Why Did God Choose The Shepherds? Series

One of the things I enjoy most about Biblical narrative—that is, the historical accounts in the Old and New Testament—is how often God does something completely unexpected. These can be surprising, or revealing, or thought-provoking. And sometimes they’re quite funny, as when God gave Balaam’s donkey the power of speech. Yes. An actual talking donkey, in the actual Bible. If you’re not familiar with the story, it’s in Numbers chapter 22, and it’s hilarious. But in every case, when God acts in ways that no one anticipated, it reminds us that our God is not bland and predictable. He does not conform to our notions about how he ought to act. As C.S. Lewis wrote of Aslan the Lion in “The Chronicles of Narnia”, he is not safe; he is not a tame lion. And that’s a bit disconcerting. We like to think that we understand how the world works. We want to know what to expect. And a God who sometimes acts in unpredictable ways is rather uncomfortable for us. But time and time again, God contradicts our expectations. And in doing so, he reminds us that he is sovereign; that he is the one in control. He reminds us that he is inscrutable, and that our understanding of his character and his ways is only partial and limited. In other words, He does what he wants, not what we expect. As Paul writes in Romans 11:33:

“33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Likewise, Job’s friend Zophar challenged him with this rhetorical question:

““Can you fathom the mysteries of God?

Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7)

The answer, of course, is no. We cannot plumb the depths of God. We cannot fathom his mysteries; we cannot probe his limits. And so we really shouldn’t be surprised when he acts in ways that we do not and cannot anticipate. We shouldn’t be surprised, but we are. Listen to what the prophet Isaiah tells us:

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”. We do not naturally think the way God thinks, or act the way God acts.

Let me give you an example. It comes from the book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament. God has determined that king Saul must be replaced, and he sends the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, because God has chosen one of this man’s eight sons to be king. We join the narrative in 1 Samuel 16:6:

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:6-13)

Samuel assumed that the one God chose to be the next king would be Eliab, the oldest and apparently the tallest. In general, I’m on board with the idea that tall people should be in charge, but that’s not how it worked out here. Eliab was not the one. Well then, perhaps Abinadab? No. Nor was it Shammah, or any of the other seven sons that Jesse brought forward for inspection. So they’re in a bit of a quandary. What to do? And I love Samuel’s question. “Got any more?” Any more sons out there, Jesse? Well yes, just one. The youngest one, whom they hadn’t even bothered to bring to meet with the prophet. Because of course he wouldn’t be the one chosen. The idea was ludicrous, that little David could be the next king of Israel. David, who was out in the field, taking care of the sheep. But they brought him in, and lo and behold, God said, “this is the one”. And so Samuel anointed him. You can imagine their shock and surprise. Because this was not just unexpected, it was the exact opposite of what they expected. Why? Verse 7. Because “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” That’s why. God saw what was in David’s heart. God evaluates people and situations differently than we do. Which is why, by the way, we need to ask God to give us wisdom when making important decisions. Because we tend to judge by appearances, while God sees things as they truly are. He isn’t fooled by how things look on the surface.