Lesson 7 - 1 Sam. 16:4-13 - SAMUEL ANNOINTS DAVID
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in 1 Sam. 15:7-15, 22-23, we studied a series of events that ultimately led to God's rejection of Saul as king of Israel. As the story began, we saw God, through His prophet, Samuel, command Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites, a historic enemy of the Israelites, in a 'ban,' which effectively meant that every man, woman, and child, every animal, and all property were to be destroyed. However, when Saul attacked them, he spared their king, Agag, their best livestock, and apparently allowed many others to escape with their life. God then informed Samuel that He 'regretted' making Saul king, which was a way of saying that He had effectively written-off Saul's dynasty in the future of Israel, although he would remain in power for many more years. When Samuel subsequently rebuked Saul and informed him of God's displeasure, he told him that because he had rejected the Word of God that God, in turn, had rejected him as king. We came away with three broad truths from this lesson: (1) Partial obedience to the Word of God still constitutes disobedience; (2) Serving, giving, etc.-i.e., works-are never a substitute for obeying the Word of God; and (3) Disobedience to the Word of God amounts to rebellion against God Himself. We skip the last 11 verses of Ch. 25, where Saul came to Samuel and begged for forgiveness but basically blamed his disobedience on others ("I feared the people and listened to their voice" v.24). In response, Samuel rebuked him once again, then called for Agag, the captive king, to be brought before him, whereupon he drew a sword and hacked him to pieces. Finally, Samuel retuned home and thereafter sank into a deep depression.
This week, in 1 Sam. 16:4-13, we'll cover the heartwarming story of the selection and anointing of David by Samuel as the future king of Israel, who will be the line through which God will establish His redemptive purposes for the entire world.
Synopsis of Ch. 16, skipped verses 1-3: God speaks to Samuel and tells him: (1) To stop grieving over Saul' because He still has work to do; (2) to fill his horn with oil and go to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem, where a new king will be chosen from among his sons; and (3) when Samuel fears reprisal from Saul, God tells him that it would appear that he's going there simply to oversee a sacrifice ceremony for the elders there, and Jesse and his sons will simply be one of the invitees (i.e., a cover).
Read 1 Sam. 16:4-5 - SAMUEL DID WHAT THE LORD TOLD HIM
4 So Samuel did what the LORD told him, and he came to Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?" 5 And he said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
v. 4a: "So Samuel did what the LORD told him, and he came to Bethlehem." - With unhappy reluctance most likely, Samuel pulled himself together and went to Bethlehem, a distance of only about 10 miles from his home in Ramah (see map).
v. 4b1: "Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said," - In Israel in those times, men who had attained old age were much venerated and respected. These "elders of the city" would have comprised the oldest and wisest men of that community. As a whole, they formed the local government and administered justice when needed.
v. 4b2: "Do you come in peace?" - As Israel's long-time prophet and judge, Samuel had a fearsome reputation. These elders had probably heard about what he'd done recently to Agag and were wondering whether one of their local citizens had done something to incur God's wrath, so they very reasonably inquire whether his intentions are peaceful.
v. 5a: "And he said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." - Samuel quickly reassures them that he's come for routine religious purposes-to give then the opportunity to worship God by consecrating themselves (ceremonial washing of body and clothing) and offering sacrifice to the Lord in atonement for their sins.
v. 5b: "He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice." - In the case of Jesse's family, Samuel performed the necessary ritual purification himself. This would also give him an opportunity to hold a discreet interview with Jesse and his sons at their house. After this, We hear nothing more about interactions with the local elders-they were really a cover for his real purpose.
APPLICATION 1: Like Samuel, we should never allow failures in the past prevent us from serving God in the present. In today's lesson, we found Samuel at home having a huge pity-party over the failures of Saul, when God called him to get over it and go to Bethlehem to anoint a new thing. Like Samuel, when we fail, God is always faithful to restore us and guide us into a new direction.
Read 1 Sam. 16:6-10 - DO NOT LOOK AT HIS APPEARANCE
6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is standing before Him." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one, either." 9 Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one, either." 10 So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these."
v. 6: "When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is standing before Him." - "They" refers to Samuel and Jesse, as they come into Jesse's house. "Eliab," is Jesse's eldest son, probably the leader among his younger brothers. His appearance is reminiscent of Saul, probably tall and muscular, with rugged good looks. Makes me think of Christopher Reeve, the man who played Superman in the movie. Remember him? In any case, Samuel is obviously impressed, thinking this fellow just had to be "the LORD'S anointed." In the immediate context, the term anointed doesn't refer to the physical ritual but to a person who has been set apart by God for a special role or purpose.
v. 7a: "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him;" - This is a key verse that identifies the huge distinction between the way we see people-by their physical appearance and outward behavior, how they seem to be based on our physical senses (and prejudices), and we can easily be deceived by them. You can't see a character. While God can see it, it requires we humans to probe much deeper.
v. 7b: "for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." - God sees the inner-most, spiritual person-the "heart," which includes the all the qualities of a person's character like godliness, goodness, and faith. So, based upon God's spiritual evaluation in this instance, He rejects Eliab, who had been the most obvious choice.
v. 8-9: Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one, either." 9 Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one, either." - In these two verses, Jesse presents the most likely candidates for examination in age order, (2) Abinadab and (3) Shamman, however, both are summarily rejected by God.
v. 10: So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." - Jesse now presents sons number 4, 5, 6, and 7, but once again, none of these are chosen by the LORD. We can only assume that Samuel must be perplexed as this point. I will point out that there has been scholarly debate over the number and birth order of Jesse's sons based upon the report of 1 Chron. 2:13-16; however, that issue is not within the scope of our discussion today.
Read 1 Sam. 16:11-12 - ARISE, ANNOINT HIM; FOR THIS IS HE
11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the boys?" And he said, "The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep." So Samuel said to Jesse, "Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here." 12 So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."
v. 11a1: "Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the boys?" - Samuel knew full well that God would never send him on a pointless errand, so he basically asks Jesse, are these all of your sons? Do you have any others I have not seen?
v. 11a2: "And he said, "The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep." - The word used here for "youngest" (Heb. qatan [kaw-tawn']) can variously mean young, small, or unimportant. He's referring to David, whom Jesse apparently didn't deem important enough to be worthy of consideration because of his youth and size. Symbolically, however, the fact that David was serving as his father's shepherd at the time points to his future as a king. In the Bible, both the OT and NT, shepherd is an important spiritual metaphor. Even Jesus was the "good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14)
v. 11b: So Samuel said to Jesse, "Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here." - Here, Samuel essentially orders Jesse to bring the missing son before him immediately and informs him that everyone will remain standing (i.e., no rest) until he produced the boy. When we consider Samuel's advanced age and his stature as a prophet and a judge, it underscores the sense of urgency he's attaching to this command-i.e., that God's plans and purposes depended on it.
v. 12a: "So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance." - The term used for "reddish" (or ruddy) is the Heb. word admoni (ad-mo-nee'), which could refer to hair color or complexion, which, in either case, was unusual for typically dark-eyed and dark-skinned Semitic races like the Israelites. In any case, David was considered very eye-catching by the standards of that day, but not a 'macho' type like Saul.
v. 12b: "And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." - Success at last! Throughout this passage it should be apparent to readers that it is the "LORD" who is in charge of the choosing, not Samuel; and the LORD's choice turns out to be the most unlikely candidate. This is something that God often does: Choosing the least likely people to accomplish His will, e.g., Jacob, Gideon, Jeremiah, Jonah, Zacchaeus, Paul, and many others. As the prophet Isaiah later said, "[T]he wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed" (Isa. 29:14b).
Read 1 Sam. 16:13 - AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD RUSHED UPON DAVID.
13 So 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 set out and went to Ramah.
v. 13a: "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers;" - Annointing with oil was a solemn ceremony used in Scripture to designate a person for an important role, such as prophets, priests, and kings. It symbolized that God set them apart for the particular role they were to play. The NT speaks of Jesus being anointed (e.g., John 20:31; Acts 5:42; Heb. 1:9). In this instance, it must have been an amazing time for Jesse and his sons to witness the boy David (thought to have been a teenager at the time) anointed by the great prophet and judge, Samuel. But they could not have appreciated the full import of it, insofar as David would not be crowned as king for approximately more 15 years.
v. 13b: "and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward." - This is actually the very first mention of David's name in the Bible. That that the "Spirit" came upon David "from that day forward"-i.e., meaning permanently-was very unusual in the OT, where it was normally applied very selectively and for temporary periods of time. As we move forward, we will see the dramatic impact and power the Spirit has in David's life, even when he sins (e.g., Ps. 51).
v. 13c: "And Samuel set out and went to Ramah." - Having accomplished the mission God gave him, Samuel, probably very tired and weary, returns to his home in Ramah. From this point, the story will shift its focus from Samuel to David. We will hear from Samuel only once more (1 Sam. 19:18-24) before we hear of his death (1 Sam. 25:1).
Note: The very next verse, 1 Sam. 16:14 reports: "Now the Spirit of the LORD left Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him." This implies that Saul was thereafter subject to attacks from Satan and his minions.
APPLICATION 2: We should never evaluate others based upon their outward appearance and behavior but make every effort to access them based on proven godly character. This requires you to go much deeper than the surface and ask hard questions. Jesus explained it with this analogy, "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. So then, you will know them by their fruits." (Matt. 7:18, 20).
