The Same Anointing As Our High Priest?

Leviticus 14:14–17 (ESV) The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand 16 and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the LORD. 17 And some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.

This is the anointing that is applied to the cleansed leper after the priest inspects and finds him healed. he is earlier in the chapter prescribed to wash, saved, and then be presented before the Lord by the priest. It is a picture of the saving atoning work of Christ on our behalf. But it doesn't stop there. This middle section of Leviticus shows us the priest anointing the cleansed leper in much the same way as the high priest is anointed for service. Both blood and oil are applied to his right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. Notice from earlier:

Leviticus 8:22–24 (ESV) Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.

Leviticus 8 is the chapter dealing with the anointing of Aaron as High Priest of Israel. You would be hard pressed as an Israelite not to notice that the same anointing the High Priest is also offered to a former estranged member of Israel. The leper, of all people, is brought into the presence of God! The leper, of all people, is anointed in the way the High Priest is anointed and now consecrated to the purposes of God and made to dwell in His presence. 

Notice finally that the oil is in the left hand of the anointing priest. That means his right hand is applying the oil. The right hand is a symbol of power. God rules with His strong right hand!
Psalm 118:16 (ESV) the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

The Holy Spirit - which was fully present in Jesus, is applied through His blood to us. 

Now here's why this matters. Most Christians believe in the power of the blood to bring us into the presence of God, but they forget or neglect the Holy Spirit anointing from Christ that empowers us to live differently - empowered by the Third Person of the Trinity Himself! You are not just to be cleansed from your sin, you are to live empowered by the Spirit! The anointing touches our ear - so that we might hear what God says. The anointing touches our hands - so that we might serve others. The Anointing touches our feet so that we might walk in the path of God's mercy and righteousness. 

What a picture of our salvation gained for us in Christ Jesus and His precious blood! He has brought us close to the Father. He has made us new! He has anointed us to serve in the same way He served. It is no wonder the Lord so often sent out men from His ministry to bring the realities of the Kingdom to bear in society. He sent the 72 out. He sent the disciples out. He scattered the Church from Jerusalem out to the samaritans and ultimately the Gentiles. He is the sending God who sends us in the same way the Father sent Him. We are not wanderers. We are not orphans. We are not residents of Earth. We are the sacred members of a Holy Family following the footsteps of our great and precious master Jesus! He is the one who does this anointing work FOR US! You walk in His power, in His Spirit and nothing can stop you!