This Is The One

I Samuel 16: 1 – 13 / This Is The One

Intro: It seems as though every few weeks there is yet another award show on TV. There is the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Peoples Choice etc. There are also the pageant shows. They used to be called “beauty pageants.” Now they are called “scholarship competitions.” I stopped watching them because the judges never choose the person I want to win. Just once I’d like to see the 2nd runner up grab the crown off the winner’s head a run! --- Have you noticed that on the award shows they have stopped saying, “and the winner is . . .” and now say, “and the award goes to . . .” Big deal! It still means the same thing as when you were a kid standing in gym class waiting to be the last one chosen. Some people winning means that other people loose.

I. Then I first read this passage, I immediately thought of Danny who was one of those kids that was never chosen to be the leader by the teacher. He was scrawny and unkempt. His hair was rarely clean and even more rarely combed. He wore the same dirty clothes nearly every day and always had dirt under his nails. But, he had the most beautiful big brown eyes and long eyelashes.

A. VS. 1 – God had rejected Saul as king. Samuel was being sent to anoint the new king. Who would it be?

B. The word that is translated as “provided” in Hebrew = ra’a. That word is used in verses 1, 6, 7 and 12 of this passage and is translated slightly different in each case.

C. VS 1 – “I have seen for myself a king.” God has already seen and chosen the successor to Saul. If you are familiar at all with the OT, you already know who the successor is.

II. Samuel is sent to Jesse the Bethlehemite. To BETHLEHEM! The significance of that choice may be lost on us; but, the fervent Jew would know that “nothing good ever came from the small town of Bethlehem.”

A. VS. 6 – 7 In these 2 verses the same verb, Ra’a appears but there is a second verb used as well. That Hebrew verb is nabat = to look or see. The implication is that Samuel was “looking” but not really “seeing.”

B. “the Lord does not see as mortals see;” There is a huge difference here. Mortals look at the superficial; while God looks internally.

C. I’ve heard it said that people make up their mind about whether they are going to like an individual or not based on the first 20 seconds they meet. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. On what basis do we make such decisions about people?

III. Jesse’s family tree was not very distinguished. Jesse’s grandmother was Ruth, an immigrant Moabite woman. His grandfather was Boaz, whose ancestors included a Canaanite woman, Tamar who was almost executed for adultery and a Canaanite prostitute from Jericho named Rahab.

A. What did God see in this family? --- Perhaps you have asked yourself the same question, why me? --- God sees the potential that mortals miss.

B. David is chosen and his life is changed forever; but it wasn’t for another 15 years that David would become king; but, he was chosen by God for the job.

C. How do I know that I have been chosen or for what I have been chosen? I don’t think we ever know for sure. We must constantly strive to be ready and open to being chosen.

Conclu: God has seen your heart and knows exactly where you fit into the plan of God’s creation. The Lord has spoken of each of us saying, “This is the one!” This one is chosen! God will reveal to each our task in God’s time; not ours.