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together... and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them." (Ezekiel 37:7-8) 

Then, when Ezekiel prophesied to the breath as God instructed: 

the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army."* (Ezekiel 37:10) 

This vision demonstrated God’s promise in Ezekiel 36:14: 

"I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."** 

this promise was fulfilled. the Israelites were eventually freed from Babylonian captivity after 70 years. This passage reveals that the Spirit of God always works to accomplish the Word of God. Even in the darkest situations, the Spirit’s intervention brings life, restoration, and revival. 

The true question is not how hopeless or dark our world may seem — but whether the Spirit of God is moving to revive us. When the Spirit works, even the dead can be raised to new life through the power of God’s Word. 

I earnestly pray that the Spirit of God will revive this nation, raising up godly men and women — like David — who will pursue God’s heart and fulfill His will.

 Conclusion 

Through the contrasting examples of Saul and David, we’ve seen how essential it is to be governed by the Spirit of God. 

Saul lacked conversion and pursued his own glory, ultimately losing the Spirit’s presence. 

-David, however, experienced God’s grace, personally knew Him, and delighted in His Word. As a result, the Spirit of God dwelled in him and guided his life. 

We’ve also learned that the Holy Spirit always works according to God’s Word. If the Spirit dwells within us, our hearts will naturally desire to love, delight in, and obey God’s instructions. 

May the Spirit of God move mightily in our time, breathing new life into our hearts, our communities, and our world.