Title: “The Call of David” Script: I Sam. 16:1-13
Type: Series on David Where: GNBC 9-15-24
Intro: Several famous entertainment stars come from large families. Late night Stephen Colbert is the youngest of 11 siblings. Mel Gibson was the 6th of 11 children. Bill Murray was one of nine. Dolly Parton was one of twelve. The late Michael Jackson had three sisters and five brothers. Mark Wahlberg had eight siblings and 3 half siblings. Celine Dion was the youngest of 14 children. Marie Osmond had 8 brothers and she herself had 8 children. Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, the famous founders, evangelists and hymn writers of Methodism, had somewhere between 19-23 children (Accounts vary!). That’s a lot of famous people from large families! Could have included several more. There are interesting family dynamics in large families. Especially, I am told, if you are the youngest! Well today we are going to read about an amazing individual who was the youngest of a large family, and how God called and used this man for God’s incredible purposes. Today we’ll examine the call of David.
Prop: Today we’ll examine three essential components to the call of David.
BG: 1. We begin the life of David with the story by which we are introduced to Israel’s hero.
2. Liberal Scholarship believed David was a mythical figure. Too fantastical of a life for them to believe what the Bible had always said. However, in 1993 the Tel Dan stele (monument) was found in Damascus. It was erected by Hazael in late 9th early 8th century BC. Commemorated the king’s victory over two kings, including one referred to as “The House of David”. Cannot have a “House of David” unless you had a David! What conservative scholarship believed all along, was confirmed. There really had been a King David, a man after God’s own heart!
3. Today’s passage sees David anointed king long before he will become king. Teenager who demonstrated unlikely potential with God’s anointing has an almost unlimited future.
Prop: Follow with me in I Sam. 16 as well reflect on 3 essential components of David’s call.
I. God Prepares the Inner Qualifications of those He Calls. I Sam. 16:1-7
A. God is concerned with the inner man whereas the world the outer.
1. The story of David begins with the failure of King Saul.
a. King Saul had disobeyed God in two significant ways (I Sam. 13&15). In one of these instances he had crossed the line of transgression when in an act of impatience and imprudence he entered the office the priesthood and sacrificed animals to God. (Illust – Biden “preaching” at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The Church is never to be used as the “stumping grounds” for politicians. Last year I was contacted by one of the candidates asked if could speak here. I politely declined. No, we will be preaching the Gospel that day.). Although Saul checked all the boxes for the outward appearance of a leader, he was deficient when it came to the place where it really matters…the inner man.
b. God rejects King Saul for this blatant transgression. The national prophet Samuel is grieved. He was the one who anointed Saul. He felt loyalty towards Saul. The prophet was lamenting this disastrous transgression. God’s answer was thunderous and corrective: “How long will you grieve over Saul?” In other words: Saul is done. Quit crying and get to work! (Now would actually be several years before Saul would die, but God’s unchangeable plan begins with finding David to be his replacement.) (Why didn’t God kill Saul right then? II Peter 3:9 (Read! Saul was disqualified by actions but God was still concerned for salvation.)
2. As a Result of Saul’s Disobedience Samuel is Called by God to Fulfill a very Tricky Task.
a. v.1b God calls Samuel to anoint a new king. Tricky politically! Usually anoint a new king at death of the old king. Easier/safer for everyone! My friend, God’s kingdom will always succeed. God’s plans will always be fulfilled. The safest place to be is in the middle of God’s will. God always has a purpose and God always has a person, even when he doesn’t look like what we think he should look like!
b. Samuel, then, like you and me today, need to remain faithful to what God asks of us regardless of the consequences.
B. In Samuel’s Interchange with Jesse, the father of David, we realize that God Emphasizes the Importance of the Inner Man.
1. God’s Criteria for Selection Contradicts Humanity’s Standard.
a. I find it interesting that here we see Samuel, the aged prophet of the nation, a man of spiritual maturity and discernment leaning towards choosing the next ruler by using the say standard that had been used for Saul. Samule was looking for another tall and handsome man when sees Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab. Kingly appearance! My friend, beware of choosing individuals based on looks, personality, fame. Notoriety, beauty, or celebrity!
b. What qualities should we look for in leaders, etc.? I think that is a very pertinent questions for Christians to ask in this highly charged election season. Does character matter? Yes? Do policies matter? Yes. We live in an era of $$million advertisements and 15 second sound bites. I hope you will use your discernment and maturity to make these very important decisions.
2. God clearly tells Samuel the standard by which He measures the individual.
a. V.7 This is not a rejection of tall people! (Joseph, Gerry, Josh!) However, what do we know of Saul? A head taller than anyone else in Israel (I Sam. 9:2). Man looks on the outside/appearance of the individual, whereas God looks on the heart! God often uses the weak and fragile. He often uses the one who has been broken. He often rejects the bold and brash and braggadocious.
b. Vv.6-10 – Samuel must have assumed the trip was a failure. Maybe had not heard God correctly. (Play act the appearance of the 7 sons coming before him!) No! Nope! Nah! Not a one! Samuel: “Did I get my wires crossed?” Frantically questions Jesse: “Are there any sons left?” Why, yes, but he is the youngest, and he’s out with the sheep. Jesse was so sure one of his oldest sons would be the man Samuel was looking for that he didn’t even bother to call his youngest son! The least important son. The least accomplished son. The least deserving son. The son out doing the menial work of his father.
C. Applic: (God often uses people without anything to recommend themselves.)
II. God Often Uses the Wilderness in Developing the Lives of Those He Calls. V. 11
A. It is Important to See Where God Had David Prior to his call to service.
1. David was off in the Wilderness When Samuel Came Looking to Anoint Israel’s Future King.
a. V. 11 “Are all your sons here?” As I previously stated, Samuel feels confused. Has he failed? 7 sons have walked before him. Certainly, one of these men were the future king? No!
b. Where was David at this moment in time? Out tending sheep. Jesse had not felt his youngest to be important enough to even call to me the prophet! Some commentators think it is not too strong to suggest that David was the family reject and given the menial task of watching the sheep in the wilderness. It would keep him outside and away from the home for days at a time. When Samuel asks the clarifying question as to the availability of other sons, notice Jesse’s response: He refers to David’s age and possibly his size as well. There is still the youngest/smallest in the family.
2. What Might God Have Been Teaching David in his time in the wilderness?
a. Oh dear one, the wilderness is an excellent university in which you can learn about oneself and one’s God! I believe it was out in the wilderness that David learned to worship God. We saw that last week when in the first section of Ps. 19 he refers to Natural Revelation and it’s proclamation of the majesty of God! Maybe it was out on the hillside in those times of extended solitude that David meditated on the Law of God. Maybe it was there that God’s Special Revelation (2nd Section of Psalm 19) became so precious to David.
b. Illust: Jesse’s pushing away of his youngest son from the inner circle of his family pushed David directly into the arms of God! Out in the wilderness David learned to trust God. He began to really experience and know God. Alone with God in the wilderness he began to learn courage, self-reliance, resourcefulness, and a host of other skills that would serve him well in the future when he was Israel’s king. (Possibly you feel pushed aside in life…possibly from your own family. Don’t let that rejection push you into the grasp of hurt and bitterness, but allow that experience to thrust you fully into the arms of Christ!
B. God uses Wilderness Experiences in Developing Leaders.
1. Many a leader in both the Bible as well as the secular world has been schooled in the wilderness of life.
a. Illust: The Bible gives us many notable examples of the Lord’s use of the wilderness so as to refine His people and their witness, skills, or character. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness tending the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro. The one-time prince of Egypt, now in the prime of his life was “demoted” to learning how to shepherd sheep. What was God thinking?! A disobedient and ungrateful Israel would spend 40 years wandering the wilderness so as to learn fidelity to and faith in God. John the Baptist found his home in the wilderness as he and his message were refined to proclaim the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ! Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness in preparation for the inauguration of His public ministry!
b. Illust: Many a great leader in history has gone thru his period in the wilderness. IN 1929 Winston Churchill lost his cabinet position in the British Govt. For the next ten years, what many would consider the “prime of his political life” Churchill was completely removed from the stage of national politics. He described this decade as the most difficult of his life. In the early to mid-1930’s, he alone warned of a coming conflict with Germany. His warnings were unheeded, rejected, and scoffed at. (Kind of reminded me of the 2012 US Pres. Debate when Mitt Romney was asked which nation was going to potentially be the biggest threat to world peace in the coming decade. Romney said: “Russia”. President Obama mocked him and said: “The 1980’s have called and they want their foreign policy back. The Cold War is over and Russia is no longer a threat.” (I wonder if Mr. Obama would like to go to Kiev and say that same statement today?) When Churchill was elected PM in 1940 the world was at war and Britian was on the brink of extinction. As he reflected from this new vantage point the PM said: “I felt that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.”
2. Christian, Neither Waste nor Minimize the Wilderness Experience God may Presently Be Taking Your Through.
a. Do you seem to be in a period of isolation or separation at the present time? Make no mistake, God is using the wilderness experience in your and my life to refine us.
b. Illust: Possibly you are in the wilderness experience of life right now because like David, others have pushed you aside, or even away from them. Let this alienation, separation, isolation, push you into the arms of Jesus Christ. Learn courage. Learn contentment. Learn convictions. Learn that God has a plan for your life and that even if you cannot see all the details now, you can still trust Him fully.
C. Applic: God uses rejection and the wilderness to craft His people. Do you know what the final title of Jesus is in the Bible? Rev. 22:16 – “the Root and Offspring of David”. In the days of loneliness and perceived rejection in the wilderness, I doubt it ever crossed David’s mind that he would be named and thereby eternally included in God’s sovereign plan of Salvation. I don’t know where you are today, dear one, but I want to encourage you that God’s in charge, and He has not yet written the final chapter of your life’s story.
III. God Anoints Individuals He Calls for His Service. I Sam. 16:13
A. David is Anointed for Future Service as Israel’s King.
1. In this action of anointing, Samuel was declaring David to be Israel’s future king.
a. Again, Samuel must have been confounded by the situation. 7 handsome sons of Jesse and God rejects them all. The curious question is asked: “Are these all the children?” Jesse reluctantly confirms there is one more in the fields. Samuel highlights the seriousness of the situation: “we will not sit down until he comes…” Samuel is God’s servant and he realizes the magnitude of the situation and declares: “We won’t rest until he gets here.” Friends, we are to be about God’s business while it is still light. Night cometh when no man worketh. (Jn. 9;4) Is there someone who God has been speaking to you about sharing Christ? Plan of salvation? Confronting sin? Today is the day of salvation.
b. Now in v. 12 we are introduced to Israel’s future King, Psalm writer, and ancestor of our Savior Jesus Christ. We now meet a young David. He is described as handsome and ruddy (Red haired or reddish complexion. Sorry, but many of our overly culturally sensitive stereotypes of today simply are not true historically speaking. He is said to have beautiful eyes (Most likely “blue” as would have been declared at that time period.) The prophet hears again from God: “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Removing the horn of oil, Samuel fulfills his mission and anoints (Praying over and pouring oil.) David king.
2. What were the Results of David’s Being Anointed King?
a. Immediately we see God’s confirmation of His selection. I particularly enjoy the little statement in v. 13 “in the midst of his brothers”. David receives this honor, this calling, this anointing, in the midst of those who probably looked down on him the most, his older brothers! (Can I get a witness from younger siblings?!) Illust: Feels pretty good to have a Cinderella story. (Reminds me of Haman being required to honor Mordecai, the man he detested, in Esther (6:11)
b. What spiritual phenomenon takes place in David upon his anointing/consecration by Samuel? “The Spirit of God came mightily upon David from that day forward.” This is very similar to what took place with Saul in I Sam. 10:1&6 when he is anointed King. There is a physical/spiritual manifestation of God’s selection of the ruler which confirms his office.
c. Illust: I cannot overstate the importance of the selection of David in relation to the coming of his future Seed, our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Jews recognized that the Messiah would from the seed of David. Jesus was designated at the Christ, which means “anointed” as David was here the anointed one of God for the nation. A title repeatedly applied to Jesus was “the Son of David”. As we saw David was a shepherd. Jesus was the great Shepherd of the sheep of God’s flock ( ) . And as David would ascend to the throne of Israel Jesus would ascend from His work of shepherding the flock on earth to the throne of Heaven. (Acts 2:3-34)
B. Consecration to God marks the life of the individual who wishes to serve his/her Savior.
1. This Consecration of David Began his Path towards the Crown.
a. This event put David on the path towards the crown of the Kingdom but it did not immediately make him king. There were many essential lessons the young man still needed to learn. Most scholars would postulate that David was probably about 15 years of age at the time of this event. David would not be crowned king at Hebron for another 15 years! He would not be crowned king at Jerusalem until another 7 years after that! (II Sam. 2:11) Would take over 20 years before he was crowned king over the entire nation! David still had many a battle to fight and foe to face before he could rest as king. Conflict, trials, as well as victories were all important lessons in God’s shaping David into the
man after his own heart” (I Sam. 13:14)
b. Christian, always remember this: God is never in a hurry. We are in a hurry. God isn’t. Abram and Sarai were promised an heir 25 yrs before it happened. Israel was Promised a Land hundreds of years before it happened. Cyrus was promised as a deliverer 150 years before his birth (Is. 44:23, 45:8), 70 years were promised before the people would return to Jerusalem (Jer. 25:9-13), 40 years of waiting before entering the Promised Land, Noah was promised the flood 100 years before the waters rose. And Christian, we have been waiting for 2000 years for the return of Christ. (II Pet. 3:9 -The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.)
2. Christian you too are on a path, if you remain faithful you too will receive a crown!
a. There are five crown gifts Christians can receive based on how we live our lives here on earth. These gifts include: 1) The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). 2) The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19). 3) The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8). 4. 4) The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4). 5. The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10).
b. Paul said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). God’s power indwells us in the person of the Holy Spirit, whom we received at our conversion. Our problem is that we so often fail to tap into His power that is always there. We are like the man who was pushing his car up a hill only to discover he merely needed to turn the key and ignite the powerful engine. How much better it is to turn on the power and enjoy the ride. So it is in the Christian life. Running is a demanding sport, draining every ounce of energy a person possesses. Running God’s race saps all our power. We soon become depleted mentally, emotionally, and physically. That’s the nature of running. It is full of uphill climbs, obstacles to overcome, winds to endure, and the scorching sun that leaves us feeling empty. At times, we grow so weary that we want to pull over and stop running. But the race of life demands that we keep moving forward. We cannot stop. The’re no yellow caution flags to stop this race, no pit stops. Just the daily grind. To run life’s race, we must have the power of God. In our weakness, God’s power is perfected. The very divine power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is available to us for living the Christian life. Walk in His anointing.
C. Applic: Christian, do you believe God is calling you for a specific act of service? If so, you will need His power. You cannot survive on the basis of your own strength. We will see in the weeks to come that David faced many challenges before God’s plan for His life would be fulfilled. At every moment he needed a close relationship with God. You and I do as well.
