You went out for the salvation of your people,
Habakkuk 3:13
for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah
The word “anointed” in this verse is the Hebrew word מָשִׁיַח (mashiach), which is where the English word “messiah” comes from. A messiah is someone or something that is anointed (typically with olive oil). It comes from the verb mashach, which means to anoint or spread a liquid on. This anointing sets this person or object apart as something special for a particular task.
Who was Anointed?
Three major types of people were anointed.
First, priests were anointed for the service of working in the tabernacle or temple. When Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons to be priests, he anointed them to commission them (Exodus 40:13). Because of the anointing oil on them, their lives needed to be different than others (e.g. Leviticus 21:10-12).
Second, prophets could be anointed. God instructed Elijah to anoint Elisha as a prophet to succeed him (1 Kings 19:16). There are not other specific references to a prophet being anointed, but there is a general statement: “Touch not my anointed ones (machiach), / do my prophets no harm!” (Psalm 105:15).
Third, kings were anointed. Samuel anointed Saul as king over Israel (1 Samuel 10:1). David would not touch Saul because he was the Lord’s anointed (1 Samuel 24:6). David was likewise anointed by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13). His son Solomon was anointed after him (1 Kings 1:39). Other kings mention their anointing while others do not. They probably all were.
Maybe the most surprising person that God calls mashiach is Cyrus the Persian (Isaiah 45:1). How could this pagan be God’s anointed one? Cyrus would have the task of overthrowing the Babylonian empire and enabling the people of Israel to return to their land. Whether he acknowledged God or not, he had a role to play in God’s plan of redemption.
What was Anointed?
Objects can also be anointed to appoint them for special use. When Moses consecrated the tabernacle, God instructed him to anoint all of its components with anointing oil: “Then you shall take the anointing oil (shemen mishchah) and anoint (mashach) the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. You shall also anoint (mashach) the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. You shall also anoint (mashach) the basin and its stand, and consecrate it” (Exodus 40:9-11). When Aaron and his sons were consecrated, they were to present various sacrifices, including “unleavened wafers smeared (mashach) with oil” (Exodus 29:2).
Jacob anointed the first object, a rock where he had slept (Genesis 31:13). It was no longer an ordinary rock, but a pillar standing at a witness of what had happened in that place and the vow Jacob made to return.
From Messiah to Christ
When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (called the Septuagint), the word mashiach became christos, which becomes Christ in English. Both words mean anointed one.
While there were scores of messiahs throughout the Bible, Daniel foresaw a coming anointed one (Daniel 9:24-26). The rabbis began seeing new meaning in the term Messiah as a result, one who would be the ultimate fulfillment of the earlier messiahs. They reinterpreted passages in this new light as not being about the king of Israel or their priests, but they were expanded to a more cosmic importance. “The kings of the earth set themselves … against the LORD and against his Anointed (mashiach)” (Psalm 2:2).
This Messiah would embody all the expectations of those had come before him. He would be a king from the line of David, ruling the people in righteousness and bringing justice to his kingdom. He would be a prophet, speaking God’s words to the people. He would be a priest, interceding between the people and God and offering up a sacrifice (himself) for the people. His is a very special, divinely appointed role.
To Ponder…
What is the significance of calling Jesus the Christ/Messiah?
What task has God appointed you to do?