1 Samuel 16 verses 1 to 13 The Heart of the Matter

 

Introduction

The right perspective is very important because the way we see things will impact the way we act.

Sometimes we will just see things from two different viewpoints. Oftentimes the way we see things will cause us to react in different ways- seeing obstacles or possibilities. We may see hope for the future, or a desperate need being met in a timely way.

As Believers, our calling is to see from God’s perspective and act accordingly. We see this in our passage today.

Saul has been rejected as King of Israel. Samuel is tasked with anointing a new King. God leads Samuel to Bethlehem where Samuel anoints David, the King of God’s choosing.

We could understand our passage this way:

Two Ways of Seeing

Seeing the Heart of the Matter

The One the Lord Saw

Today, as God speaks to us, we see Him giving His People a new beginning through the King He has chosen for them- not the King they want, or expect, but the one He has chosen. Here we are called to consider: will we follow the King God has provided for us, or will we follow a king of our choosing? Will we see Christ from God’s perspective and act accordingly?

Let’s consider this as we, firstly, we encounter…

Two Ways of Seeing

In our opening verses we encounter two ways of seeing the fallout from Saul’s failure. Here we see that Samuel had to learn to see things from God’s perspective and act accordingly.

Our passage begins with Samuel deeply affected by the tragedy of Saul’s rebellion and rejection. The once-bold servant of God was deeply distressed by the tragedy of Saul’s failure. After his long and great life as Israel’s judge and prophet, Samuel felt defeated sin and circumstances. This was his way of seeing the situation.

We may reasonably assume that Samuel had developed an affection for Saul. Saul would suffer for his failure. So, Samuel wept. And we know that Samuel cared deeply for God’s People. Israel would suffer because of Saul’s failure. So, Samuel wept.

Samuel was grieved by the consequences of sin, particularly on the People of God. Indeed, all who love God and His Word will be deeply troubled by sin and its terrible consequences.

Do we grieve like Samuel? When we hear of the sin of another do we mourn over it or use it as a topic of gossip? Are we grieved by the spiritual state of God’s People in our own land today? Does anything ever move us, apart from our own comfort and security?

There is something challenging and instructive in Samuel’s grief.

However, on this day in Ramah, God rebuked Samuel for his grief; in verse 1 we read:

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? 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.”

The tragedy of Saul’s failure was real, but it was not everything.

Samuel was not to be so overwhelmed by circumstances that he failed to see God’s sovereign purposes and act accordingly. And so, God graciously pointed Samuel was to that future by sending him to Bethlehem to anoint the King God Himself had chosen for His People. It was time for Samuel to turn from his grief to God’s future.

Here we see the Word of God meet Samuel in his grief and bring help in this difficult time. This is the blessing that all of God’s People today have through our Bibles. Where do we look to find a light in darkness? The answer is always the Word of God.

In verse 1 God says: ‘…I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.’. These words could literally be translated: I have seen among his sons for myself a king. Seeing is a key theme of this chapter. We will learn that God sees in a particular way- He has His own perspective. We have been given Samuel’s perspective. Now we will see God’s perspective: that He will provide for His People the King of His choosing.

But we learn, in verse 2, that Samuel was, at first, a little reluctant to get involved with this king business again: …Samuel said, ‘How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me.’. Samuel, reasonably, imagined Saul would be rather unhappy if Samuel went and appointed another king. Samuel may have had God’s authority over Saul, as we saw in chapter 15, but Saul had the troops and might well use them if Samuel took active steps to betray him.

Such fears, however, were not to prevent Samuel from obeying God’s Will. God met Samuel’s fear with His Word. In verses 2 and 3 we hear God repeat His command with further detail:

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.”

There is something immensely encouraging in God’s instructions. Where Samuel sees only disappointment and danger, God sees the next stage in His eternal purposes- God is sending Samuel to anoint the King He will provide for His People.

When all is coming undone God provides a new beginning. God sees things differently and instructs His People to act accordingly.

In God there is always hope for His People. It simply depends on our perspective. Either we see only the here and now and lose all hope. Or, we submit to God, trust His perfect plans, and rejoice in His sovereign provision. Either we listen to the truth of God’s Word or the voices of our world.

When we face difficulty and trial it is right for us to mourn sin and its consequences in our fallen world. But it is also right for us to trust in the God who is not limited by time or space, or by our small desires and fluctuating emotions.

We trust in the One who promises that He is working all things for the good of those who love Him. In faith we choose to see what God’s sees and view our life from His eternally perfect perspective. Then we choose to obey Him as we seek the comfort and guidance of His Spirit.

There are two ways of seeing. And we must see the heart of the matter…

Seeing the Heart of the Matter

‘Appearances can be deceptive’.

How often have we heard this phrase used to describe a person or a set of circumstances?

Things aren’t quite what they seem at first glance. Only be looking deeper do we see what is really happening, or what the person is really like. We should bear this in mind as we move on to the next part of our story.

In verse 4 we see that Samuel did what Saul had failed to do: he obeyed God and went to Bethlehem. And his appearance caused some anxiety. The town leaders were worried about being drawn into the ongoing conflict between Samuel and King Saul.

And so, in verse 5, Samuel simply assured the elders that he had no hostile intentions toward them and told them to prepare for a sacrifice. He took a particular interest in inviting Jesse and his boys.

The scene is set for a remarkable moment in history. It involved two different perspectives. Samuel would look at the outward and worldly. God would teach him to see much more deeply- to the ‘heart’ of the matter.

In verse 6 we read that when Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel’s eyes lit on one of them, the eldest. Eliab was a tall, good-looking young man- definite ‘king material’.

Samuel ‘saw’. This is the second occurrence of this key word. Samuel saw Eliab in a particular way- his thinking was based upon what he could see. From Samuel’s perspective, this tall, good-looking young man seemed to be the kind of man God would choose to be king.

 

 

However, do you remember the last tall, good-looking man we heard about in Samuel? It was Saul! Remember how in 1 Samuel 9 verse 2 we read that Saul was, ‘…an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites-a head taller than any of the others.’. Appearances can be deceptive.

Samuel saw Eliab as the man God was likely to choose. Like so many in our day, Samuel was too easily impressed by the things that can be seen with physical eyes; charisma was prized above character.

Now look carefully at verse 7, where we learn something very important about seeing:

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.”

God rebukes Samuel’s worldly approach to evaluation.

God has a different perspective from the human way of seeing things. God is not limited, as humans are, in His way of seeing. He is not deceived by outward appearances. He sees a person’s heart and sees the truth about a person’s character, faith, values, and desires.

Now, we must not think that God opposes fine appearance. In verse 12 we will see that David’s good looks did not prevent him from being God’s chosen one. They key here is that external appearance neither qualifies nor disqualifies; it simply does not matter. For the good of His People, God looks on the heart. God sees the heart of the matter.

 

 

In verse 7, then, we are called to recognise our need for Godly discernment. Only God’s wisdom is appropriate for directing His Kingdom, His People. We need to see how God sees and act accordingly.

So, God’s People must beware of the impressiveness of external appearances. When looking for leaders in the Church we often want those who seem outwardly impressive- the outgoing, the active and overly-busy, the folk who talk the talk.

But, do we ever ask: how does he pray? Does he enjoy being with his wife? Does he weep over his sin?

It is because of His superior insight and wisdom that God wanted to provide Israel’s King. Likewise, God wants to raise up leaders for the Church today by His own calling. So, when we are calling leaders, we need to strictly follow the criteria God has given in His Word- all of which are spiritual qualifications- then we will see the heart of the matter.

Lacking our own wisdom, we need to obey God’s Word. In doing this, we are especially warned against the impressiveness of external appearances. We need to see how God sees and act accordingly.

To follow the biblical guidelines is not easy, and it takes time and discernment to assess character, values, and true beliefs. We need to pray for God’s help and wisdom, and we need to seek to look upon the heart- to see the heart of the matter.

Our passage instructs, and it encourages. God, in His grace, will often intervene and show us the proper way to go- just like he would instruct Samuel in verses 8 to 10.

The heart of the matter is that Eliab- for all his good looks- was not the one God intended to make king. So God did not see Eliab in the same way that Samuel saw him.

Having been rebuked by the Lord, Samuel passed from Jesse’s first son to the next. Abinadab was sent for and also rejected. Next came Shammah. Altogether, seven sons of Jesse came before the prophet.

Samuel must have been confused and wondering what God was doing. But Samuel, like us, would learn that in the most unlikely and humble place, God had found the king of His own choosing: the youth whom God Himself had fashioned for His own purpose.

And so, finally, we focus in on…

The One the Lord Saw

Jesse’s seven sons had passed by and none of them was the one chosen by the Lord. This left Samuel perplexed. In verse 11 he asks Jesse: ‘Are these all the sons you have?’. There is a tension in the air- will this whole episode end in disappointing anti-climax?

We can imagine Jesse has almost forgotten about youngest boy- the one they didn’t normally include in adult company. In verse 11 we can almost hear Jesse saying: ‘I didn’t think you would want to see him, Samuel. He is still a child!’.

But Samuel instructs them to send for this overlooked son. Presumably it took some time. When he arrived, we are given a colourful description of his appearance in verse 12: He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.

 

In this chapter that says so much about seeing, the description of the boy is probably a little ironic. We are not told of his height or stature- like we were with Saul and Eliab. We are simply told that he is an attractive young man- but hardly a potential king. He is an unlikely choice to lead God’s People- at least from the human perspective.

As is so often the case, the unlikely one (from a human perspective) turned out to be the one God had chosen. And so, in verse 13, David is anointed with oil in the midst of his brothers, symbolically appointing him as God’s chosen king.

God had found the king of His own choosing- the one He had set His heart upon in Chapter 13. As Samuel anointed the boy, David was empowered by God for the task that lay ahead as ‘…the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power…’. We will consider the importance of the Spirit of the Lord rushing upon him next time.

In verse 13 Samuel returns to Ramah. End of scene. But not the end of the story- not by a long way.

Those present, apart from Samuel, were probably completely unaware that something very important had just happened in the little town of Bethlehem. For what happened on that day in Bethlehem would eventually lead to another day for which the little town of Bethlehem would be forever known. It was anticipated more than 200 years after the events of 1 Samuel 16, when the prophet Micah said:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

The only way that anyone can see the true significance of what happened in Bethlehem in the days of Samuel, Saul, and David, is to see these things from God’s unique perspective.

Here, in the story of this shepherd boy being anointed King of God’s People we see another step forward in God’s sovereign plan to rescue His People. The anointing of this unlikely King points us forward, ultimately, to Jesus and the Cross.

In Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep, we see in the most wonderful way that our God is not a slave to our conventions or expectations. Our God frequently stands human logic on its head and uses the weak things of this world to accomplish His purposes. Whether it be in choosing a shepherd boy to be King, or sending His Son as the Rescuer-King, God’s perspective is perfect and worthy of our trust.

Today, in God’s Word, we learn that we only see properly as we learn God’s perspective and trust in His Way. Just as Samuel had to learn to see David as God saw Him, so we must learn to see David’s greatest descendant, Jesus, as God sees Him: The Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep so that they might have fullness of life in Him.

Conclusion

Samuel had to appoint a King. In a sense it is a task we all have. We must choose who will be King over our lives. Who or what will have our ultimate devotion? It might be a person. It might be an ideology. It might be things. It might be our comfort or reputation or happiness. Many things will compete to rule our hearts. How will we choose our King?

Today we are called to look to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and choose to follow Him completely. He is the King God has provided for us. He may not look impressive by the world’s standards. His Way may not seem popular or easy. But He is the True Rescuer-King who died that we might know life in all its fullness. All we must do is trust Him and follow His Way- this day and forevermore.