1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16

Since his birth, Samuel had been dedicated to the Lord’s service. First, his mother made sure that he was able to grow up learning about the Lord by giving him to Eli to raise at the temple. Then, as he grew older, Eli taught him all the things about God. Once he heard his own call from God, he began serving God as His prophet, first delivering a message to Eli about the tragic future of his family. He was then used by God to pick out the first king of Israel, and he even had to deliver more bad news to Israel about what their king would be like. Now, in 1 Samuel 16, Samuel has seen this latest prophecy/promise from God come true. Saul’s actions cost him the privilege to maintain the throne in Israel, and God rejected him. Although Samuel knew that it was coming, it still hurt. He was upset that things had turned out the way that they did, and he probably wondered why it had happened.


But even in the midst of his grief, God wanted to use him. Samuel had always shown great dedication to God, and he did his best to always follow God’s commands. His latest assignment was to find another king for Israel. Although Saul would rule until he died, God wanted Samuel to go ahead and select the next king so that he would be ready when the time came. Of course, Samuel was just the messenger, for God was not depending on his judgment on who to pick. God had a man (well actually a boy) in mind, and he needed Samuel to get things ready for the day that this young boy would finally be able to take the throne.

So Samuel set out and went as God had commanded. He followed God’s instructions and arrived in Bethlehem at the house of Jesse. Setting up a sacrifice, Samuel called for Jesse to join him as he worshipped the Lord. He was then introduced to Jesse’s family, and Jesse had many sons. Remember that this was God’s choice and not Samuel’s. Although Jesse had many great boys, there was only one that God had selected. Starting with the oldest, Samuel met all of Jesse sons, and although Samuel was sure that the first was the one God had selected, God rejected every one of Jesse’s sons. The outward appearance of the men did not matter. Just because they looked like they might one day become a great king was not enough for God. God knew their hearts. He knew them all better than they knew themselves, and God chose the youngest of all of Jesse’s sons, David, the shepherd boy. Imagine a young boy whose main job was to take care of the sheep standing with his much older brothers who were strong men, several of which had been out to battle. Instead of choosing these men of power, God selected the young child, who in the eyes of his family was the weakest of them all.

God had chosen David, and Samuel knew it immediately. He anointed David as the next king of Israel, and immediately God sent His Spirit into David. As David received God’s Spirit and committed himself to God’s service, God rejected Saul and left him on his own. Saul then became tormented by a harmful spirit and he soon realized that God was no longer with him, protecting him, giving him guidance in the decisions that needed to be made. This spirit tormented Saul, and it was just one way that Saul had to pay for the bad choices that he had made. But this was also God’s way of getting David close to the king so that he would be ready to take over when the time came. When someone played the lyre (or harp), Saul was relieved of the harmful spirit, and when he found out that David could play the lyre well, he asked for David to come serve alongside him. Even in the middle of some of Israel’s darkest days, God was still at work. Although all might have seemed lost to many of the Israelites, God was still working, showing them that He was in control. He was preparing a new king for Israel, a king that would follow His commands, a king that would help Israel come back to God. God is always in control, and even though He may seem distant when we find ourselves in some of life’s toughest situations, we can trust that He will never leave us if we are His children.

Matt