Killing God’s Anointed

“Were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked. Then David said to one of his men, “Kill him!” So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. “You die self-condemned,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord’s anointed one.” - 2 Samuel 1:14-16

David had been anointed as Israel’s king for many years but God had not seen fit to remove the reigning king, Saul, yet. Saul had disobeyed God and lost His approval. David understood that God’s plan would happen in time and was willing to wait. Saul, however, was insanely jealous of David and kept trying to kill him. So, David spent years on the run, hiding in caves and finally had to take refuge with the Philistines, Israel’s enemy, by pretending to befriend a Philistine ruler by the name of Achish.

One day, a man who was an Amalekite arrived in David’s camp and announced that David’s enemy, Saul, was dead. He lied through his teeth about it, saying that he had happened upon Saul alone, wounded and suicidal. He said that Saul had asked him to take his life. He presented Saul’s crown and one of Saul’s bracelets as proof. But the truth was that he was a battlefield scavenger who had found Saul’s dead body before the Philistines. He had come to David for a reward for something he hadn’t actually done. But worse than that, he had seriously miscalculated David’s character.

David knew that if a precedent was set that a king could be killed at will, then his own throne would never rest easy! God had established Saul as king and so he should remain until God removed him.

Too many of us are perfectly willing to kill God’s anointed in our lives. God establishes certain conditions, circumstances or people in our lives and when we don’t enjoy it, we look for an opportunity to overthrow them.

The self-appointed religious elite of Jesus’ day were guilty of this very thing. They didn’t like the teachings they were hearing. These teachings didn’t go along with their view of the world and didn’t make them look good, so they plotted to kill the Lord’s anointed! (John 5:18; 11:53).

Has God made you poor? Work hard, save your money and wait for God to lift you up. If anyone offers you a short cut, get rid of that influence in your life. Are you physically handicapped? Praise the Lord, so was Paul. Paul asked the Lord to remove it but humbly accepted God’s will when God said “No, my grace is sufficient.” Has God placed an authority over you? Then whether it’s your boss, your parents, a mentor or a spiritual leader, humbly submit to that authority until God removes it. Have you learned that the Lord Jesus Christ should be your master? Then accept that state and do not rebel. Don’t be guilty of killing the Lord’s anointed.