SAMUEL ANOINTS DAVID

1 Samuel 16:1-23

Key Verse: 16:7

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 man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

I. God’s sovereignty and Samuel’s faithfulness (1-4)

Read verse 1a. The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel?” Last week we watched as Samuel walked away from Saul never to see him again. By turning his back on Saul, he modeled God’s rejection of Saul as king over Israel. We see here in verse 1 that Samuel took no pleasure in Saul’s rejection. Instead he mourned for him. From God’s question, it seems like he mourned for Saul for some time. A lot of people might ask. Why did Samuel mourn for Saul? Saul sinned. He got what he deserved. Samuel knew Saul had sinned. He knew Saul was disobedient. He saw Saul’s pride and unrepentant heart. And yet Samuel still cared for Saul. He still loved Saul in the way that God loves sinners even though they sin against him over and over again.

A piece of Samuel probably mourned for Israel as well. Many thoughts might have crossed his mind. Who was going to lead them now that Saul had been rejected? Where am I going to find the king to replace Saul? How am I supposed to find this person? God knew what was in Samuel’s heart. And he woke Samuel from his sadness over Saul.

Read verse 1b. “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.” God had a plan all along. Samuel thought to himself. Alright. We’re going to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse. He pulled together his belongings for the trip. He gathered together provisions of food and water. Excitement built up inside of him as he thought about this new king. Didn’t God say that the new king would be better than Saul? How exciting? The final step in his preparations was to map his journey. He went online to Google maps. He typed in Ramah as the starting point. He typed in Bethlehem of Judah as his destination. And he clicked ‘Get Directions.’ The map showed that on the way to Bethlehem his journey would take him passed a town called Gibeah of Saul. Uh-oh.

Look at verse 2a. But Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me.” Samuel was right. Saul knew he had been rejected. As the rest of 1 Samuel will show us, Saul was willing to do whatever it took to hold on to his throne for as long as he could. If Saul found out what Samuel was about to do, he might try to find who the next anointed one is and kill him and Samuel. It was no exaggeration to think that Samuel was putting his life on the line to anoint this new king.

What did God say? Read verses 2b-3. 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.” Focus on the words at the end of verse 3. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate. God emphasizes that he is the one in control of this entire process. Earlier in verse 1 he says “I am sending you” and “I have chosen.” God is sovereign. Just do what I tell you, Samuel, and everything will be alright.

One thing I’ve learned in life is that you can never go wrong if you choose to live for God and to do what he says. Even if it doesn’t seem practical or the way seems full of obstacles. Time and time again I’ve seen it. If we obey God, we can find comfort in knowing that God is in control and that he works for our good.

Ask M. Moses who went to Belize not knowing what to expect and facing an empty room to preach to every Sunday. He and M. Sarah now have more Bible students than there are days in a week. Tommy Pham went to Indonesia not knowing the language or the culture. He went to teach English after majoring in family studies. Now he’s married and is blessing to the ministry in Indonesia. When I stepped on a plane for China almost 8 years ago I had no idea that it would change my life completely. I had no idea but God knew and he was always working on my behalf.

How did Samuel respond to God’s words? Read verse 4a. Samuel did what the LORD said. Would we expect any less from Samuel? He did what the Lord said. This act of obedience by Samuel will be the last significant act of Samuel in the Bible. At great personal risk for his safety, Samuel put his life in God’s hands and obeyed. Because of his obedience he would anoint the next king and the precursor to Jesus himself. Psalm 99:6-7 say, “Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.” He obeyed even when he didn’t agree with God, or even when his life might be in danger. From the day he was born to the day he died, Samuel was a servant after God’s own heart who revealed his closeness with God by obeying whatever God asked him to do.

II. The Lord looks at the heart (5-13)

When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem, he proceeded to consecrate Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. Jesse arrived with his seven sons. Samuel didn’t want to be obvious but he scanned them from afar out of the corner of his eye. They were all handsome and strong looking. The three oldest would become soldiers in Israel’s army to fight against the Philistines. Samuel asked Jesse to call Eliab, the oldest, over to him. Look at verse 6. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD.” It’s possible that Eliab looked very much like Saul. Tall and in appearance what one might expect a king to look like. But God gave us a hint in 13:14 as to what kind of man he is looking for to replace Saul. 1 Samuel 13:14 says “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.” He reminds Samuel of this in verse 7.

Read verse 7. 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 man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” What does it mean that God does not consider the outward appearance or what man looks at? If God doesn’t look at the outward appearance or what man looks at, then this should be a room full of short, unattractive, talent-less people, right?

But when I look around this room I see many good looking people. Tall people. Talented people. Smart people. So what does it mean that God doesn’t look at what man looks at? I think it mean God doesn’t value what man values. Put another way. God didn’t choose you for your talents, or height, good looks, or whatever outwardly worthy characteristic you have. He chose you for your heart. The same is true for when Jesus called men like Peter who was a rough fisherman. But at the same time he called a man like Levi who was a cunning tax collector. On the outside both men were very different. But when Jesus called them they both reacted in the exact same way by getting up and following him. Peter leaving behind his nets, and Levi leaving behind his tax collector’s booth. Jesus knew both their hearts were ready for his invitation.

This is the moment where someone like Elijah Ku who is my Bible student and has embraced systematic reform theology will tell me, “But how can God look at the heart since every man is a sinner and thus every heart is full of sin? Since there is no sinless heart, what does he mean when it says the Lord looks at the heart?” Excellent question.

To be used by God begins with acknowledgement that my heart is sinful, and the humility to admit my weakness to God. It begins by telling that God that we need him, repenting of our sin, and asking God to help me. Then through faith in Jesus he begins to mold our hearts, change our hearts, and sanctify our hearts to become more and more like his own. God really cares about our heart. The entire book of Deuteronomy references how God wants us to love him with all our hearts. Why is the heart so important? It’s because ours is truly a relationship with God. He is our friend, counselor, and father. I don’t think Saul ever had this kind of relationship with God. God was more like an acquaintance or business associate. But God doesn’t want business associates. He wants real relationships with us.

Doing some research online I stumbled upon the Top 100 things women look for in men. The top 10 were clear, beautiful and healthy looking eyes; a confident attitude towards life, physical height; physical strength, muscles; being funny; being witty; being wealthy; being playful; being touchy; and bravery. (Being famous. If you’re famous, then by definition a lot of people know you. If a lot of people know you, you are therefore important. Being important is very attractive to women. Being a little selfish. Being generous.) Among the entire 100 not once did it mention heart or love. God doesn’t need a top100. His is a list of one. Our heart. So who was the one he chose? The man after his own heart?

Samuel had all seven of Jesse’s sons in attendance pass before him. Yet each time Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one.” Finally, he asked if there were any others. There was one more, David who was tending the sheep. Read verses 12-13. So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he 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 upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

The man God chose was David, a man after his own heart. Here in these few verses we don’t know much about David except that he was the youngest, a reddish complexion with delicate features and good looking. The KJV says he had “a beautiful countenance, and [was] goodly to look [at].” But it was David and his heart that would be of importance to God. How do we know what is in David’s heart? Well, eventually we will know by his obedience. In the previous chapter that Saul’s disobedience was an indication of a heart that was far from God. But a heart that is close to God is revealed in the person who does what God says. Acts 13:22 says, “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’”

What did God want him to do? It’s no coincidence that David was a trained shepherd because what God wanted his king to be a shepherd over Israel. Psalm 78:70-72 says, “He 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.”

I believe God’s heart always has been and continues today to be a shepherd for his people. If we want to be people after God’s own heart, then we have to do what God desires? If we claim to be disciples of Jesus, then I believe that means taking care of God’s sheep. Jesus said this to Peter in John 21. Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” And three times after Peter responded yes, Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” Just as God called David to be his shepherd king, God calls us to be his shepherds for this generation. And the duties of a shepherd aren’t easy or glamorous. They require sacrifice, service, and humility. It often means patience, unconditional love, and commitment to the sheep.

I’ve had two really good shepherds in my life who taught me the Bible and more importantly taught me what it means to be a good shepherd. The first taught me how to really love studying God’s word and opened my eyes to how amazing God’s word is. The second taught me how to be faithful and to be are responsible shepherd. He was unfailingly consistent in his character and his faith. They both gave me a lot during a time when I had very little to offer them and actually was probably a very difficult Bible student. (Both of them are no longer in our ministry) They could have never known then that there sacrifice of time, patience, and love would make a lasting impression on my life. What if they had given up on me then? Or what if they decided that it didn’t seem worth it? What would my spiritual life look like today?

Shepherding in David’s time was a thankless job. And spiritual shepherding today is also a thankless job. At least to the world. But to God it is a clear sign of a heart that loves him and loves to please him. While it may be thankless, it can also be very rewarding. I know I talk about M. Elijah a lot. It’s because he’s in my fellowship and he’s always good as an example. He’s probably had hundreds of Bible students over the last 30 years. I bet he doesn’t dwell on the sheep that never finished or quit along the way. But he sees the fruit of his labor in the ones who have gone on to seminary or have become shepherds as well. This is really a great privilege and a great blessing.

Let us continue to ask God to mold our hearts into his likeness, and overcome our sin that we may seek his desires. May our love for God be reflected in our obedience and heart for his lost sheep.

III. Saul’s evil spirit (14-21)

Read verse 14-16. Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. Saul's attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.”

Saul’s sin of disobedience led him to a dark place where he was far from God. An evil spirit tormented him over and over. This is in contrast to the presence of the Spirit of the Lord mentioned in David in verse 13. This picture of the tormented Saul and the blessed David is vivid picture of life with or without God’s presence.

I don’t know what it feels like to be tormented by an evil spirit. But Jesus makes clear in Matthew 12 that without faith in Jesus and the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit your heart is inviting occupancy by evil spirits. Our heart is like a home that is made for occupants. If we don’t fill it with the Holy Spirit then squatters like evil spirits will fill the space. Go into any big city and look at the boarded up windows of abandoned and foreclosed houses. They would love to have a happy family come and clean it up and make it their home. But that’s not who’s living in them. They are often havens for criminal and illegal activity. There are lots of people who are tormented by evil spirits. They may not even know it. It may not be apparent. But if you’re not being ruled by Jesus, then you’re being ruled by something else.

Saul tried to soothe his soul with music. Music might make you feel better. But it doesn’t get at the root cause of the torment. Do you remember the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus? Can you imagine Jesus calling in a band to play for the boy? Or how about the demon-possessed man who lived among the tombs? People need to be saved from their sin. And that only comes through repentance and faith in Jesus. We all know that even David fell into serious sin. But we see he also fell face down into serious repentance. His heart of repentance is revealed in the entire book of Psalms.

God is looking for men and women who will give their hearts to him. We admit we are not perfect, but God accepts us anyway if we come with humble and repentant hearts. If we confess that we love him, let us do so by being shepherds for his people. Thanks God for Jesus and his Holy Spirit who blesses us each day to live for him. Let’s read the key verse.