If you attend church, many words are said that come from the Bible, yet are not in most of our daily verbage. Some people might call this 'Christianese'. One example is found in Isaiah 10:27 where we read that the "anointing of God", which - in one simple explanation - is His power and approval, "breaks and destroys bondages" (yokes of burden).
Anointing oil was used by the Jewish priests in Bible history as a specific ointment placed upon a person or item to 'set it apart' to be used by God. Example: King Saul and King David were anointed with this special oil by Samuel the preacher when he appointed them as king. By the way, for us city peeps, a yoke is used on oxen or cattle so they can carry weight or pull plows, or keep two or more together. With that explanation in mind, one translation of this text describes this 'anointing' as a 'fatness' or thickness that prevents a yoke from being secured onto an animal, object, etc.
In a practical manner I want to specifically look at this phrase as it relates to the Presence of the Lord in your church services and in our personal lives. As we seek Him - meaning pursue God and His thoughts/desires for a given situation - through worship and prayer, God is pleased and moves in our personal life and church family. There comes upon us and/or the persons we are praying for a 'thickness' that prevents spiritual bondages from taking hold in his/her life, thus the 'anointing breaks the yoke of bondage'.
No matter the name of our church, if it speaks Truth and exalts Jesus, every time we meet for service, people come to be encouraged, healed and set free from bondages or 'yokes of burden'; it's our responsibility as believers to allow the Holy Spirit to minister and one important way of doing that is by 'saturating' the services in prayer beforehand, and even during the service. Preparing the service by prayer causes this 'anointing' to be upon the people, from the 'pulpit to the pew'!
As you begin to understand how powerful this anointing from God can be as it rests (unseen by the natural eye) upon people, let's be passionate about prayer and making intimate time w/ Jesus a priority.
We are reminded in Isaiah 58:6 (Amplified) is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?
I hope this has given you some insight into a Bible phrase we often hear, yet may not fully understand its meaning.
