God Looks At The Heart Series

The Crown – Season One – Episode 5

The Lord looks at the heart

Today we will continue in 1 Samuel where the story has centered around Saul – the first king of Israel. But in 1 Samuel 16 the story shifts away from Saul to another character. You may have heard of him, David. Samuel is sent on a mission to find and anoint the next king

Before the events of 1 Samuel 16 I want to take you back about 100 years to another story.

There was a Jewish couple named Elimelech and Naomi who lived in the Israelite town of Bethlehem. They had two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Seemed like a happy family until one day famine set in and the family moved out to a neighboring nation called Moab. The sons found wives in Moab, Orpah and Ruth, both Moabite women. Then a series of disasters strike the family. First, Elimelek dies leaving Naomi a widow. But at least she had her sons and their wives to take care of her. But then both of her sons die. Now she and Orpah and Ruth are all three widows and the ancient near east was not a hospitable place for widows. They were helpless.

Naomi decides to move back to Bethlehem where she has family but tells her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab. Afterall, they were still young and could find another husband among their people. They can’t bear to part with their mother-in-law, but Naomi insists that they stay. Orpah decides to stay but Ruth decides to go back with Naomi to live in Bethlehem. Ruth famously says, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die.”

The two women return to Bethlehem. They were all but helpless. But, there was provision in the Jewish that landowners when they harvested their fields they would not harvest to the borders. They would leave some for people in situations like Naomi and Ruth to come and at the very least find some food to survive. This was called gleaning. And Naomi knew just the field to glean, her relative Boaz. So Ruth gleans Boaz’s field and before long a romance starts to brew. Ruth and Boaz fall in love and get married. And Ruth and Boaz start a family and Naomi, who once asked people to call her “Mara” which means “Bitter” is now a happy grandmother. Joy has returned. What started out as a tragedy has a happy ending.

It's a good story but there are hundreds of stories like this, aren’t there. So why did this story make the Bible? Why does this woman Ruth get a book in the Bible named after her?

The key may be at the end of the story where the author, who may have been the prophet Samuel, gives a little genealogy of this family.

Boaz and Ruth’s son was named Obed. And then Obed grows up and has a son. His name is Jesse. And Jesse will have a son.

Back to 1 Samuel 16

Samuel is devastated at what has happened with Saul. He must feel somewhat responsible. He anointed Saul. He tried to lead him. He saw so much potential in him and now Saul has been rejected as king.

But God tells Samuel it’s time to move on. Go fill your horn with oil! A new king is be anointed. This isn’t the first time a new and better king has been mentioned.

1 Samuel 13:14 (NIV) — 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”

1 Samuel 15:28 (NIV) — 28 Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.

Up to this point no specifics have been given, but now it’s time to take action. The mission is to go to Bethlehem to the household of Jesse – the grandson of Ruth. There you will find the next king.

Samuel arrives and Jesse brings out his first son, Eliab. He’s impressive, and Samuel thinks this must be the guy. But he’s not and in the process God gives Samuel a lesson he should have learned with Saul. 1 Samuel 16:7 is one of these verses you should be familiar with.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) — 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”