May, 2007
Seeing As God Sees
I Samuel 16:1-13
INTRODUCTION: In this scripture Samuel has been instructed to go and anoint a new king. The Lord reproved him for mourning about Saul. God said, “I have rejected him and all of your tears and mourning won’t change things. Now get over it and go and do as I tell you.” Samuel didn’t want to go on this mission to anoint another king because he feared Saul and was afraid he would try to kill him if he found out about it. Finally Samuel started out and was to go to the family of Jesse and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” When people saw him coming they thought he was bringing bad news, but he assured them that there was no bad news. He had come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. The people didn’t know that Samuel was looking for the Lord to point out the person who was to be anointed the next king.
When the oldest of Jesse’s sons came forward, he looked as if he would surely be the right one. He was good looking--tall, dark, and handsome--and looked as if he would fill the king’s role perfectly. Samuel said, “He must be the one.” But the Lord said, “Don’t look on his outward appearance. God sees differently than man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.” Eliab was not the one. Abinadab was not the one. Neither was the next one or the next one. On the outward appearance they all looked like excellent candidates for the next king, but none was chosen. Seven sons walked by and none of them was the one God had chosen.
Jesse was asked if he had any more sons and he replied, “Yes, there is one tending sheep out in the fields.” They sent for him, and when he came in, the Lord spoke to Samuel and said, “He’s the one. Anoint him.” On the surface, this son may not have looked like the best choice. The others were older and may have had more qualifications. Yet God saw His choice in a different way from what we normally see things. It didn’t mean that all of the other brothers were not good people, but they were not chosen for this particular job.
What does this scripture say to us today? It points out several things that apply to us as well as to David.
1. The Lord Knows Where You Are: We often wonder, “Lord do you even know where I live? Do you see my struggles and concerns? Do you hear me when I pray? Are you concerned about my job and my family?” It doesn’t take much to discourage us. At times I feel that we really wonder if God knows where we are. Especially during times when we are going through pain or trouble we may be tempted to doubt. I think this is more common than we think among Christians. “Has the Lord abandoned me?” we wonder.
This account points out to us that the Lord knew where to find David. He was out on the hillside somewhere tending sheep. We don’t know what his goals or his aspirations were at that point in his life. We don’t know at that point exactly what his thoughts were about God.
There are many clues given throughout the scripture concerning David’s character. Acts 13:22 gives us one major key, “and when he had removed [Saul} God raised up David to be their king and said, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will.”
Is God looking for anything different today? I don’t think so. He is looking for a person of any age whose heart is turned toward Him--David once said in the Psalms, “as the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God” (Psalm 42:1). David seemed to be always reaching out toward God even though he made mistakes and often was depressed. Yet he always came back to seeking the Lord with all his heart. God saw this quality deep down in him and was pleased with his desire to seek Him.
The Lord “seeth not as man seeth but the Lord looketh on the heart” (verse 7). God knew exactly where David was and how to get him where he wanted him to be.
Does the Lord know where you are today? Does he know how to get you where he wants you to be?
ILLUSTRATION: When I was going through the candidacy process I would say, “Nothing is opening up.” Walter would say, “The Lord knows where he wants you. He’ll open up the door when He’s ready.” And I didn’t believe it. I thought, “Oh, Walter’s just saying that to make me feel good.”
We must never lose sight of the fact that God is aware of our situation. He knows your address. He knows how to move you from one place to another just as he did David.
ILLUSTRATION: Sometimes the Lord will give you little perks to let you know that He’s still there. How many know what I mean by these “little perks?”
Story: I was wanting to add to my set of Haviland China in the orchard pattern. One day when I was out shopping I stopped by an antique store in a remote area. There on the table several pieces of the orchard pattern were waiting for me. Little perks in your ordinary daily life help to let you know that He knows where you are.
2. The Lord Knows How to Transform You: When God said to Samuel, “This is the one. Anoint him,” Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him as he stood before his brothers. At that time the Spirit of the Lord came upon David “from that day forward.”
I found something interesting here. When Saul was anointed to be king, Samuel took a VIAL of oil indicating that it was scanty and brittle, and poured it over his head. (I Samuel 10:1). In David’s anointing, God instructed Samuel to fill a HORN of oil. The anointing was more PLENTIFUL, and research says that the Spirit was with him from that day FORWARD. The word HORN-KERAS in the Greek (a symbol of strength) symbolizes the EFFICACY of the ministry connected with it. The STRENGTH of it.
Luke 1:69 speaks of a horn of Salvation--the STRENGTH of the salvation
Psalm 18:2--The Lord is my rock…the Horn (STRENGTH) of my salvation
I Samuel 2:10 “Exalt the HORN of his anointed (the STRENGTH of his anointed)
The effect of this anointing was that a transformation began to take place in David. There was going to be strength and power. The anointing ceremony was not an empty ceremony but a DIVINE POWER that went along with it. I believe it was similar to the work of grace that takes place in our own hearts at baptism when we begin to see the prevenient grace of God come in and transform a person’s life over a period of time. David had a heart that was tuned toward God, but he needed to become equipped so much more for his future work. Matthew Henry says that “qualities he needed were INSTILLED in him. He became inwardly advanced in wisdom, courage, concern for the public…” David was not the same person when he went back to the shepherd’s field that day. And we are not the same once the Lord begins to work in our lives. When we come to the Lord and receive salvation, we are not the same old person. How do we know this? “If any [person] be in Christ [he/she] is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17).
Keep in mind that although David was anointed king that day, he did not immediately step into the actual role of king until many years later. As long as Saul lived, he was king; and David did not try to usurp authority over King Saul.
Story: When I was in the candidacy program a woman in my prayer group said, “Well if you get to be a pastor, WHAT WILL WALTER BE?”
And I said, “He’ll be OK as long as he doesn’t try to usurp authority over the pastor!!!”
David went through a process of about 10 years before he became king and during that time of preparation there were gifts and graces being instilled. God moved David into the position of playing the harp to calm Saul’s nerves. Here is what people said about him:
1. Knows how to play the harp
2. Is brave
3. Is a warrior
4. Speaks well
5. Is a fine looking man
6. AND the Lord is with him
David came to Saul and entered his service. Then Saul said, “Let David stay because I AM PLEASED WITH HIM.”
Sometimes people think, “When I’ve graduated from high school, I’ve arrived! When I’ve graduated from college, “I’ve arrived!” But all through our lifetime God is preparing us for our next assignment, and we are continuing to learn and to grow. Too many people just sit down and say, “There’s nothing more that I want to do. I’m just waiting for the Lord to come.” Other people say, “I’m too old to do that.” No matter what your age, God is still working out His plan and purpose in your life.
Story: Several years ago we had a friend who was in his 90’s and he drove a bright red car. He drove up to the hospital to see me when I had surgery and brought me a roll of life savers. He used to go to the rest home and hand out programs to the “old people.” He didn’t want to go to senior citizens because he didn’t want people to think he was old. He was still ministering to people in his 90’s and the Lord was still working on him.
God wants to continue to do a work in your heart and life throughout your entire lifetime. Expect it to happen. The Lord knows how to transform you just as much as He did David.
3. The Lord Had David’s Cooperation: In many of the scriptures, the people that God was trying to get to do things put up a lot of resistance and objections. Even Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will kill me.” In stories about Moses, he said, “Who am I that I should go. I can’t even speak.” Others throughout scripture said such things as Isaiah did, “Woe is me for I am undone a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Jeremiah said, “Ah, Lord God, behold I can’t speak: for I am a child” (Jeremiah 1:6).
You will notice that David didn’t put up any objections. He was anointed to be king although I doubt if he understood the full impact of that. God put his Spirit within him, began to transform him and instill qualities he needed for the future, then God began to position him. David cooperated with God as these things began to unfold. It was not always easy, but he always had a heart for God. Our lives can be transformed by the power of God to a greater degree than they have been as we turn our hearts toward Him and become open to His leading. Allow His Spirit to work in you and through you. Begin to cooperate with Him rather than to put up objections and resistance. Allow Him to position you for a new work--allow Him to stretch you--to use you in a greater way in His service. He will do that for us just as much as for David. Give Him permission to work in your life. He will honor that request as you come to Him>
Let us pray:
