1 Kingdoms (1 Samuel) 16:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If God's Spirit had not manifested such transformative influences, one could question the significance of the phrase stating, "The Spirit of the Lord was upon David from that day, and afterwards." What a blessed occasion it was that elevated David from the mundane to the lofty realms of divine grace! It was the day he was anointed as king of the Lord's people, as narrated in the first book of Kings: “And Samuel took the horn with oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord was upon David from that day, and afterwards” (1 Sam. 16:13). Can it be believed that such a monumental day was forgotten by David? More likely, every cycle of the year brought this memory back to him, met with deep respect for God, gratitude, and prayers for the continued favor of the Spirit of the Lord in his life. We can trace a profound and sacred tradition within this cherished memory of royal anointing, rooted in the Spirit of the Lord’s action during that anointing. This provides us, faithful Russians, with a true understanding of this day’s significance. The same God who commanded David’s anointing is the one who continues to reign over earthly sovereigns today. Thus, He has also blessed and sanctified the crowning and anointing of our pious Emperor. From the moment of his anointing, the Spirit of Grace has overshadowed him. As we commemorate the day of our beloved Emperor's crowning and anointing, we should ponder how the Spirit of the Lord gazes into our hearts, and according to our faith, gratitude for past blessings, and heartfelt prayers for what lies ahead, may He extend His divine protection over the Tsar and the realm, ensuring it is beneficial and life-giving. Let us hold this day dear and observe it with the same joy and solemnity it deserves. May our hearts be filled with love for the King and reverence for the King of kings. Let joy stir our spirits, while prayer lifts our souls under the gentle oversight of the Spirit of the Lord.

Furthermore, reflecting on the majestic significance of royal anointing brings to mind the broader relevance of sacred and sacramental practices. In our contemporary age, where many recall that the human intellect often wandered into erroneous sensual interpretations of spiritual matters, this period is often deemed the immature phase of humanity and reason. In striving to demonstrate they have outgrown this phase, people increasingly show less regard for sensory expressions of faith. Many who resist submitting to religious forms, unable to completely dismiss the very concept of faith, search for justifications to liberate themselves from religious institutions through a claim of spirituality. Thus, two troubling doubts arise: one questioning whether sacred institutions possess intrinsic value and power, and the other whether the sensory elements and rituals of religion are necessary for the spiritual individual. Those who wish to resolve these doubts fall into a trap, attempting to pit the significance and necessity of sacred, mysterious, and ritualized practices against the Lord’s saying to the Samaritan woman: “God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Such audacity is astonishing! Did not the same Lord establish the Sacraments, imbuing them with inner significance through physical forms and ceremonial acts? Can His words annul His own commands? To accurately grasp the Lord's teachings on spiritual worship, we must remember that the Samaritan woman’s uncertainty was not about the necessity or value of visible expressions of faith; she recognized both. Her inquiry was solely about which of the two known forms of worship was correct and salvific—the Samaritan or the Jerusalem tradition. The Lord affirmed her understanding when He acknowledged the legitimacy of the Jerusalem worship as congruous with true knowledge of God and leading to salvation: “We worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). Thus, the Lord guided her from Samaritan division toward Jewish orthodoxy. Yet, He could not stop there without failing to lead her to a more profound truth. It was vital to prepare her for the impending advent of the higher Christian faith, which would supersede Jewish customs. Therefore, He stated, “The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father” (John 4:21); indicating that not only would the erroneous Samaritan practices perish, but even the legitimate Jewish worship would soon lose its correct form and be brought to an end. To ensure this did not imply the total dissolution of Divine Service, particularly for someone accustomed to assessing its value by the sacredness of location, the Lord continued: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). This signified that worship would no longer be restricted to a single holy site like Jerusalem; though still sacred, it would be far more perfect because it is spiritual—and thus more worthy of God as a spiritual entity—contrasting with the Jewish worship based merely on shadows of the anticipated truth. The Lord’s words guide us from physical expressions of Divine Service to worshiping God in spirit and truth; yet He does not discard these expressions as they serve as reflections of spirit and garments of truth. If we reject even spoken language in spiritual worship—after all, even words serve merely as expressions of spirit and vehicles of truth—then why would we disregard other forms?

However, recognizing that spiritual worship requires and does not dismiss sensory expressions still does not illuminate their essential value. The human intellect, limited in its capacity to discern the invisible within its own realm, is ill-equipped to investigate the mysteries of God’s vastness. Without grasping the unity of soul and body, one cannot aspire to comprehend how the material intertwines with the spiritual, how the earthly merges with the heavenly, and how vital this connection is for the enactment of gracious and redemptive acts in humanity. The experiential recognition of the profound, powerful, and beneficial effects of sacred and mysterious institutions offers the clearest insight into their significance for those who experience them. Yet herein lies the challenge: genuine and complete experiences of such moments arise only from pure and perfect faith, which is not possessed by all. Among those who do hold such faith, access to those experiences may not always be guaranteed. The true believer receives inward experiences as gifts of Grace, outcomes of faith, without the need for validation. In contrast, the non-believer seeking these affirmations may fail to obtain them due to their lack of belief. Nonetheless, might there be a way to harness the value of experiences that remain beyond our current reach? Such a means exists in heeding the spiritual journeys of venerable individuals known for their holiness and faith, especially those instances where God Himself reveals and manifests grace to believers, visibly illustrating His invisible gifts to inspire and strengthen faith.

We saw an illustration of this concept earlier, so let us revisit it: God had ordained David to be king over His people and desired to announce this intent to David and his family prior to its fulfillment. Samuel was selected as the instrument of God for this purpose. What was required for this task? Simply speaking the word would seem sufficient. Was an extraordinary sign needed to validate David's anointing? The young Prophet surely had faith in the elderly Prophet, revered throughout Israel as a true messenger of God. Perhaps a ceremonial aspect seemed unnecessary, given it was merely a preparatory proclamation, not the official coronation of David, but a discreet announcement affirming God’s will. However, what did the Lord instruct Samuel? “Fill your horn with oil” (1 Sam. 16:1). Then He commanded: “Arise, and anoint David” (1 Sam. 16:12). If we cannot conceive of God engaging in actions deemed unnecessary or superfluous—such thoughts would indeed be blasphemous—we must conclude that the anointing bore significance in God’s eyes and hold importance for humanity. This becomes evident in the immediate impact of the anointing: “And the Spirit of the Lord was upon David from that day and afterwards.” This realization informs us that sacred anointing is not merely a performative act designed to impress an audience, but a profound ritual wherein the visible is invisibly enriched with spiritual and divine authority, where the act of anointing is intertwined with the infusion of grace.

One illuminating example arises when examining the weight and impact of the Old Testament's sacred rituals, which were nonetheless described as mere ‘shadows of things to come’ (Col. 2:17). If ‘the Holy Spirit was not yet given’ (John 7:39) until the glorification of Jesus occurred, then how might we regard the sacramental institutions of the New Testament that originated from Christ Himself, wherein “of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16)? Given the life-giving currents of the Holy Spirit, abundant in the Apostles following the glorification of Jesus, continue to flow into the Church, nurturing her as promised until the end of days (Matt. 28:20), aren’t these practices even more significant and grace-filled? What respect and reverence do they indeed require? To be baptized, as the Lord affirmed, signifies being “born again of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). Are we mindful of the new spiritual birth we carry within us? In the sacramental supper, at each instantiation of that holy action, He declares: “This is My body: this is My blood” (Matt. 26:26-28). Where the Body and Blood of the crucified and resurrected Lord are present, there surely He, with His Spirit and Divinity, also is; there we stand before Him, the One before whom even angels tremble. Do we profoundly sense His proximity? Do we approach this moment with reverence? Have we ever allowed our minds to wander, as we would not dare in the presence of earthly dignitaries? The Lord said, “The words that I speak unto you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). These are the powerful words delivered through the Gospel; therefore, they pulse with spirit and life. How far did the one who uttered these words have to journey to meet the words of our Lord! Is our soul, in such closeness, stirred to seek the Lord’s message with due reverence? Is our heart open with faith to receive the spirit and life embedded within the Gospel? Are we sometimes left unmoved, like lifeless stones, as the living waters flow around us? Let us remember the holiness inherent in our Church; all is sustained by the Spirit of Grace. May we bring reverence and faith, allowing Grace to flow freely. Otherwise, the very nearness of that Grace may serve to highlight our negligence and undivided attention. Amen.