READ: 1 Samuel 16
In 1 Samuel 13:14, after Saul
had unlawfully offered the sacrifice, God said through the prophet, “now your kingdom shall not continue. The
LORD has sought out a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him
to be prince over His people”. In chapter 16 we meet this man after God’s
own heart.
Samuel is a faithful follower
of Yahweh and we see this again so clearly in this chapter. What he sets out to
do is a bold thing – a thing that would be considered treason if the king were
to hear of it. But it is the Lord God of Israel directing him, and he knows the
Lord to be a sovereign and faithful God whose word always accomplishes that for
which it was meant. The command to go to Jesse and anoint one of his sons as
king is a scary assignment, but rather than saying no or running away, Samuel
presents his concerns to God. He has long resolved to follow the path that
Yahweh puts him on, even if each step must be taken in faith. And so Samuel
takes God’s strategy – to go to Bethlehem under the purpose of offering a
sacrifice – and runs with it.
Samuel is one who hears the
voice of the Lord clearly. He is able to set his own perceptions aside and
listen for the still, small voice that speaks truth. He obediently passes by
each of Jesse’s sons at the word of the Lord’s dismissal. And when what appears
to be the last of Jesse’s sons has been rejected, Samuel doesn’t fret about how
he might have heard wrong and grapple to go back and choose who he thinks would be a good pick. Standing
securely in what God has told him to do, he naturally assumes that Jesse must
have another son. And when he sees David, he knows that this is the man after
God’s own heart that has been chosen to take up the kingship after Saul. And so
Samuel anoints this handsome, young man as the future king of Israel.
Immediately the Spirit of the
Lord rushes upon David, empowering him for the tasks that lie ahead. Samuel’s
anointing of David was not an official declaring of David’s immediate
leadership in Israel; rather it was a spiritual anointing – God was now readying
David for the certain position he would one day have as the king of Israel. And
in verses 14-23 we see God starting to set up the scene, arranging the puzzle
pieces. The anointing must have come as quite a shock to David and his family,
who had no relation to King Saul. Saul was a Benjaminite while David’s family
was of the line of Judah. Yet in His sovereignty, God is now bringing David
into Saul’s life, giving him a seemingly “random” place of influence as the
royal musician/comforter. It is neat that God takes one of David’s talents –
musicianship and entertainment – and uses it for an even greater purpose. Our
God is practical and wise!
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. 1 Samuel 16:7 is a rather famous verse: “Do not look on his appearance or the height
of his stature… For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
a. How
does God want to encourage you through this verse?
b. How
does God want to convict you through this verse?
2. What
do you admire about Samuel and the way that he heard God? Take some time to
thank God for being a God who speaks. Thank Him for specific times that He has
spoken something meaningful to you. If there is something specific you have
been seeking Him about, take some more time to pray about that now.
3. Is
there something in your life that has happened that seems random or pointless?
Commit that thing to God. Thank God that He has purpose in all things. Ask Him if He might reveal to you part of His purpose
for doing/allowing this thing in your life.
