Theme: Just as He did for David, God secretly prepares the inner quality of the God-hearted person, setting them apart for His purposes. We must invite His preparation into our lives.

Background — The situation before this story:

• Big Picture:
  • God had promised offspring of Eve would come to end the curse (Genesis 3:15).
  • Then through Seth (Genesis 3:25-26), Noah’s son Shem (Genesis 9:26-27), and Abraham (Genesis 12:3).
    • To Abraham: Genesis 12:3 (ESV) — 3 …in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
  • Then through Isaac (Genesis 15:4, 26:4), Jacob (Genesis 28:13-16), and Judah (Genesis 49:10, Hebrews 7:14).
• But, through a long period after the Exodus from Egypt, the people waited for that offspring to come. He would come from through Judah from David (Genesis 49:10, Hebrews 7:14, 1 Chronicles 17:10-14).
  • 1 Chronicles 17:14 (ESV) — ...his throne shall be established forever.
• But, first, there was Saul.
  • He had served as the first king of Israel for twenty years at this point of the story.
  • A self-willed man, he lived for his own glory, disobeying God to prove it.
    • Disobedience 1 — Unlawful sacrifice (1 Samuel 13).
    • Disobedience 2 — Rash vow in battle (1 Samuel 14).
    • Disobedience 3 — Unwillingness to destroy Amalek (1 Samuel 15).
      • God to Saul — 1 Samuel 13:14 (ESV) — 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
• Our outline for this study:
  • Preparation of the God-heart.
  • Power of the God-heart.
  • Pain of the God-heart.
    • Homework assignment — read 1 Samuel 1-15, listen to my treatment of it on nateholdridge.com/1Samuel.
• David had privately become ripe for the harvest of public work for God.

1 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.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 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.” 4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

• Samuel had mourned Saul, but the time of mourning needed to end. God told him to go to Jesse in Bethlehem, under the cover of a sacrifice, to anoint Jesse’s son to be the next king. Upon arrival, the Bethlehemite elders worried, but Samuel reassured them he was there peaceably. Upon gathering the consecrated crowd, along with Jesse and his sons, Samuel came upon Eliab.

God Looks For Inner Qualifications

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” 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 sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 8 Then 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 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”

• The way of man is to look to outward appearances.
  • Note: even one as discerning as Samuel was deceived.
    • Jeremiah 15:1 (ESV) — 1 …“Though Moses and Samuel stood before me…”
  • If you’ve read up to this point of 1 Samuel, you want to jump into the Bible and shout to Samuel at this point, for Israel had already looked to outward appearances with Saul!
    • 1 Samuel 9:2 (ESV) — 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
    • We are often drawn to personality, fame, beauty, or celebrity.
• But God looks on the heart.
  • He looks for the poor in spirit, those who mourn the conditions caused by sin, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers (Matthew 5:3-9).
  • Privilege vs. Equality:
    • The qualifications man celebrates are often tied to privilege — fame, wealth, intellect, success, innovation, celebrity.
    • The qualifications God celebrates are available to all equally — character, holiness, purity, love.

God Wants To Use Your Wilderness

11 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.”

• The youngest: It is clear Jesse felt derogatorily towards David.
  • Not mere youth, because this word is most often translated “smallest,” and is sometimes translated “least,” “less,” or “lesser.”
  • It is not too strong to say David is the reject of the family, banished to the menial task of shepherding alone in the wilderness.
  • God used the rejection and the wilderness for David, just as He wants to use it for you.

It was there David learned worship.

• We should not think God randomly chose David, and that this marked the beginning of David’s relationship with God.
• According to Psalm 132, David had celebrated God while still in the fields of Bethlehem (Psalm 132:6).
• Jesus is the offspring of David, as we’ve learned, but He is also called (and calls Himself) the Root Of David (Revelation 5:5, 22:16).
• God had captured David’s heart already.

  - Jesse had driven David away, but apparently toward God, just as He wants to use your rejections and pains for His glory.
    - **Romans 8:28 (ESV)** — 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

It was there David learned leadership.

• Sheep.
• In both directions — how to be led (Psalm 23) and how to lead.
• Before became a warrior or a king for God, he was a shepherd.
  • Faithful in the smallest things, prepared for the greater.
  • Example: Stephen and Philip took care of the daily distribution.
    • YOU: Disciples are made slowly, one at a time. It is not glamorous or public work, but it must be done.

God Wants To Set You Apart

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. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

• 12 Now he was: Physical description of David.

  • Ruddy: a healthy, reddish color.
  • Beautiful eyes: glowing.
  • Handsome: small, but striking.

• David was anointed.

  • This was God’s way of setting David apart, choosing Him for His work and kingdom.
  • He would be anointed three times:
    • Here, privately in Bethlehem.
    • By his brethren, king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4).
    • By all of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).
      • So David was anointed before he was known, and known before He was received.

• David’s anointing points to Christ’s.

  • The title “Christ” means “anointed one”, “Messiah”.
  • The lowest esteemed, in the midst of his brothers, Jesus was anointed by the Father.
  • Jesus was also anointed (from birth, at the Jordan).

• You are to be anointed, an extension of Christ’s anointing.

  • Jesus was David’s root, but also David’s branch:
    • Isaiah 11:1–2 (ESV) — 1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
  • And you are to have Jesus as your root, so that you can be His branch. He anoints you for this.
    • But you have got to get the “Saul” out — the you-centered, you-kingdom, you-worship.
    • And the “David” in — the God-centered, God’s—kingdom, God’s worship.
      • You will never be Christ’s branch if you are sitting on Christ’s throne.
      • David was anointed for Israel? Who are you anointed for?

Close

• Jesus was also anointed (from birth, at the Jordan), but for a long time unknown and unreceived.

  - Will you receive Him?