July 4, 2021
16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” 7 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 does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
If you have been reading the e-newsletter you know that July is our summer sermon series on David. David is one of those larger-than-life Biblical figures we know but may be able to learn a bit more about. So where else to start this monthlong journey than with the anointing of David. Edie just read the account of how a shepherd boy David was made a king. The least likely of the brothers to be chosen. Shortly thereafter David will rise to face the Philistine giant, known as Goliath. An account that speaks as much about the changing political times because the Philistines had ascended to power but that would soon come to an end. David’s defeating Goliath also roused his predecessor’s jealousy.
Let me back up for a moment. For two hundred years the tribes of Israel were ruled by judges. Not judges like in our legal system, but spiritual leaders chosen to guide and rule over the people. They were different from kings in that individuals were chosen and not a mantel passed down from father to son as in a monarchy. Judges ruled each of the tribes. The tribes were not held together by a government, rather by a common devotion to Yahweh. But the people wanted a king (1 Sam. 8:4-5). After 200 years they wanted to turn their backs on God and God’s spiritual leaders and just have a king. Samuel, who was the last judge, the final judge chosen and loyal to God, was tasked with anointing a king. Saul was the first king of Israel. Anointed by Samuel and supported by the people Saul ruled for 20 years. As a charismatic leader, he united the tribes of Israel, by defeating their common enemies. But King Saul fell out of favor with God because he was not devoted to Yahweh. So Samuel is asked why he is grieving over Saul after God had rejected him as king (16:1). Imagine being Samuel, the last judge and the one who anointed the first king of Israel. It might be hard to turn your back on your man Saul and then go anoint another king. Especially when God turned down the formidable sons of Jesse. Samuel might wonder, who is this young shepherd boy and what does he know about being king?
But as a faithful follower of God and a Judge, Samuel arises and took the horn of oil and anointed David (the future King of Israel), and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward (16:12-13). From that moment on, the fates of these two men change course. The Spirit of the Lord departed Saul (16:14) and abided with David. David rises from the obscurity of a shepherd’s life, appearing as a harp player in the king’s court, gallantly exploits the Philistines, becomes as a “Robin Hood” leader to a band of outlaws, and ultimately is elevated to the rank of King of Israel. (Understanding the Old Testament, Bernhard, Anderson, p. 176). We will get to that next week.
What can we learn about God choosing David that will help us with our walk and our understanding of life? Two things to note about David: he was not chosen for his stature and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon him.
When Samuel anointed Saul, he was chosen for his appearance, his height (1 Sam 10:23). So seeing Jesse’s eldest son, it was an honest mistake for Samuel to think he was the king. Eli’ab was strong in stature. This is a reminder that God does not view people by outward appearances. Instead, God considers people based on their heart. How we live our lives, treat those around us, love our Lord. That’s “the one thing that really matters: what’s in our hearts. And, deep within us, we know it’s true. For example–those of you who are married–personal appearance may have played an important role in choosing your spouse. So may have intelligence. But what is it you appreciate most in your spouse today? Most of us would agree, it is their heart.
‘I love the way he treats me. I know she will always be there for me. I know I can trust him. She’s my best friend.’ A loving and devoted heart, in the long run of life, is far more important to happiness than a pretty face and a superior brain.” God looks upon the heart. How is your heart this morning? (Sermons.com King Duncan).
Secondly, once anointed by Samuel, the Spirit of the Lord rested mightily on David. Samson and Isaiah also had the Spirit of the Lord upon them (Jud. 14:6, Is. 61:1). Samson was given great strength to defeat a lion, and Isaiah proclaimed good news to the poor, the same words used by Jesus when claiming his anointing, his calling by God (Lk. 4:18). Jesus said, “The Spirit of God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” The Spirit of the Lord is a powerful thing. It rested on David, on Isaiah, on Samson and on Jesus.
The story is told of a little boy and his father. They were walking along a road when they came across a large stone. The boy looked at the stone and thought a bit. Then he asked his father, “Do you think if I use all my strength, I can move that rock?” The father thought for a moment and said, “I think that if you use all your strength, you can do it.”
That was all the little boy needed. He ran over to the rock and began to push on it. He pushed and he pushed, so hard that little beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. But the rock didn’t move.
After a while, the little boy sat down on the ground. His face had fallen. “You were wrong,” he told his dad. “I can’t do it.” His father walked over to him, knelt beside him, and put his arm around the boy’s shoulder. “You can do it,” he said. “You just didn’t use all your strength. You didn’t ask me to help.” (Sermons.com, Donald M. Tuttle) God is our Father and always willing to help. We might not have the Spirit of the Lord upon us mightily, but we are promised that God will be with us when we ask, grant us strength and hope and light. David reminds us of the power and strength of God that rests upon him, a strength, a ready resource in God for those who ask.
The anointing of David reminds us that God looks at our heart, not our appearance, and God provides strength when we need it most.
Finally, on this Independence Day, I can’ help notice a similarity. Scripture tells of the people of Israel moving away from God and towards kings. Our independence moved us away from kings and towards religious freedom. We broke away for King George to have self-government. Our own independence was the end of monarchy and the birth of a republic. The Declaration of Independence states, “in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved.”
The anointing of David ushered in a new era of kings. Our independence ushered in a new era of self-rule and the end of kings. But at this moment it feels like we have another similarity. After 200 years, our democracy is changing. The right to vote is under attack, and some want to follow a charismatic leader rather than trusting in our Constitution and the democracy it created. History often repeats itself. Our democracy is not perfect, but I hope we will fight to save it. Winston Churchill wrote, “Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” May we pray for God’s strength to save our democracy and reflect on how God views our hearts when it comes to how we live our lives. Amen.
