1 Samuel 16:1-13
From God's Perspective

The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." 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?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is now before the LORD." 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 does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

New Revised Standard Version

This story takes place at a difficult time in the history of Israel. The people had demanded of God a king to be their visible, earthly ruler. Since the time of Moses and the exodus from Egypt, and through the period of the Judges, God was their ruler. God had picked people like Joshua, Gideon, and Deborah to carry out God's plan, but these wise leaders knew Who they served. The people lost that vision, though, and wanted to identify with an earthly king, in the same manner that other nations did. God allowed Saul to be selected as king, but Saul soon failed his calling, and God withdrew Saul's legitimacy and blessing as king over Israel. Of course, Saul was still the human king, and Samuel, the priest, was afraid to follow God's command to annoint a new king while the old king was still alive and powerful. It seems Samuel, too, had lost some clarity in the vision of Who he served!

Samuel does obey, and travels to the southern part of the nation to the town of Bethlehem to follow God's guidance and annoint the new king that God would choose. We find a comic scene as Samuel gets excited as he sees first one impressive young man after another, just to hear God's voice clearly instructing him to pass him over. God is clear: while we see the outside, God sees the inside; while we see the present, God sees the future; while we see capabilities, God sees obedience. After seven of Jesse's sons have passed by, Samuel asks if there isn't another. Yes, comes the reply, the "youngest", using a Hebrew word that also means the smallest, and the least significant. That one, of course, was David, and that was the one God chose to be the greatest earthly ruler of Israel.

This story reminds me in part of a favorite scene from "The Muppet Movie." Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are having a romantic dinner, but are on a tight budget. Kermit asks the waiter, played by Steve Martin, for a bottle of wine that costs what Kermit can pay. Steve Martin sarcastically presents a bottle of "one of the finest wines of Minnesota", which suits Kermit and Miss Piggy just fine.

When we make decisions based on just our own judgement, we're doing the same. We're proud to have chosen the best wine in Minnesota, proud of how effectively we've used our meager resources. Can you imagine God's emotional reactions of frustration and disbelief every time we make such foolish decisions? God's budget, made available to us, could buy all the wineries in France, but we wouldn't even ask for help in making our choice.

Instead, listen as Samuel did to God's guidance, and follow the wisdom in Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight.