Walking With God Series

1 Sam 16:1-13 WALKING WITH GOD ES 20 Mar 16 1724

Look at these bananas. Appetising? Someone passed them to me on Tuesday. They are local produce (from our church ground).

• Looks good? Feels like grabbing one and eat it? Not really. In fact, you don’t feel like even trying.

• Want to look inside? This is what you get. It’s beautiful and it tastes great!

• You see, you cannot judge a banana by its skin. I was surprised, and so were the few who ate them. They were really very nice.

You cannot judge a banana by its skin. You cannot judge a book by its cover. You cannot judge a man by his appearance.

• Man goes by what he see. You cannot fault him because that comes naturally.

• But we have to remind ourselves always, that it is not the full picture. In fact, very often, it is not the correct picture. There is more to what we can see.

• We cannot depend only on what we see, because sight can be deceiving. Magicians will tell you that. They are expect in this.

It is the same in our relationship with God. We need to lean on Him because we don’t have the full picture.

• Today we are going to step into Samuel’s shoes and learn to see things in a different perspective.

• Samuel learnt it first hand in this encounter with Jesse’s children.

• Let’s read what God asked him to do in 1 Samuel 16:1-13.

1 Sam 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

LET GO of the Past When God Has Spoken

Samuel was still grieving over Saul’s disobedience. It was unfortunate, but God has already spoken. God has rejected Saul and chosen someone else to take his place.

God has spoken His will through him. Samuel tells Saul in

• 13:14 “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command.”

• 15:23 “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.”

Please understand this, God did not reject Saul because of one or two wrong moves.

• It is Saul’s continued, repeated, and prolonged rejection of God’s Word… his persistent disobedience to God that brings about his downfall.

• God has found someone – a man after His own heart – to lead his people Israel.

God has spoken. God has already spoken. Samuel knows it. God asks, “How long will you mourn for Saul?”

• It’s understandable that Samuel grieves. He was the one who anoints Saul (1 Sam 9) and he has high hopes of him.

• God himself grieved over Saul (15:11 “I am grieved that I have made Saul king…”). It is alright to grieve.

• But when God has spoken, there must come a time when you LET GO and MOVE ON with God. You cannot live in the past.

God wants Samuel to move on and prepare the new King.

• Has God spoken to you over some things that you are hanging on to? It is not God’s will but you find it hard to let go.

• When God speaks, it is always FINAL. When God speaks, it is the truth. If you are not sure you heard Him right, ask Him again.

• When He has spoken, LET GO of the past and MOVE ON. Do what God wants you to do. God will show you what to do.

Samuel was tasked to look for Jesse’s family in Bethlehem. God wants him to anoint a new King for Israel.

• This King is not going to be enthroned immediately. He is just a shepherd boy, probably 15 years old, still tending to sheep.

• But God is making preparation. He will mould and prepare David for the throne. And that’s not 3 or 4 years we are talking about, but 15 years.

• David is enthroned as King only at 30 years old (and that’s over JUDAH). He rules over the entire Israel some 7 years later.

God sets in motion His plan for the new King more than 20 years ahead of time. God sees very far.

• We don’t live by what we can see. We live by what only God can see. We trust His Word and His promise. We trust His way and His time.

Samuel just need to submit to God and do that immediate thing – anoint the boy.