Why does an anointing remain on one's head even though he or she has gone contrary to the will of God like Saul the king?

Question

Am asking this with regards to the events that happened after the death of Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul was anointed by Samuel to be king over Israel but then after he disobeyed God's command then God ordered Samuel to anoint David king over Israel. This meant that the annointing had passed from Saul to David but then when you read about David killing the soldier who brought him the crown of Saul then it is as if the anointing remained on Saul. Why does the anointing remain even though the person with the anointing has gone contrary to the will of God?

2 Samuel 1:1-15

Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, 2 on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. 3 And David said to him, “Where have you come from?” So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 Then David said to him, “How did the matter go? Please tell me.” And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.” 5 So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?” 6 Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ 10 So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.” 11 Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 Then David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.” 14 So David said to him, “How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. 16 So David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’ ”

Answer 1

A public act of pouring oil on the head of Saul, done by the prophet Samuel, happened at a particular time in a particular place, witnessed by many people. Nothing can undo the doing of that act. It happened. It can never be said to not have happened!

Even though Saul later went on to violate God's requirements for a king, he still remained the anointed of the Lord, as David stated many times before he later became king. His ordering the death of the Amalekite man in that passage of scripture (for claiming to have killed Saul while the king was mortally wounded but still alive), shows that David held this reverent view of the Lord's anointed right up to Saul's death.

To help understand this, consider another public act that identifies individuals as being Christians - baptism. Once a person has been baptised, they cannot be un-baptised! The baptism was performed publicly and witnessed to that person being a Christian. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is what every born-again Christian receives (invisibly). Whatever that person goes on in life to do, nobody can deny but that they received baptism.

This means that (like Saul) going on to violate God's requirements in no way means that they never received that anointing. This means that, on the Day of Judgment, the fact of anointing (to be king) or baptism (as a Christian) will stand as witness. It will have to be taken into account and the person face up to the significance of that event.

Better to face up to it while repentance and turning back to God is still possible.

Answer 2

1 Sam. 16

1 The Lord said to Samuel: How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for from among his sons I have decided on a king.

Once a king or priest has been anointed, the charism remains on him regardless of his behavior. Saul still had work to do, and to a large degree he would be successful in such matters as defeating Israel's enemies and establishing its national identity for the first time. David was just a boy at this time. Thus, although God had rejected Saul as king, he retained the office for decades, until he was finally killed at the battle of Mt. Gilboa. David was careful to respect God's anointing of Saul as Israel's sacred king. From a human viewpoint, he was wise to do so, for he established a precedent. No king was perfect, and David himself committed serious sins while king.

The principle here is that the office, not the minister or ruler himself, carries God's authority. The same holds true for priests. Aaron committed one of history's great sins in the matter of the Golden Calf, yet his anointing and authority as priest remained. Indeed, God harshly punished those who questioned it.

Critics argue as to whether these stories were created by human beings to uphold the authority of the priestly and royal offices, or whether they were inspired by God for the same purpose. Be that as it may, the reason for the anointing remaining on a corrupt minister is clear: it is because the office, not necessarily the person, is holy.