I Samuel 16:1-13
Good morning! Last week, we took
a look back at the events in first 15 chapters of I Samuel. Today, we will start freshly in I Samuel
16. The time is 1000 BC, or one thousand
years before Jesus. It is a time of
uncertainty and difficulty in the land of Israel. The nation is surrounded by hostile neighbors
most notably the Philistines. To make
matters even worse, the current king of Israel is a fearful, impetuous,
contradictory, and dangerous individual.
His refusal to follow God’s direction has led to God’s rejection of him
as king.
Saul is this king. He is the
very first king of Israel. Before that,
the nation was governed by a succession of judges. The very last judge was Samuel. Samuel ministered before the Lord at the
temple as a priest. Samuel is a prophet
of God, and He had been the leader of the nation. But, the people of Israel wanted to have a
king. They wanted to be like the other
nations around them. Samuel was displeased
and saddened at the people’s choice, but God told Samuel to give the people
what they were asking for. (I Samuel 8) And so, Samuel was directed by God to
anoint Saul as king.
Saul was 30 years old when he became king (I Samuel 13:1). He will go on to reign for 42 years. At this point, he has been king for about 25
years. And, as we will see over the
coming weeks, Saul will still be on the throne for quite some time. God doesn’t do things hastily. Even now, in spite of Saul’s disobedience, God
does not take the kingdom away from Saul instantly. But, “… the LORD has sought out a man after
His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because [Saul had] not
kept the LORD's command." I Samuel 13:14
Let’s pray and ask the Lord to speak to us from these verses before us
today.
God, You raise up the humble and You bring down the proud. Help us to reject the pride of Saul and
instead to lay our hearts before You that we will be a people after Your own
heart. Thank You that You have chosen
us. Enable us to be good followers of
You, rejecting the wrong and choosing to do right. Teach us now we pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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
With this start, there is the sense that God’s plan for His people will
always continue forward. I Chronicles
10:13-14 explains God’s reasons for rejecting Saul. He was unfaithful to the Lord. He did not keep the Word of the Lord (he has
not followed God’s commands). And, he
did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore,
he cannot continue to rule God’s people.
There is another one who will be king.
Also, it is good to note that God did not tell Samuel it was wrong to
mourn Saul. There is a time for mourning
(Ecclesiastes 3:4), but God does indicate here that it is time for that
mourning to end. Again, God’s plans will
move forward. God’s plan 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 Jonathan over a situation where Jonathan wasn’t knowingly
guilty. Thankfully, the people stepped
in and rescued Jonathan.
For reference, let’s look at a map and get a sense of what’s going on
geographically:
At the end of chapter 15, the last time Samuel and Saul were together,
they were at Gilgal. Gilgal is over to
the west 10-15 miles from Ramah (which is Samuel’s hometown). When they left Gilgal, Samuel went to his
hometown of Ramah. Saul went to his
hometown of Gibeah. Gibeah is directly
south of Ramah, only a mile away. Bethlehem
where Jesse and his family live is about 10 miles south Ramah.
Samuel will have to pass right by Gibeah on the way to Bethlehem. Samuel is practically a celebrity. Most everyone knows who he is, and most
everyone is interested in his comings and goings. So here’s Samuel living in Ramah, practically
in Saul’s backyard. Then, he has to go
right by and maybe right through Saul’s town to accomplish the task God has
given him. Samuel doesn’t tell God he
won’t go. He’s just pointing out a real
risk. How is it possible for me to get
to Bethlehem without Saul hearing about it?
If he hears that I’m going to anoint another king, he’s going to kill
me.
God is not harsh in his response to Samuel. This is a good example of pointing out to God
something which looks like an impossible obstacle, and then God explaining what
should happen next. It is so easy when we
don’t understand our circumstances, to become frustrated. “God, don’t you see? What can be done? How can this situation move forward?”
Sometimes, God has us wait to build our character. Sometimes, the question for us is whether or
not we believe that God is in control and whether or not we can trust Him. If you are a believer in Christ, the answer
is, “Yes, you can trust God.” God is
working all things for our good even the scary, uncertain things. So, we need to faithfully choose to keep following
Him through the path he’s placed before us.
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. 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.
It is easy to pass over the family history of David. It is not really in the spotlight. Honestly, we know only a little of Jesse,
David’s father. He is the grandson of
Boaz and Ruth. He is the great-grandson
of Rahab, who helped the spies to escape Jericho. He is the great-great-grandson of
Nahshon. Nahshon was the leader of the
tribe of Judah during the time of the Exodus.
Nahshon was confirmed in that role by the community of the tribe of
Judah and by God Himself. And so, Jesse
is from the tribe of Judah. Judah is the
tribe from which the Messiah will come according to Genesis 49:10: “The scepter
will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until
he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.”
Based on the fact that his grandfather Boaz was a successful land
owner, it seems likely that Jesse, too, carries on in a similar way. We do know that Jesse had many sons (eight)
and at least two daughters. His family
kept sheep. He was able to send food to
his sons when they were serving in the army in the coming chapters. I Samuel 17 says that Jesse was old during
Saul’s time, which lasted 42 years.
Since we’re about two thirds of the way through Saul’s time, it seems
likely that Jesse would be much as seventy years old at this time.
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, it fades into the
background. Instead, the focus is
something of a 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. Also, Saul was thirty years
old when he became king. Since David is
the youngest of eight brothers, it is likely that his oldest brother Eliab
should be in his thirties. It seems that
Samuel simply is continuing his expectations based on what Saul was like when
he was anointed. Eliab apparently looked
impressive. He had the expected appearance. He had the expected size. He was the expected age. And yet, God does not place value on these
kinds of external expectations.
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 until
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. –I Samuel 16:11-12
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 one
of high honor. 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 good or
agreeable and sight. David was in total
was pleasing to look at. If you saw
David, you would probably smile at him.
And so, here is David, probably all of fifteen years old. He’s pink-cheeked, bright-eyed, an overall
agreeable looking guy.
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 man of exceptional height. David is still 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. David looks more the part of an apprentice
than a king or even a prince.
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 16:12-13
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 more witnesses. Samuel, Jesse, and
his sons may have been waiting separately prior to the sacrifice. There are enough witnesses to confirm the
anointing. David is not an upstart. He is the one chosen by God.
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.
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. In the coming
chapters, the behavior of David’s father and brothers make it seem as though
they did not know for what ultimate purpose David had been anointed.
More significant than the anointing oil, the Spirit of the Lord comes
powerfully on David. David’s close
relationship with the Lord and the indwelling power of God’s Spirit will be
David’s strength in the many trials and challenges to come.
And Samuel returns home. Samuel
does not take it into his own hands to try and put David on the throne or to
pull Saul off of the throne. Samuel has
done what God has asked. He has anointed
David. Now, he may return home.
At the beginning of the message, I shared I Samuel 13:14. In that verse, the Lord clarifies what he is
looking for in the heart of this new king.
It says, “the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and
appointed him ruler of His people …”
Let’s take a moment to look at the making of a person after God’s own
heart. What do we know about David? Can we see how he is or how he has become a
person after God’s own heart? First are a
few things which don’t exclude David from being a person after God’s own
heart.
There is not an age restriction.
David is recognized as a youth.
His heart is already turned toward the Lord, and the Lord can and will
use David for great things.
There is not a stature or looks requirement. God is not looking at the outside. He looks at the heart.
Then, one of the strong impressions from this experience with Samuel is
that David certainly has low esteem in the eyes of his family, especially his
father. He doesn’t get invited to the
biggest thing to happen in Bethlehem since Naomi came back and Ruth married
Boaz, which was like 200 years earlier.
Jesse doesn’t even name David in front of Samuel. Samuel has to ask Jesse if he has more sons.
And so, being held in high esteem by others is not a prerequisite to
being a person after God’s own heart. I
came across a quote from Alan Redpath who was an author and pastor of the 20th
century. He said simply, “Remember that
those who are rejected of men often become beloved of the Lord.” Even if you feel like someone is not treating
you as you deserve, know that you are loved by the Lord.
There are hints though in a couple of Psalms that David’s faith is not
something he came to by himself alone. Psalm
86 was written by David; verse 16 says, “Turn to me and have mercy on me; show
your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as
my mother did.” Also Psalm 116:16 says,
“Truly I am your servant, LORD; I serve you just as my mother did.” David likely had a strong example in
following God from his mom.
We are an example in the faith to those younger than us in the
faith. And, this is not necessarily
biological age. We do well to keep in
mind that others look to us they follow Christ.
There is one other big influence which we can see in today’s verses
about David. David was a shepherd. One of the commentaries I looked at said it
this way, “David’s years keeping the sheep were not waiting time; they were
training time.”
Psalm 78:70-72 says
[The Lord] chose David his
servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David
shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
Being a good shepherd entails a lot of things. Being faithful is a necessary part. Being courageous is another aspect. Plenty of predators would love to have some
fresh mutton or lamb. Being attentive to
the needs of the flock as a whole and the individuals is another
requirement. All these things David did,
did well, and were not forgotten when he ultimately became king.
Being outdoors most of the time is a big part of it. Having a lot of time to yourself is
another. It was in these times even as a
boy that David drew near to God. His
experience working as a shepherd caused Him to recognize God as His
Shepherd. David was a gifted songwriter
and harp player as we will see in the second half of chapter 16 next week. Half of the Psalms are directly attributed to
David with still more potentially written or derived from Psalms he had
written. David wrote Psalms throughout his
life. It is likely that David had worked
out portions and even entire Psalms even at this early age. We don’t know specific Psalms which David
composed as a youth, but a few possibilities are Psalm 8 (about God’s majesty
and His creation), 19 (about God’s creation and His Word), 29 (worshipping
God’s power demonstrated in a storm), and 139 (about how God formed us and
knows us).
Early on while I was preparing the message, I jotted down a list of
characteristics which I thought were critical to being a person after God’s
heart. I had three. They were:
obedience, fearlessness, and worship.
If I had to simplify it further, it would be to be a believer and
follower of Christ. We obey God because
we believe what He tells us to do. We
are not afraid because we trust Him. We
worship Him because we see His surpassing greatness (Ephesians 1:19).
And so, being a person after God’s own heart is not exclusive to only
one or a few. David Guzik expressed it
this way,
“God’s choice of David shows that we don’t have to quit our jobs and
enter into full-time ministry to be people after God’s own heart. We don’t need
to be famous or prominent to be people after God’s own heart. We don’t need to
be respected or even liked by others to be people after God’s own heart. We
don’t need status, influence, power, the respect or approval of men, or great
responsibilities to be people after God’s own heart.” –David Guzik
David has clearly been chosen, but he 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.
But you are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare
the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. –I
Peter 2:9
When the people of Israel first demanded a king, Samuel was sad to
anoint a king at all. (I Samuel 8), but there was good news in it. When preaching the good news of Jesus Christ
to the people at that first Pentecost, Peter said, “Indeed, beginning with
Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days.” (Act 3:24)
The days which they foretold were the days of a new King who would save His
people.
Paul preached later in Acts that “God testified concerning [David]: ‘I
have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything
I want him to do.’ From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the
Savior Jesus, as he promised.” (Acts 13:22)
We too can be filled with wonder that God chose us.
I would like to close with one of the Psalms which David wrote. Perhaps he wrote it as a youth. Perhaps he recited it that night after the
mysterious day when Samuel poured the anointing oil upon him. Perhaps it is a Psalm inspired not by age and
experience but rather an outflowing of the Holy Spirit at a momentous
time. Just imagine David sitting there
again under a sky full of stars, full of awe and wonder at what God did and wondering
still at what God will do. Am I really
chosen? Was it real? What am I to do? How will I keep from messing this up?
The heavens declare the
glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour
forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech,
they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into
all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has
pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. –Psalm 19:1-6
Look up to God. Worship
Him. Is this real? Yes, I see God’s hand all around me.
The law of the LORD is
perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making
wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the
LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of
them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they
are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is
warned; in keeping them there is great reward.—Psalm 19:7-11
Look to His Word. Follow
Him. What am I to do? Follow His instruction.
But who can discern their
own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great
transgression. –Psalm 19:12-13
Look in and know my need. How
can I keep from failing? Pray and ask
God for help. Forgive my hidden faults
that I don’t even know myself. Allow God
to cleanse you and keep you from sin.
May these words of my mouth
and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my
Redeemer.—Psalm 19:14
Surrender. Give your mouth and
heart to God for direction in what to say and believe. Our foundation and our salvation is in the
Lord alone. Step up and walk through.
Let’s pray.
Lord God, I pray for these Your saints.
I pray that we would all recognize that we have been chosen by You, that
we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Give us a fresh sense of awe and wonder at
what You have done for us. Guide us to
be faithful, looking up to You, looking to Your Word, depending on You,
surrendering to You. Create in us clean
hearts, and fill us freshly with Your Spirit, we pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment