Where I grew up, parking was often a problem. You've probably noticed that in many parts of the country where the cities and towns were developed before the automobile came into use, it can be challenging to find a place to park a car. That was very much the case where I lived as a young man, so when I bought my first car, I was often forced to figure out creative solutions as to where to park it, especially because we lived on a main road without street parking.
One option I utilized for a while was to park my car in a neighborhood that was one block away from our home. I found a spot on the edge of a street near the backyard of a nearby home. That seemed to work for a while, until one afternoon when I parked the car and a small boy walked up to me. He said, "Why do you park your car behind our house? We don't like it."
Apparently, my decision to park my car there bothered his family. They never said anything about it because the car wasn't parked illegally. They just didn't want it there. I didn't want to upset them or cause any conflict, so I told the boy I'd be happy to move it somewhere else. As I started the car and pulled away, my window was down and I could hear the comments his family was making. They were amazed that their little son had the courage to ask a teenager to park somewhere else, and they were just as amazed that I was willing to honor his request. Admittedly, the whole experience felt a little odd to me, but I've never forgotten it.
It's a good reminder that leaders don't always look how you thought they'd look. They aren't always as old as you might expect them to be, and they don't always come with the titles or authority you'd expect them to carry.
The opening verses of 1 Samuel 16 describe a very similar scenario. In that portion of God's Word, we're taught that while this world loves to look at outside appearances and worldly credentials when selecting its leaders, the Lord goes deeper than surface appearances and looks at the heart. When everyone else lets their eyes fool them into believing something incorrect, the Lord can see what a person is really made of and what their real motivations happen to be.
At the time the events recorded in this passage were taking place, the nation of Israel was in the midst of growing acclimated to a new form of leadership. For roughly 400 years, they had been led by judges, but during the reign of Samuel who was the last judge and the first prophet of Israel, they asked to be led by a king so they could be more like the nations that surrounded them. Samuel warned them that this was an idea that had many negative drawbacks, but the people of Israel didn't care. They wanted a king, so the Lord permitted Samuel to anoint a king for them. Israel's first king was a man named Saul.
Saul was the kind of guy who looked like a king. He was an impressive guy and a "head taller" than the other men. Initially, Saul was terrified of the thought of becoming king, but after being selected for that privilege, and serving in that capacity for some time, he grew protective of his power and authority. He even started taking liberties with his role that were in direct opposition to God's will. Saul grew proud, erected monuments to himself, and acted in ways that demonstrated he didn't have a heart that was sensitive to the will of God.
In time, God rejected Saul as king and instructed Samuel to anoint someone new. Scripture tells us, "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.'” (1 Samuel 16:1)
Samuel was obedient to the Lord's directions, but he was terrified at the possibility of Saul finding out he had anointed someone new to serve as king. I don't know if you've ever noticed, but most grown men don't take too kindly to hearing that you're participating in their removal from their job. This is particularly true of kings.
Just recently, I heard the story of a professional wrestling promoter who oversaw a territory in the southern United States for a group of years. Because of the conflict, he was having with one of the men who wrestled for his promotion, he abruptly fired him one evening. That man was so angry about it that he stalked that promoter night after night. He would sit in a car on a hill that overlooked the promoter's house staring in his direction, and he ignored repeated requests from the police to leave the area.
One evening, that man took a gun and started firing at the promoter's home, barely missing his daughter. At that point, tired of the threats to his life and the life of his family, the promoter tracked him down at gunpoint and came within a second of ending his life, but relented.
I think of reactions like this when I read Samuel's response to God's direction to anoint a new king. Samuel knew that if Saul caught wind of this, he'd be dead. So God gave Samuel additional instructions that would provide cover should it be needed. God 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.” (1 Samuel 16:2b-3)
At the Lord's direction, Samuel traveled to Bethlehem to meet with Jesse's family. If you remember from the genealogy that's listed at the end of the book of Ruth, Jesse was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. Jesse had many sons, and Samuel invited them to join him for the sacrifice he was about to make.
As each of the sons passed by Samuel, he attempted to determine whom the Lord had selected to be the new king in Saul's place. It would have been easy to select a new king based on outward appearance, but the Lord made it clear to Samuel that visual traits were not a deciding factor in who would be selected.
“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.””
Eventually, once all the obvious choices were exhausted, Samuel asked Jesse if he had any other sons. Jesse mentioned that his youngest son wasn't present because he was tending the sheep.
“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.” 12 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.” 13 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.”
This is the manner in which David was selected as king. He was a young man at the time, not a little boy like some people imply. From that moment on, David was indwelled with the Holy Spirit who gave him guidance, direction, comfort, and counsel. The Spirit of God empowered David to live and serve in a manner that honored the Lord. And as we'll see as we continue studying the work the Lord accomplished in David's life, David had a heart for what the Lord desired. He remained sensitive to the Lord's leading for the rest of his life.
It's interesting to consider some of the spiritual implications and applications we can take from the events that are recorded in this portion of God's Word. There are several things that stand out to me that I think are worth highlighting.
The first thing that stands out to me is the way the Lord emphasizes that He pays careful attention to what takes place in our hearts. I think it can be easy to mistakenly believe that we can impress God like we try to impress one another. We try to look good in front of one another in order to gain each other's favor, but that's not the way our relationship with God operates. God is greatly concerned with what's going on in our hearts and what's motivating the actions we're taking.
When we come to faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, we're given a brand new heart. Our perspective changes and our motivations change as well. We see things differently and we live differently as a result.
I also think it's interesting to hear the Lord say that our outward appearance is of no consequence to Him when He selects whom He will raise up to a place of leadership. That statement reminds me of an important prophecy we're given in the book of Isaiah regarding Jesus. Isaiah prophesied, "he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him." (Isaiah 53:2b).
Knowing that people tend to be drawn to others based on external appearance, Jesus intentionally came to this earth and took on an appearance that wouldn't stand out as particularly attractive. He desired that people trust in Him because they knew He was the Son of God and Savior of the world, not because of superficial reasons like how He looked. I think this also helps us clarify the question, "Why am I drawn to Jesus?" Is it for superficial reasons that are only skin-deep, or do we understand who He really is and why we need Him?
One other important application that stands out to me from 1 Samuel 16 is the reference to the fact that the Spirit of God "rushed" or "came upon" David from that day forward. One of the benefits we have as believers who live under the New Covenant is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. From the moment you trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit indwells you and empowers you. But believers under the Old Covenant didn't enjoy this same benefit. During that era, the Spirit would indwell certain people for set periods of time to enable them to accomplish something specific. Then He would leave them.
If you have genuine faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit who indwells you will never leave you. Right now, He is at work to empower you to do things you don't have the natural strength to do. He is giving you wisdom that you haven't lived long enough to accumulate naturally. He's producing character and holiness in your life that you couldn't produce on your own.
Through faith in Jesus, and with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, your life can be used in amazing ways. It doesn't matter what you look like, how old you are, or what kind of experience you've had up to this point. If the Lord calls you, He will qualify you. If He directs you, He will empower you.
The Lord will shape the new heart He's given you. And while the world might keep getting stuck on superficial metrics, the Lord will keep looking at your brand new heart. If your faith is genuine, God the Father will see God the Son and God the Holy Spirit within you, and when that's the case, hold on, because it wouldn't surprise me to see Him do a work in your life that very likely will stand out to us all and result in God receiving much deserved glory and praise.
The Lord looked at David's heart, saw genuine faith, and empowered Him by the Holy Spirit to do amazing things for the rest of his days. When the Lord looks at your heart, what will He see? And what do you expect Him to do through you for the rest of your days?
© John Stange, 2023
