Israel was at a risk of being taken over entirely by Baal worship if it weren't completely driven out. In order to achieve God's desire of eradicating Baal worship in Israel, it took three people operating in three separate areas of influence.

Jehu, a military leader is anointed and anointing oil is used. Elisha commissions one of the "sons of the prophets" to do the actual anointing. The Bible only identifies this prophet as a young man. Remember, it is the anointing which enables people to fulfill their God-given purpose.

Elisha told one of the sons of the prophets to take the flask of oil and look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, take him into a room away from his brethren and there anoint him as king over Israel. He was then instructed to open the door and run for his life! He spoke the word of the Lord over Jehu and prophesied what would take place.

...Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel.

You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab all the males in Israel, both bond and free.

So I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baashathe son of Ahijah.

The dogs shall eat Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.' And he opened the door and fled.
(2 Kings 9:6-10)

Jehu had a reputation for being a wild man and he accomplished his commission; brutally (2 Kings chapters 9 and 10).

It would be good to mention here that the extreme measures used to purge the Israelites of this vile religion were not simply an attack against Baal worship. We must remember that the seed for the Redeemer of all mankind was being protected.

From Abraham, God's covenant partner, came a family which grew into the nation of Israel. Generations later, from that nation would come a family, and from that family, Mary, the mother of the world's Savior.

Israel was at a risk of being taken over entirely by Baal worship if it weren't completely driven out. In order to achieve God's desire of eradicating Baal worship in Israel, it took three people operating in three separate areas of influence. It could not be accomplished through Elisha the prophet alone or God wouldn't have anointed Hazael and Jehu as well. No, God's plan was also to be carried out through Hazael, a king; a heathen king, mind you. Finally, it was also to be accomplished through Jehu, an experienced military leader.

Transfer of the Anointing
Remember, this is the last directive Elijah received from God. God wanted to drive out Baal worship in Israel in order to protect the line through which the Redeemer of the world would come. He gave Elijah instructions to bring the hearts of the people back to God and prepare them for Himself.

God chose three individuals to carry out this directive and anointed all three to bring about His desired result. We saw how God passed the anointing from Elijah to Elisha who then dispensed that anointing to Hazael as the king. Another prophet then dispensed it to Jehu, a military leader.

This shows us that the anointing which is for God's purpose and plan is transferred according to His direction and it enables people to accomplish God-given assignments. Some of those assignments are carried out amongst the children of God, while others are fulfilled in a secular setting.

We would be mistaken to think that everything God has to do in preparation for Jesus' return would be done solely within the Church. God is not limited to working only inside the Church. Indeed, He is working in the Church and through the Church. But God is working in the nations as well. The unfolding of His plan has a direct bearing in the rise and fall of leaders of nations and governments in these days and the days to come.

There are many accounts in the Bible where God gave kings directions for their nations. Likewise, military direction and strategy often came through prophets to achieve victory and execute judgments for the Lord.

In preparing the way for the Second Coming of the Lord, we are still seeing the anointing dispensed through the prophetic word and Spirit-led prayer. That anointing will certainly affect politicians and various people in many different levels and circles of authority.

Those who are anointed of God to accomplish particular tasks will not be exclusively those who stand in a pulpit. There will also be an anointing from God on political leaders as well as those in military and civil authority and other positions of influence.

As people of prayer, it is important that our panorama is widened so that when the Holy Spirit urges us to pray for people in these various positions, we don't discount and resist His direction because of wrong thinking. We cannot have minuscule thinking in these days because the ways of the Lord are expansive.

Don't be surprised about where you see the anointing or offended when you see the hand of God on someone you didn't expect Him to use. Be thrilled and certain that whenever you see the anointing, it is all working together to prepare the way of the Lord!


Source: For Such A Time As This by Patsy Cameneti
Excerpt permission granted by Blaze Publishing House