1 Samuel 16 v. 1 - 16
v 7 "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."
1. THE SEARCH FOR GOD'S MAN - v. 1 "And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons."
It was a time for:-
(a) Forgetfulness - v. 1 "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul?" i.e. A time to stop mourning
(b) Faithfulness - v. 1 "Fill thine horn with oil, and go" i.e. A time to start moving
(c) Fruitfulness - v. 1 "I have provided me a king " i.e. A time to start marching
(d) Fearlessness - v. 2 "How can I go?" i.e. A time to stop mumbling i.e.
God had given:-
(1) The Mission - v. 1 "I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite"
(2) The Man - v. 1 "A king among his sons"
(3) The Means - v. 2 "Take an heifer with thee"
(4) The Method - v. 3 "Thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee."
Psalm 75 v. 6 & 7 "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another."
2. THE SURPRISE AT GOD'S MAN - v. 6 "And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him."
Note:-
(a) The Problem Here -
Samuel was looking at the wrong person i.e. Eliab not David,
Samuel was looking in the wrong place i.e. v. 7 "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." not heart,
Samuel was looking for the wrong physique v. 7 "man looketh on the outward appearance"
(b) The Principle Here - v. 7 "but the Lord looketh on the heart"
note:-
(1) The Priority of the Heart - Proverbs 4 v. 23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." i.e. physically and spiritually
"Heart is used in Scripture as the most comprehensive term for the authentic person. It is the part of our being where we desire, deliberate, and decide. It has been described as "the place of conscious and decisive spiritual activity," "the comprehensive term for a person as a whole; his feelings, desires, passions, thought, understanding and will," and "the centre of a person. The place to which God turns."
(2) The Potential of the Heart - Jeremiah 17 v. 9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" its deceit, its depravity, desperation
(3) The Purpose of the Heart - Deuteronomy 6 v. 5 "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
(4) The Portrayal of the Heart - v. 7 "The Lord looketh on the heart"
1 Chronicles 29 v. 17 "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee."
Romans 10 v. 10 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Hebrews 4 v. 12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
James 4 v. 8 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
(c) The Perception Here v. 7 "Look not on his countenance"
David had what his brothers did not have -
He had the :-
(1) Heart for God - v. 12 "And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he."
(2) Spirit of God - v. 13 "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah."
(3) Presence of God - v. 18 "Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him."
(d) The Perplexity Here i.e. Samuel didn't see it, Jesse didn't see it, the brothers didn't see it,
even David didn't see it
3. THE SEAL ON GOD'S MAN - v. 13 "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah." i.e. seal of the Holy Spirit of God
Note David's three-fold anionting - He was anointed:- in the midst of:-
(a) His Family - 1 Samuel 16 v. 13 "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah."
(b) His Tribe - 2 Samuel 2 v. 4 " And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah."
(c) The Nation - 2 Samuel 5 v. 3 "So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel."
So Christ must be crowned as KIng
(a) Personally i.e. individually
(b) Ecclesiastically - i.e. in his church
(c) Universally - i.e. in the world
4. THE SIGN OF GOD'S MAN - v. 18 "Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him."
God's man has:-
(a) A Song - "cunning in playing" A song holy angels cannot sing
(b) A Strength - "A mighty valiant man" 1 Samuel 17 v. 45 - 47 "Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands."
(c) A Strategy - "A man of war" Ephesians 6 v. 12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
(d) A Sight - "Prudent in matters"
(e) A Sincerity - "A comely person"
(f) A Sanctity - "And the Lord is with him" - Lord was with Joseph in prision etc
