Yesterday I had the privilege of teaching Sunday school to the 7 -12 year old’s at my church. They are at a great age for learning and observing. The story we were going over was the story of David being anointed king of Israel 1Samuel 16 1-16. If your not familiar with the story I will recap in my own words. Basically Saul the King is rejected by God because he’s not listening or trusting in God for the way he should rule. Saul is using his own judgment to make decisions and not leaning on God. So God sends Samuel out to anoint the new King that he has chosen. One after his own heart to lead his people.
Well Samuel is a little scared of what will happen to him if he goes off to anoint a new King and Saul finds out, so God tells him to take a cow and make a sacrifice in the town of Bethlehem and invite Jesse to the sacrifice. This gave him a cover story to keep himself safe with Saul. So he shows up and invites Jesse as he was instructed by the LORD. Jesse and most of his sons come and are consecrated to be a part of the sacrifice.
As they arrived Samuel sees the oldest of Jesse’s sons “Eliab” who was tall, strong and all the things you would think of when your looking for a King. and Samuel says to himself “this must be the guy” but God answers “Do not look on the outward appearance, I have rejected him as a choice” “Man looks at the outward, but the LORD looks at the heart” so all the sons present at the sacrifice pass by but they too are rejected by GOD. So Samuel asks, “Do you have any other sons that are not here?” and Jesse says, “yeah, I have my youngest son David, an there he is tending the sheep. GOD tells Samuel to have David come and stand before the LORD. when he arrives he is selected and Samuel anoints him with oil (a full rams horn full of oil from head to toe) At that time the Holy Ghost came upon him. Samuel went back to Ramah and David went back to tending sheep for his father.
What’s the point of this story?. There’s a few, first the “Man of God” Samuel was fallible, he was afraid of the King, and didn’t trust GOD to keep him. We all tend to look to other men or our self for confirmation or validation, here Samuel the man of God is not seeking Gods face over what to do but is using his own life experience, God seldom does things the way we think or would do. In fact he uses the things or methods we wouldn’t do, because he wants people to know it was by his hand and not by man. Walking with God means trusting Him for everything, and not taking upon ourselves to figure it out.
Second, Samuel like everyone else, looked to the outside markings and makings of a man, thinking these are what matter when it comes to leadership and wisdom. But in God’s economy, these have little to no value. GOD looks at the heart of a person, those who are lowly in heart, humble in spirit, those are who He calls his sons and daughters. He raises up the weak and the simple to confound the wise of this world.
David was nothing more than a simple 13 year old Sheppard boy who was faithful to the job that he had been given. Not esteemed by his own earthly father, forgotten when the call was to bring forward “All his sons” for the sacrifice. This is important, because maybe you have been passed over time and time again, unloved, overlooked and unwelcome in both your career and family. Take heart, GOD has not forgotten you or abandoned you. David waited until he was 30 years old to become King, that’s 17 years for the wait of the promise. David went through lots of perilous times during that 17 years, Saul spent lots of time and money trying to kill David. Maybe you have lost heart on the promises of GOD. David did too, he lived with the enemy for a period time. But be like David, take stock in what GOD has promised you. His plans are for good and not evil and He has an inheritance for you to share in.
Like the kids in my class this week, I told them don’t let any man tell you what your lot in life is, they being 11,12 and 13 years old are the generation NOW that will take the gospel to the lost, not later. That God can use them now, they need to think and be available to the calling and use of God. Their age does not stand between them and God, He calls and uses us to His good pleasure.
All of us need to be like David, pick up five smooth stones, face your Giants head on. Be lowly of heart, humble in spirit, trusting God that he will complete that which he has called us to do until the day of his appearing. There is nothing GOD cant do with a heart and life that is fully yielded to Him.
Read the rest of 1st and 2nd Samuel and know if GOD can move and use David he can do the same with you. Not many wise, not many noble, not many Mighty in there own or the worlds eyes are called, but those with a humble and contrite spirit, those GOD will do mighty exploits through.
Grace and Peace