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Again, after Saul had basely broken his promise to David, and was once more in his
power, David again refrained, saying:--
"Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?" (I
Sam. 26: 9).
When David was king and he composed a Psalm of thanksgiving upon the occasion of
the coming of the Ark of God, the Lord's anointed is once more mentioned. This time,
however, it is not a king that is intended, but the children of Israel:--
"When they were but few . . . . . He suffered no man to do them wrong: Yea, He
reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no
harm" (Psalm 105: 12-15).
When Balaam looked upon Israel, the Lord's anointed, he said of God:--
"He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel"
(Numb. 23: 21).
This is parallel with David's attitude. Saul had many things in his life that were
neither "lovely" nor "pleasant", and died at length at the hand of the Lord for the sin of
witchcraft. Yet for all this he was the Lord's anointed. Israel is continually spoken of as
rebellious and stiffnecked, their works and thoughts are "iniquity", the conception of
"perverseness" (mischief) being attributed to them (Isa. 59: 4-7), yet the words of Balaam
are true.
Do we realize as we should the efficacy of the name of Christ, THE Anointed One?
While we must never condone sin in the believer, and ever seek grace to walk worthy
of our calling, let us in our estimate of other believers, and of ourselves, never
under-estimate the fact that with all our confessed failings, we are IN Christ and blessed
WITH Christ, accepted IN the Beloved.