Kingdom Warriors

The ?restrictions? placed on an Anointed priest give us great insight into the ?restrictions? that pertain to a truly Anointed person.

Under the old covenant, Anointed priests had some ?restrictions?. These old covenant restrictions teach us about restrictions that Anointed men of God have on their lives today.

Moses gave these restrictions to Aaron and the other priests.  He explained that these restrictions were because of the Anointing oil that was poured on them!

There were no other reasons for the restrictions but the fact that the Anointing oil had been poured on them.

You see, when a person is Anointed, he is sanctified by the Anointing.

?You shall consecrate him therefore, for he offers the bread of your God; he shall be holy to you, for I the Lord Who sanctifies you am holy.? - Leviticus 21:8 AMP.

To be sanctified means you are now a special person, reserved and separated for God?s service.  In a sense, you are married to God?s house.  You are not free anymore and cannot do just whatever you want.

Why there are restrictions on Anointed people:

1.      Anointed people are sanctified by the Anointing.

?And Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and upon his sons and their garments also; so Moses consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments.? ? Leviticus 8:30 AMP.

2.      The work of the ministry is restricted to sanctified people.

?Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord meant when He said, I [and My will, not their own] will be acknowledged as hallowed by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored. And Aaron said nothing.? ? Leviticus 10:3 AMP.

3.      To be sanctified is to be separated and made specially holy for service.

?You shall consecrate him therefore, for he offers the bread of your God; he shall be holy to you, for I the Lord Who sanctifies you am holy.? ? Leviticus 21:8 AMP.

?And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain and sanctify them [set them apart for God], that they may serve Me as priests.? ? Exodus 28:41 AMP.

4.      Sanctified (separated and holy) people are therefore restricted people.

?And you shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you. And they did according to Moses' word.? ? Leviticus 10:7 AMP.

?Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary nor desecrate or make ceremonially unclean the sanctuary of his God, for the crown or consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the Lord.? ? Leviticus 21:12 AMP.

5.      It is dangerous to violate the restrictions of the Anointing.

?And there came forth fire from before the Lord and killed them, and they died before the Lord.  ³Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord meant when He said, I [and My will, not their own] will be acknowledged as hallowed by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored. And Aaron said nothing.? ? Leviticus 10:2-3 AMP.

11 Restrictions of Anointed people:

1.       An Anointed person ?must have a COVERING?.

?The priests [like the other Israelite men] shall not shave the crown of their heads?? ? Leviticus 21:5 AMP.

Baldness, (a lack of hair) speaks of the lack of a covering.  Paul stated that the hair was a symbol of the ?covering? of a person.

?But if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament and glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.? ? 1 Corinthians 11:15 AMP.

All ministers should have a Spiritual Covering over their heads.  There should be somebody you look up to and from where you derive spiritual direction and inspiration.

The existence of such people over you in the ministry, from whom you derive guidance and inspiration, provides an important Spiritual Covering for your life.

2.       An Anointed person must be ?as perfect as possible?.

?Say to Aaron, Any one of your sons in their successive generations who has any blemish, let him not come near to offer the bread of his God.? ? Leviticus 21:17 AMP.

Any kind of physical blemish disqualified a person from being a priest.  Paul gives a parallel instruction when he says to Timothy that a bishop must be ?blameless??

3.       An Anointed person must ?not be spiritually blind?.

?For no man who has a blemish shall approach [God's altar to serve as priest], A MAN BLIND?or has a DEFECT IN HIS EYE?? ? Leviticus 21:18,20 AMP.

A priest must not be ?spiritually blind?.  The absence of visions and dreams in a person?s life often speaks of the absence of the Holy Spirit.  An Anointed person will have a minimal amount of supernatural sight even if he is not a prophet.

4.       An Anointed person must not be ?Spiritually immobile?.

?For no man who has a blemish shall approach [God's altar to serve as priest], ?OR LAME?? ? Leviticus 21:18 AMP.

Following God often involves moving along with the Spirit.  The Spirit is always moving.  If you cannot or do not move with the Holy Spirit, you become useless to Him because you fall out of step. Sluggishness in spiritual things will leave you far behind God?s agenda.

5.       An Anointed person must be ?Spiritually sensitive?.

?For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: ?or he that hath A FLAT NOSE?? ? Leviticus 21:18 KJV.

A flat nose speaks of someone whose ability to smell or sense things are affected.  Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is vital for an Anointed person.  A spiritually flat nose will not help the Anointing.

6.       An Anointed person must be able to ?go anywhere and do anything the Lord wants?.

?For no man who has a blemish shall approach [God's altar to serve as priest]? or who has FRACTURED FOOT OR HAND?? ? Leviticus 21:18,19 AMP.

Fractured feet and hands put limits on where you can go and what you can do.  If you are Anointed, you cannot restrict God in what He will use you for.  There are people who want to be Anointed but also want to dictate to God what they will do in the kingdom. A fractured foot and fractured hand limit what you do and where you can go.

As soon as the Anointing comes on your life, you are His servant and you will go where He says you will go and do what He says you will do.  Eg: You cannot say you are above the work of a secretary if that is what He wants you to do.

7.       An Anointed person must not ?fail to develop and continue growing?.

?For no man who has a blemish shall approach [God's altar to serve as priest]? or is a hunchback, or a dwarf?? ? Leviticus 21:18, 20 AMP.

A hunchback or a dwarf speaks of someone whose growth has stalled.  Spiritual dwarfs are people who have stopped growing.  Being Anointed requires even more spiritual growth and development.  You cannot stop developing yourself and growing in the Spirit because you realize God has Anointed you.

You have to spend even more time developing yourself because you are Anointed!

8.       An Anointed person must not have ?unhealed wounds?.

?For no man who has a blemish shall approach [God's altar to serve as priest]?or has SCURVY, or SCABS or skin trouble?? ? Leviticus 21:18, 20 AMP.

People with spiritual scurvy have unhealed wounds.  Scurvy is the famous illness caused by the lack of vitamin C.  In this illness, the main problem is the inability of the body to heal.  Patients are sometimes given vitamin C to promote wound healing.

A scab is also a kind of wound.  Every minister must be healed of numerous wounds in his life and ministry.  You must not minister out of your wounds and hurts.  When you minister from your wounds, unforgiveness and bitterness take root in your soul.

9.       Anointed people must ?stay in their calling?.

?AND NADAB and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and OFFERED STRANGE AND UNHOLY FIRE before the LORD as He had not commanded them. ²And there came forth fire from before the LORD and killed them, and they died before the LORD.? ? Leviticus 10:1-2 AMP.

An Anointed person cannot offer strange fire which the Lord has not asked him for.  Strange fire is something that God has not asked you to offer.  You cannot switch from being a pastor to being a prophet if God does not require that from you.  You cannot change your ministry and do anything within the church just because it is a good thing.  Nadab and Abihu paid with their lives for doing things in the church that God had not asked them to do.

10.   Anointed people ?cannot go back to the world?. Their lives belong to God.

?And YOU SHALL NOT GO OUT FROM THE DOOR OF THE TENT MEETING, lest you die, for the LORD?S anointing oil is upon you. And they did according to Moses' word.? ? Leviticus 10:7 AMP.

Anointed people are restricted to the tabernacle.  This is why many who are called by God sense that they will die if they leave the ministry.  They know their lives are restricted to God?s house and His service.  That is why Paul said, ??Woe is me if I do not preach the glad tidings (the Gospel)!? ? 1 Corinthians 9:16 AMP.

He sensed death outside the tabernacle.  He knew he was doomed if he ventured outside the ministry God had given him.

11.   Anointed people must ?only be influenced by the Holy Spirit?.

DO NOT DRINK WINE OR STRONG DRINK, you or your sons, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; it shall be a statute forever in all your generations. ? Leviticus 10:9 AMP.

Spiritual people cannot afford to subject themselves to wrong influences.  Wine and strong drink are influences that guide the behaviour of a person.  An Anointed person must be under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit who guides the ministry.  Every ministry that is guided by secular and human wisdom is in great danger.  The Holy Spirit has been given to help us walk through the darkness of our generation.

What a small price to pay for the privilege of being an Anointed person.