God’s course of action against sin and evil continues in The Gospel Story. God used David because God’s glory was more important to him than his own. This is why God chose David, because he has a heart after God. David is the least likely to become king. God looks at people differently than we as humans look at people.
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
1 Samuel 16:1 NKJV
We find Samuel, the king maker, in deep mourning as our story opens. But, Saul had a fatal flaw—he had a big head. He thought he knew what to do as King even better than God did. God was so displeased that he rejected Saul as King, because if God’s representative on earth would not obey completely, how could he lead God’s kingdom.
God will never allow His work to die with the death or failure of a man If it is God’s work it goes beyond any man. God’s purposes are eternal and birthed in the heavenlies.
5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:5-7 NKJV
Even in our own situations, we look at them with an earthly perspective. But we are called to look at our own situations with a heavenly perspective. If we are going to go on this faith journey we need to realise that it’s not about bringing glory to ourselves but to God. Saul looked the part, but he didn’t have the heart a king of God’s people should have. Saul’s natural inclination was to judge from an outward experience but he didn’t have to give into it. We are to seek the Lord and seek God’s heart and mind when looking at people.
8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And 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 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”
1 Samuel 16:8-11 NKJV
God often chooses unlikely people to do His work, so that everyone knows the work is God’s work, not man’s work. When one of his chosen Ones failed, God did not quit. Instead, He kept moving through history, determined to use even the weak and lowly and despised to accomplish His great purpose of saving the world!
12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
1 Samuel 16:12-13 NKJV
God had always been working in David’s heart. The public anointing was the outcome of what had taken place in private between David and God long before. God does things in our lives long before there’s a public declaration for our lives. Why? Because He must build our character and equip us for something more. The question for us is – are we willing to be a people with a heart after God?
