The introduction of our text this morning introduces us to a young man by the name of David. This David had seven other brother and him being the youngest. David was considered to be the weakest, and the tiniest. When we look at David, David’s job was considered to be the ineligible, unimportant, and irrelevant job. His job at the house seems to be the job of a weakling, to some David’s job was minute because his job at the home front were to keep the sheep, he was the shepherd boy, the watcher of the sheep.
And that gives us a lesson at the very beginning of our message which say to us, that God sees the best in us when others see’s the worst in us, also that God doesn’t look at what we are doing, as much as he does of how we are doing it.
In other words, God wants to know how we handle what we have, with what we have. God wants to know if we can manage the little before he gives us the greater. I believe that God wants to see if some of us can work in the background before he bring some of us to the forefront. In other words, God want to see how well do when we are not being pat on the back, when we are not getting any accolades, he want to see how well do we perform when nobody is watching, and when no is looking at us. Do we praise him when we are in the secret closet? Do we lift him up when we are alone? Can we praise him when we are making minimal wages, and can we praise him when the job is what we considered beneath us?
What we can learn from our text in the early stages is that when God got ready to bless the man of God, when God got ready to promote the man of God, and when God got ready to lift David to higher heights, God knew exactly where to find him and what he would be doing. Because David was known for being loyal, dedicated and devoted to the task at hand.
Yes, to some David’s job might have seemed insignificant and insufficient, but how many of you know that God can used the insignificant and insufficient to get his job done? God can take the least and make it become the greater.
Whenever they would go to look for David, they knew that they would find him being consistence, loyal and faithful to the cause. They knew that wherever he was, he was doing the will of his father. And my question to someone this morning is that can your father depend on you to do his will? My question is can we be dependable, commitment and faithful regardless of how lowly the position might be?
I ask this question because I believe that we our viewpoint is quite different from God’s viewpoint. I believe that our observation of people and how God observe others are totally different.
I believe this because the man who was considered to be of least of the pack, those brothers who thought of David to be the weakest, the frailest, the puniest and unimportance of all, is now about to become the most important of them among all.
And I think that I need to tell somebody this morning that I think that we ought to be careful of who we put down, because God might be lifting them up. We might ought to be careful who we are pushing to the back, because God just might be pulling them to the front. Because he is a God that know how to promote, elevate and raise up those who we might consider the least.
Do you remember 1st Samuel chapter 16 when it said “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel”? He said 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. 2
And Samuel said, how can I go? If Saul hear of it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. 3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. And the
bible said 4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke unto him and went to Bethlehem. It is said that as he was enter the town that the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, I hope that you have come peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. Watch what happens.
The bible said and he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. 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. 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. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, is this all of your children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. The bible said that 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. 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. 14 And the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. 17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me a man that can play well, and bring him to me. 18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen one of Jesse sons, 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. 19 So Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. 20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. 21 And as David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
I said all of that to say, that when man don’t even think about you God is thinking about you. When man is letting you down God is lifting you up. When man is hating on you, God is loving on you. When men are demoting you God can promote you.
They hadn’t even thought of David when it came to looking for someone to anoint, they wasn’t looking at David the sheepherder when they were looking for a new king, and now they are on their feet waiting for his entrance. They said send and fetch him: for we will not sit down until he come hither.
Notice that man promotes talent, abilities, gifts and capabilities, but God promotes character.
Now I understand Proverbs better when it says in chapter 18 and versus 16 that a man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great and mighty men. Your gift may bring you before great men, but it is your character that enables you to stay there.
Josephs gift brought him before pharaoh, but it was his character that made him prime minister of Egypt.
God said to Samuel, I have provided me a king among the sons of Jessie. Essentially what God is saying is that I have been keeping an eye on the sons of Jessies, and I’ve been looking at them, and I have been examining the way that they think, and the way that they act, and who they are when no one is watching, and I have chosen one of them to represent me as a king. Many may think that David became great when he slayed the giant, but greatness is not doing one great thing in a big way, But, it’s when you doing every little thing in a great way.
And what I have learned down through the years is that when it comes to being a part of the apex, the zenith or the best of things that it’s not predicated or centered around a onetime occurrence. Because we have a whole lot of one hit wonders.
So, David was the youngest boy of Jesse’s. David, the sweet singer of Israel, David the one who He cared for his father’s sheep, he was the one who was teased and ridiculed by his brothers, for being a shepherd, but in spite of their disdain, it was this same David that killed a lion and a bear, it was this same David that protected and secured the sheep, and now it was time to kill a giant named Goliath, and to defend a nation.
It seems so unlikely that this shepherd boy would who was so unlooked down upon would become a king, with all the things that was warred against him, it seems questionable that he would one day be a king. But what I’m trying to tell here is that, what God was looking for was not surface base but it was what was hidden down on the inside of David that really counted, and only God knew what it was. When other people seen David they only saw a shepherd boy. But when God saw him, he seen the purpose, and promise in him.
And my brothers and sisters as I stand here this morning I want to tell you that no matter how they may look at you. No, matter how they may treat you. No, matter how they may mock you, just know that God has something down on the inside of you that can emerge you into your destiny.
So, the Lord spoke to the man of God in Vs 12 and said arise and anoint him: for this is he.
Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the bible said from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.
I’ve got to let you go but, I’m here to tell you that God can anoint you in the present of them that don’t deem you worthy. And God can promoter you in the eyes of your haters. In other words, God can lift you up when other are trying to keep you down.
But you have to know, what David knew. What did he know Spies? First, David knew that he had a job to do and that he needed to stay faithful. And allow me to tell somebody that you need to stay faithful. Secondly, David knew that the Lord
will provide for him even though others may look down on him. And somebody here know that the Lord is a Jehovah Jireh our provider.
But then also David knew that the Lord was his Shepherd and that he didn’t have to want for anything. And was all because God knew what was in David. And that reminds me of a story
about a preacher that had a dream.
There was a preacher pastor of a pastor of a large church who had a dream one night that really opened his eyes. He dreamed that he could see his own church in worship service on Sunday morning. But there was something very strange happening.
The choir was singing. The mouths of the choir members were moving, but no sound was heard.
It was said that the people in the congregation had their hymn books and were singing along with the choir. But there was nothing proceeding out from their mouths, either.
The deacons were praying their prayers, but there was no sound coming out of the deacon’s mouth.
The preacher himself got up to preach his Sunday message and He opened his mouth to preach, but he heard nothing.
There was absolutely no sound at all in the sanctuary. Then all-of a sudden, the pastor saw a little girl up in the balcony and heard her little voice singing, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."
The pastor was confused and suddenly woke up. And said my Lord, what a dream, but I don’t understand this dream, and it doesn’t make sense to me.
But then the Lord spoke to the pastor and said, Pastor, you just saw a picture of what I see in the in your church every Sunday morning. People are singing, and praying, and preaching, but I hear nothing. Your heart is not focused on me. You are focused on yourself. The only one I heard in your church last Sunday was the little girl in the balcony who matters to very few people in your church. Because she mattered to me, because she came to church today with the right motive to love me with all of her heart. And it’s all because I see what’s down in her.
