A New Hope

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Good morning!  Today is our final message in our series titled “Prophet and King.” 

The Biblical foundation of our series has been the first portion of the book of I Samuel.  In the 15 chapters we’ve covered so far, Samuel, the prophet, and Saul, the first king of Israel, have been at the center of the narrative.

But, do you ever stop and think why people study the Bible?  There are many ways to approach the answer to this question.  The Bible has been and continues to be the most-printed, best-selling book year after year.  There are a lot of amazing facts about the Bible:  how many copies have been printed (~6 billion, ~5 billion since 1815), how many languages it has been translated into (1,275 complete-2,100 in part), how many ancient manuscripts still exist (~24,000), how many copies are printed each year (100 million).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvxVXkCDGNw  Compared to other books, the Bible is unparalleled.  There is no other book like it. 

However, popularity can only be an indirect indicator of the value of something.  Just because people like a thing doesn’t necessarily make it good.  G.K. Chesterton said this about religion, “We do not really want a religion that is right where we are right. What we want is a religion that is right where we are wrong.”  That quote may be giving us too much credit.  I think many times, we only want to hear what agrees with us.  But truthfully, we all need input—a standard—that guides our understanding and actions.  We all know from experience that if we react to everything in our lives based on how we feel at the moment, we can get ourselves into all sorts of trouble real quick.  I’m thinking about things like broken relationships, substance abuse, debt, and worse.  And so, I like to think about this idea slightly differently.  Here’s my paraphrase:  “I do not really need a belief system [or worldview] that is right where I am right.  What I need is a belief system [or worldview] that is right where I am wrong.”

And so, the answer to the question, “Why should we study the Bible?” is that, in short, it is the supreme and final authority in faith and life.  It is the sole basis of our beliefs [in other words, the Bible is the foundation], the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.  It was uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and was written without error in the original manuscripts. 

As it says in Hebrews 4:12, “The Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  And that is one more distinctive of the Bible.  It is a living book.  It guides and corrects us and keeps us on the right track.  We have much to learn by studying the Bible, the Word of God.

Let’s pray before we get into today’s topic and ask God to teach us from His amazing Word.

Lord God, thank You for the Bible.  We are so very much in need of direction for our lives.  We need help to understand the challenges that are in front of us.  Please give us wisdom and teach us through this passage from I Samuel, we pray in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

What are some of the key things we’ve seen so far in I Samuel 1-15?  Well, one of the key passages which was used to introduce this series “Prophet and King” is I Samuel 8:6-7 which says

But when they [the people of Israel] said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king." –I Samuel 8:6-7

This verse gives us a view into a major transition in the history of the nation of Israel.  At that time, the nation was roughly 300 years old (about sixty years older than the United States is now by the way).  Prior to this, God had given the Law to the people through Moses.  The priests were responsible for teaching the Law and leading the people in worship.  The individual twelve tribes of Israel appeared to have leadership within themselves, but there was no form of federal government at least not in the way that we think of today.

There were times, of course, when the nation needed a greater level of leadership.  God provided that by raising up individuals as judges who were suited to deal with the particular crisis that demanded such leadership.  In total, there are 14 judges mentioned during that 300 year period.

It was an episodic time where the people of Israel would follow God, but then they would inevitably turn away from Him.  The consequences of the decision to turn away were always bad.  Eventually, the people would call God to rescue them, and then another judge would be raised up, and peace would be restored.

Samuel the prophet was the last judge of Israel.  As Samuel was growing older, the people were anxious.  Samuel’s sons did not exhibit the same good character that there father had.  They were willing to accept bribes and pervert justice.  It’s easy to us to look in the rearview mirror and declare the Israelites foolish and wag our finger at them saying, “Foolish Israelites.  Why do you go making demands of God?”

But the people at the time of Samuel were not alone - throughout history people have demanded substitutes for God in their lives.  The results are never good!  And so, we look back into the pages of Israel's history to discover timeless truths about our fallen human nature and our misguided inclination to want to distance ourselves from God.  It is our desire to learn from the past and make better choices.

Just this past week, our daily devotional called Faithwalkers included a thought about the value of studying all of God’s Word, the whole Bible, rather than only portions which we prefer.  The author described reading all of the Bible was like eating your veggies.  Sure, many of us would like to eat dessert only or certainly eat it first, but it would not be healthy for us.  We also need a balanced diet of truth.  We’re deeply comforted by the truth that God is our Savior and He rescues us when we trust in His Son Jesus.  But, we can get a little squirmy when we see the consequences of bad decisions.  But these real life examples are given to us to help us see where we ourselves have risks, where we ourselves are wrong.

The alternative is to learn them through painful mistakes ourselves.

Sometimes when someone wants something so badly…even when it’s contrary to what God wants for them, He will let them have it, or some of it, so that they can realize why it was the wrong thing to do.  Sometimes, this is the only way that people learn.  In the case of the Israelites here, God gives them what they think they want.

And so, Saul enters the scene.  God arranges a miraculous situation that brings Saul to Samuel where Samuel then anoints Saul as king.  Saul experiences some good things in the beginning.  He leads the people to victory over their enemies, but soon enough (too soon!) the power and prestige of the kingship start to go to his head.  He’s very concerned about what others will think of him.  His decisions are haphazard.  He is not grounded on the foundation of God and His Word.  Finally, he flat out rejects direct instructions from God as given to him by Samuel.

Then, it really is the worst outcome for Saul.  God has to cut Saul off from the kingship and even His Spirit leaves Saul. 

This raises a challenging question for us.  Tim expressed it so well last week, “What do we do with the sad story of Saul?  I know I have certainly been like Saul at times, subconsciously thinking that I can handle something on my own or being more concerned with outward appearances than God’s approval.  It is easy to see Saul as a tragic figure, trapped by pride and self-centeredness. But it is only by God’s grace that all of us don’t fall that same way. Is God’s Word pure gold to us, or do we take it with a grain of salt, maintaining a plan B in case things don’t work out?  We can dilute God’s instruction in ways that seem safer to us or that clearly benefit us in material ways. We will make sacrifices here and there, we contribute out of our abundance and feel good about that. And if others notice what we do, that’s a side benefit. To be radically sold-out for God, completely open and obedient – that might sound just a little too dangerous. Are we willing to trust God to that extent, holding nothing back?”

Though that might sound scary to us, it is what God is continually seeking.  We’ve already heard these words in the previous chapters …

But be sure to fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.  Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”—I Samuel 12:24-25

"You have done a foolish thing," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." –I Samuel 13:13-14

But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!" As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors--to one better than you.  –I Samuel 15:26-28

God never does things hastily.  He had already given Saul many chances.  Even now, He does not take the kingdom away from Saul instantly.  It is the time that the one after God’s own heart to be identified.  Let’s read now in I Samuel 16 …

The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” –I Samuel 16:1

The sense here is that God’s plan for His people will always continue forward.  It reminds us a little bit of Mordecai’s admonition to Esther, “if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

God did not tell Samuel it was wrong to mourn Saul, but He did indicate that there was a time for that mourning to end.  Again, God’s plans will move forward.  He will not be defeated no matter what the circumstances we might see.

But Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." –I Samuel 16:2-3

Based on what we’ve seen from Saul, Samuel’s objection here is not unwarranted.  Earlier Saul was willing to kill his own son over a situation where Jonathan wasn’t knowingly guilty.  Thankfully, the people stepped in and rescued Jonathan.

This is a really good example of pointing out to God something which to us looks like an impossible obstacle, and then God explaining what should happen next.  This is an area where I know I struggle.  When I don’t understand my circumstances, then I am quick to be frustrated.  God, don’t you see?  What are we waiting for?  Sometimes, I’m sure God just has me waiting to build character.  But Friday, I had a surprise in a waiting situation.

Rather than get bogged down in all the details, I’ve been in a waiting situation since the end of April.  It’s the worst kind of waiting because it’s half-waiting.  The kind where one person is telling you to move forward and another person is telling you to stay where you are and then those people are changing their minds.  Except, it’s not two people, it’s closer to ten people, and all of those people hold positions higher than me.  It’s gotten to the point where I can’t even guess what the final outcome is going to be.

In this midst of this, I’ve been given the task to bring some new people into our group so that this “maybe” project has the resources to move forward.  I hired one person already.  Due to another recent flip flop from some of the decision makers, I decided not to move forward with the second position.  I told my immediate boss I was going to wait until after a planned meeting early next month before taking further action.  Then, on Friday, someone that I know quite well approaches me.  This person is a believer with exactly all the qualifications and experience the position requires.  They want to know about the position.  They want to when a decision will be made because they would like to pray about applying first.

I get all excited and want to dive into details, but I’m simply blown away that this opportunity exists, whether or not it this person joins the group.  But I can imagine that all the chaos surrounding this situation could simply be God causing the bus to wait long enough for all the right people to get on board.

The question I keep coming back to is whether or not I believe that God is really in control and if I can trust Him.  If you are a believer in Christ, the answer is, “Yes!”  God is working all things for our good even the scary, uncertain things.  Then, will we keep following Him through those fears?

Samuel has his instructions here:  how to go and what to do.  And so …

Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?" Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. –I Samuel 16:4-5

Samuel faithfully follows God’s instructions.  We get an idea of Samuel’s status and significance in the reaction of the town elders.  They are literally trembling probably both out of fear and excitement.  First question, “do you come in peace?”  “Yes, in peace.”  “Whew!”

Interestingly, the elders are to consecrate themselves, yet Samuel himself sees to the consecration of Jesse and his sons.  Being consecrated has the sense of preparing oneself spiritually.  According to the Law, it also means taking a bath and putting on clean clothes.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." –I Samuel 16:6-10

We don’t get any more details about the sacrifice.  But this is assumedly the pass in review for Jesse’s sons.  Keep in mind that Saul was extraordinarily tall and also good looking.  Saul looked every bit the part of a king.  It would seem that Samuel simply was continuing that expectation.  Eliab apparently looked impressive in appearance and size.  And yet, that is not what God places value on.

The Lord does not look at the things people look at.  That’s a pretty broad statement, but we base so much of what we know on the immediate impression of our five senses.  Does it look good, sound good, smell good, taste good, feel good?  If yes, then it is good.  But people aren’t clothes or food or music.

The beauty and goodness of a person are found in the heart and not the externals.

And then, there is a pause.  Up till now, it seems like Jesse and his sons are not expecting anything special to happen beyond the highly unusual event of accompanying Samuel to a sacrifice.

So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered. "He is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.  –I Samuel 16:11-13

There are some things in the Bible which you would just love to know.  The elders are already on pins and needles.  It is not clear whether or not Jesse is an elder of the town, but I can imagine his sons are likely nervous and feeling quite out of place.  In the middle of that, Samuel, whom they’ve never met before, turns and asks if Jesse has more sons.  I can imagine raised eyebrows and sidelong glances.  How can Samuel know that there is another son?  What are they all thinking?

Not only does Samuel send for David, he then says they won’t even sit down.  This is the kind of waiting you do for only a person worthy of high respect.  David is already out watching the sheep, so we know his place is not the highest.  He’s the youngest brother of seven older brothers.  Now, they all have to stand and wait, for him.  Can’t you just hear their thoughts?  How long is this going to take?  How far away is he?  Is Samuel just a crazy old man?  Does this mean we have to make small talk?

The Hebrew word which is behind the thought translated “glowing with health” literally means “red”.  It can mean red headed or red complexion.  I think in this case, we might imagine David coming straight from the sheep as fast as possible.  He may simply be red-faced from running.  You can still think of “glowing with health.”  It’s just a different kind of glow.

The words behind fine appearance mean fair or beautiful eyed.  You know how you look into someone’s eyes and you can tell whether or not they are present?  We sometimes say you can look in someone’s eyes and tell whether or not anybody is home.  David had pretty eyes, but it is could be more than that because God already said he was not concerned with the outer appearance.

The words handsome features are translated from literal words a good or agreeable sight.  David was in total was pleasing to look at.

And so, here is David, probably all of fifteen years old.  He’s pink-cheeked, bright-eyed, an overall agreeable looking guy.  We could even envision him coming straight in from the flock.

What a contrast there is between David and his older brothers and an even greater contrast between Saul and David.  Saul was a full grown 30 year old man when he was anointed as king.  David is somewhere on the way between being a boy and a man.  Despite being a pleasure to look at, David does not look the part of a king.  We watched the 2015 version of Cinderella a short while back.  In it, the prince describes himself as an apprentice.  David looks more the part of an apprentice than a king or even a prince.

Samuel immediately follows God’s leading and anoints David.  The word brothers can indicate kinsmen, so it might have included the town elders.  However, it seems reasonable to think that secrecy was more important than witnesses.  Samuel, Jesse, and his sons may have been waiting separately prior to the sacrifice.

Samuel literally takes a flask of oil and pours it straight on David’s head.  It would likely have been enough oil to run down his hair and even onto his clothes.  In addition to the oil, God’s spirit comes upon David, but we do not get to see what the effect is.  In fact, there is nothing more here except Samuel’s departure.  I wonder if they even held the sacrifice.  I suppose so, because to do otherwise would seem even stranger.

There were no additional actions like what followed Saul’s anointing.  There wasn’t a “spiritual treasure map” which confirmed that the anointing had been at God’s direction.  In David’s case, we don’t even know if he knows why he’s been anointed.  Samuel told Saul he had been anointed as king and ruler over Israel.  Perhaps this too was intended as a protection for David. 

There are many applications which I think can be found in David’s anointing as the king who is to come.

First is that we don’t see an age restriction.  David is anointed as a youth.  His heart is turned toward the Lord, and the Lord can and will use David for great things.  And so it can be with believers today.  There is no age restriction to put your faith in Christ.

David doesn’t know what he is to become.  He only knows that he is chosen.  Each person who puts their faith in Christ is in a similar place.  We do not know yet what we are to become in this life or in the life to come.  But we know we are chosen and we are marked and belong to God.

Oil is often used as a symbol of God’s spirit.  Here we see the anointing oil and the spirit of God come on David at the same time.  When a person puts their faith in Christ, then God’s Spirit immediately comes into that person, giving them eternal life.

We have a contrast here too between David and Saul.  I mentioned the “spiritual treasure map” that Samuel had given Saul to follow.  Saul needed experiences or proof that David didn’t need.  Even still, in spite of all the evidence, Saul would abandon God and depend only upon himself.

It is tempting to think of ourselves as either a David or a Saul.  Then, if we believe we are a Saul, we think of a verse like Jeremiah 13:23, “Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”  And it causes us to despair.

I want everyone to know that you are not condemned.  There is hope for everyone.  And yet, Jeremiah 13:23 is not invalid.  How is that possible?

I got a leadership survey on Friday that had a couple of questions that surprised me.  I think by most secular psychologists, I got one of the questions right and one wrong.

1.     Human beings are basically good, but sometimes make terrible decisions.  Strongly Disagree.

2.     No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially.  Strongly Agree.

The issue is that no human beings are basically good.  In fact, the situation is so bad, that the Bible explains that we are actually dead inside spiritually.  Apart from God, we can want to do good all we want, but we’ll find that we consistently get tripped up somehow.  We can’t “do good” by ourselves.

And yet, no matter what kind of person we are, we can always change substantially if we come to Jesus and allow Him to do the changing.

I read a story yesterday.  I just happened across it on a news feed.  It’s pretty rare that you find something praiseworthy on a secular newsfeed.  And yet, there it was:  a woman sharing a story of real grace that transformed her life.  You see, as a teenager, this young Christian woman had gotten pregnant out of wedlock.

I finally mustered up the strength and courage and confided in my father, my father’s shoulders sagged and he hung his head. Momentarily we sat in silence, me holding my breath awaiting his reaction while wearing the weight of his certain disappointment and possible anger. Then there was the indescribable and overwhelming feeling of shame that washed over me in waves.

My father finally raised his head and looked at me with tears in his eyes. “Honey,” he said, “I am so disappointed.  I am.”

Now it was my turn to hang my head.

“And you have made poor choices which now have consequences,” he continued.

“It won't be easy — and there will be struggles and a hard path ahead of you. But I love you — and now I figure I have been given more to love.” 

Wait, what?! My mouth was agape. Before I could respond my father got up from his chair and reached over and wrapped me in his arms and simply held me.

It was just what I needed and not anything I expected.

Tears ran down my face, “I am so sorry, dad.  I am so sorry!  Will you forgive me?”  

"Of course."

What I encountered was something I had never fully grasped before though I had been taught for years.

Grace.

I didn't get what I deserved, but I certainly fully received what I had been taught.

Grace swept over me and unleashed its power connecting both with my head and my heart.

The only way I can describe it is that grace is the gift of a big exhale. -- Holding one’s breath and waiting for what most certainly should come to receiving a “get free pass” that one would absolutely not expect.

That grace moment propelled my life in a new direction.

I confessed my sins, I cleaned up my act, and I charted a new course fanned by the winds of grace and truth spoken in love.

My father was right, I did choose a hard path and there were struggles ahead, but when I look into my son’s beautiful eyes, I am so glad I made the right choice, after I made a wrong one.

The story went on to relate how as an older adult now, this lady has been able to minister to many women who have experienced similar hard paths.  In describing that work, she related what she called one of her mottos, “A leopard cannot change its spots, but I assure you that a caterpillar can turn into a butterfly.” (Angel Holscher Hatfield)

And so, there we are.  Apart from Christ, we are leopards who cannot change their spots.  In Christ, we are creatures waiting to be made complete and, even better, to be transformed.

We should learn from Saul’s mistakes, and endeavor by God’s grace not to fall into his self-centered and prideful ways seeking to be independent from God.  But if we find ourselves in one of those sins, we should immediately repent and turn away from the destructive attitudes or actions.  We can tell God what we’ve done wrong and receive His forgiveness.  And rest in Him.  As Paul explained in his letter to the Philippians …

I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  –Philippians 1:6

We could go on and on.  The good news of Jesus Christ is so wonderful.  No matter what is going on or has happened to you, right now and always and ever come to Jesus for forgiveness and restoration.  We cannot live life apart from Him.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your continuous commitment to us.  We are so glad that You are not surprised when we mess up.  Help us to walk in the light of the living hope You have given to us in Your resurrection.  Thank You that when we believe in You we have a resurrected life, too.  Words cannot express the gratitude we have for what You have done for us.  Thank You, Jesus.  Amen.