Internals, Not Externals: Daily Thoughts from 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

I’ll never forget the older gentleman who was the only one available to play racquetball with me. My judgment of him was that he was boring and not someone I cared to hang out with. We played (he probably beat me, that, for some reason, I don’t remember) and we ended up talking afterward. Boy, was I wrong about this guy. He was a superstar. I had completely misjudged him. I was focused on the externals (his slow, sonorous voice; his negligible speech; his age) and not on his heart.

Samuel needed to learn this lesson like I did. He was called to anoint a king in Saul’s place, Saul, the tall and handsome first king of Israel. How would he decide who should be king?

The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:1-13, ESV)

In God’s timing He will either exalt you or humble you. When Saul was “small in his own eyes” God made him Israel’s first king. Now he has become arrogant, but an unsuspecting son of Jesse will be exalted, though there will be much he must go through first before he attains the status God has in mind for him.

At Yahweh’s direction Samuel goes to anoint a son of Jesse as next king. Samuel rightly fears Saul, who, if he finds Samuel is going to anoint someone in his place would surely kill Samuel and the family of Jesse. In that light there is no obligation for Samuel to tell Saul what he is doing. He is to tell Saul, at Yahweh’s direction, only part of the truth. Samuel’s movements are rarely private. He is a huge figure in Israel, as attested by the fear the people of Bethlehem have when he comes. As judge of Israel and prophet and priest of God he may be coming in judgment. He assures them he is not.

Yahweh reveals that David is the son of Jesse whom he wants Samuel to anoint, making a point to Samuel that God’s ability to see a person’s heart is the basis of this choice. As with Saul, the Spirit of God rushes upon David giving him ability and grace to see himself as the future king.

What has the Spirit of God empowered you to do? As God looks at your heart what does He see? We can all be corrupted by power, no matter how small it may seem to be. Keeping our hearts pure and totally committed to God and His purposes is crucial. He is responsible for keeping us in power or not. It is not by one’s strength that one prevails.

And how will you judge others? By the seeming power they have or by their hearts. If you cannot know their hearts then you must depend on God to make that evident to you. Your own judgment is limited. Never forget that.