SERIES: The Life of David
TEXT: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
MESSAGE: “David and Samuel”
“Human Beings are fundamentally wired for relationship and that the youth in America are experiencing a breakdown in two primary relationships, one of those was with other people…and the second primary relationship was with God himself. Secular scientists saying that a breakdown in those two relationships are contributing to mental illness.” — Brian Fikkert
Q: What do we need to understand about David & Samuel’s relationship?
TEXT: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
“The book of 1 Samuel is the story of Israel’s search for a king. Ultimately, only God could be their true King, but He had allowed them to have an earthly king to mirror His reign. The first king of Israel was a gifted character by the name of Saul. Unfortunately for Israel, however, Saul turned out to be more interested in his own glory than in leading his people in a godly way. So even after Saul ascended the throne, the search continued. Chapter 16 leaves Saul behind for a moment to focus on what God searches for in His king and how He goes about choosing that king. The man of the hour is a boy by the name of David, and he is not exactly the king anyone would expect.” — J. D. Greear and Heath Thomas
God taught Samuel the importance of searching…(1. Vertically 2. Inwardly 3. Outwardly)
1. Vertically (v. 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.”
“…the interest of the narrator is not merely in telling us what happened, but in helping us realize and recognize God in the happenings.” — Eugene Peterson
“The mention of Samuel’s continued mourning provides a link with the previous section. Mourning for the loss of the ‘might have been’ is understandable, but eventually present realities must be accepted and action taken to influence future events…” — Mary Evans
2. Inwardly (v. 6-7)
“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.”
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” — Isaiah 64:6
“To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side I learn who I am and what God’s grace means.” ― Brennan Manning
3. Outwardly (v. 11-13)
“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.” 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.”
1 Samuel 19:18-24
“The triple employment of the Hebrew phrase…“even he”…in vv. 23–24 emphasizes the fact that Israel’s most powerful citizen was subjugated by the power of God. Saul’s loss of royal attire in the presence of God’s Spirit presented a powerful image confirming the prophetic judgments Samuel made earlier.” — Robert Bergen
TAKEAWAYS: How can we trust God in our relationships? See that…
I. God intentionally sends people into our lives
“…for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another.’ The friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others…At this feast it is He who has spread the board and it is He who has chosen the guests. it is He, we may dare to hope, who sometimes does, and always should preside. Let us not reckon without our Host.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
II. God reorients how we evaluate ourselves and others
“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings…” — Psalm 17:8