But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
Read 1 Samuel 16.
How often have we misjudged someone simply by their appearance? We might jump to conclusions about a person’s intelligence or abilities by how handsome he is or how beautiful she is. Some may make superficial assumptions about the worth of a person by their clothing, the car they drive, the house they live in, or other shallow qualifications. What we see on the surface often masks who the person truly is deep inside, and we prematurely close the doors to what could be some wonderful relationships.
Samuel nearly made the same mistake. God had rejected Saul as King of Israel, and He had already made His choice for the next king. This would be a young man who sincerely had a heart after God’s heart. God sent Samuel to anoint this new king many years before he would actually take the throne; yet, God had a perfect plan and perfect timing.
Perhaps one of the lessons from this ordeal with Saul was that choosing the one who was the tallest and best looking specimen in the land turned out to be a disaster. I have wondered if God may have chosen Saul on purpose for this very reason so the people will understand a deeper spiritual truth. That is, the best man for the job may not always be the one who looks the part. It’s the heart that makes the difference!
God instructed Samuel to visit Jesse and anoint one of his sons as the next king. Of course, Samuel was concerned that if Saul heard about it, he would throw a royal fit! The solution was to invite Jesse to accompany him as he went to offer a sacrifice, and God would reveal to him which son to anoint as king.
As each son passed in front of Samuel one by one, he would notice how handsome or strong each one appeared. “Surely, this is the one,” Samuel would think as he eyed each of the first six sons. And, each time, God would say, “Nope!” Well, not in so many words!
God taught Samuel an extremely valuable lesson that day. He instructed Samuel that men see things very differently than God does. Man looks at the surface and values only what he can see with his eyes. However, God looks much more deeply and values what is in the heart.
Samuel was a bit confused when God had dismissed every single one of Jesse’s sons. Hmm, there had to be at least one more! “Are these all the sons you have?”
Yes, there was one more, but he was a mere boy. This boy, David, was busy tending his father’s sheep. Surely there must be some mistake! But, Samuel certainly knew the voice of the Lord! He insisted that someone send for this boy, and no one would sit down and eat until he comes. Samuel meant business when it came to obeying the commands of the Lord!
When David appeared, Samuel knew in an instant he was the one. God told him, “This is the one. Anoint him.”
I like the description of David here. Verse 12 says that David was dark and handsome and had beautiful eyes. Some translations say that he was ruddy, that is a healthy reddish color, or a natural blush.
Samuel took a flask of olive oil and anointed David as the next King of Israel right there on the spot. Verse 13 says that the Spirit of Lord came upon David powerfully that day and was with him from that day on. Now to see the wondrous orchestration of the Lord as He gets David’s foot in the door!
After Saul’s disobedience, the Holy Spirit had left him. Saul was left in quite a sad state of torment and depression from an evil spirit. While Scripture says that it was a spirit of the Lord, we need some clarity here. God will never send an evil spirit, but when the Bible was translated, it was understood that anything from the spiritual realm had its source from God. All this really means is that what was tormenting Saul was spiritual. It does not mean that anything evil really comes from the Lord.
Here is another example of how God works things out so meticulously. One of Saul’s servants suggested he hire a proficient musician to come and play for him, and that would make him feel better. This servant had heard of David’s musical ability, and bam! It was a done deal! David was hired to come and play his harp for Saul whenever Saul was feeling anguished. And, every time David played, his music would comfort Saul.
Saul grew to love David very much, and he requested that Jesse let him live in the palace. David soon became Saul’s armor bearer. How ironic when we see where this will lead! If you enjoy a story of adventure, you are in for some excitement over the next several chapters!
Join me tomorrow for one of the most thrilling yet familiar stories in the entire Bible! I just love it!
