Sermon Notes

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do, and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 He said, “Peaceably. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely his anointed is now before the Lord.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him, for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him, for this is the one.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
(New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)
16 8-9 Then God addressed Samuel: “So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I’ve rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I’ve spotted the very king I want among his sons.” 2-3 “I can’t do that,” said Samuel. “Saul will hear about it and kill me.” God said, “Take a heifer with you and announce, ‘I’ve come to lead you in worship of God, with this heifer as a sacrifice.’ Make sure Jesse gets invited. I’ll let you know what to do next. I’ll point out the one you are to anoint.”4 Samuel did what God told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. “Is there something wrong?” 5 “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of God. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship.” He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship.
6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Here he is! God’s anointed!” 7 But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” 8 Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, “This man isn’t God’s choice either.” 9 Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, “No, this man isn’t either.” 10 Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “God hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11 Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?” “Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.” Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.”12 Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking. God said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.” 13 Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. Samuel left and went home to Ramah. (The Message, MSG)

Saul’s sin in the previous chapter is the end for Saul; it is not the end of Saul’s reign, but the end of Saul’s opportunity to turn and repent. In this passage, we see God directing Samuel to seek out another—David—to replace Saul. Samuel must be commended for his loyalty to Saul. When Saul disobeyed God, Samuel became distressed and cried out to God all night long (I Samuel 15:11). His distress is in response to God regretting that He made Saul king. Samuel appears to intercede on Saul’s behalf before God. Saul’s response to Samuel’s rebuke was hardly one of repentance, which caused Samuel further grief (I Samuel 15:35).
In Samuel, we see what should be the attitude we all have toward each other—it’s not too late. We cannot control the decisions that loved ones make, but we can petition God for mercy—for another chance. Even though God has made His decision and announced it through Samuel, the Prophet of God now stands in the role of Priest for Saul and continues to intercede before God on Saul’s behalf. So should our role be for one another.

1 God addressed Samuel: “So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I’ve rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I’ve spotted the very king I want among his sons.” 2-3 “I can’t do that,” said Samuel. “Saul will hear about it and kill me.” God said, “Take a heifer with you and announce, ‘I’ve come to lead you in worship of God, with this heifer as a sacrifice.’ Make sure Jesse gets invited. I’ll let you know what to do next. I’ll point out the one you are to anoint.”
Samuel is unwilling to give up on Saul. But God’s question to Samuel makes it clear that, on this issue, God will not change His mind. God has rejected Saul, and it is time for Samuel to act accordingly. Samuel is to fill his horn with oil and go to Jesse the Bethlehemite, where he is to anoint one of his sons as Saul’s replacement.
*It is fine to grieve on behalf of others and to petition God, but we must not let grief or intercession keep us from fulfilling our divine assignment. No matter our feelings, God’s work must continue.
Samuel’s reluctance takes another form in verse 2; he hesitates due to the dangers involved. Samuel protests that if word reaches Saul that he is anointing a new king, Saul will kill him. This seems to be a real danger. After all, Saul does not hesitate to put his own son to death (I Samuel 14). He does not flinch at the thought of killing off any potential threat to his throne. Neither will he be reluctant to kill off any who support a rival king (I Samuel 21, 22). Samuel feels his concern is good reason for hesitation.
God has a solution to Samuel’s problem. Samuel is to take a heifer with him and tell the people of Bethlehem that he has come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. He is to invite Jesse to this sacrificial meal, which will provide the occasion for him to anoint one of his sons as king. The specific son is not identified, but it is to be one of the sons of Jesse.
Some may be troubled at the instruction God gives Samuel, for they can be perceived as a form of deception. But it is not. Consider the following:
1. God has already announced the doom of Saul’s monarchy.
2. God’s instruction to Samuel is precise, though the public explanation of it is incomplete. God does not inform the elders of Bethlehem all that He is about to do through Samuel, but what He does indicate is absolutely true; Samuel does come to offer a sacrifice.
3. God exercises progressive revelation. God often has more in mind than He reveals to us beforehand. The wonder is that God tells us any of what He is about to do (see John 15:15).
4 Samuel did what God told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. “Is there something wrong?” 5 “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of God. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship.” He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship. 6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Here he is! God’s anointed!” 7 But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” 8 Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, “This man isn’t God’s choice either.” 9 Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, “No, this man isn’t either.” 10 Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “God hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11 Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?” “Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.” Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.” 12 Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking. God said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.” 13 Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. Samuel left and went home to Ramah.
The elders of the city of Bethlehem are white-faced when Samuel arrives. They fear that his arrival will not be peaceable. But Samuel’s words put their minds at rest. He has come to offer a sacrifice, and they are invited to attend. They are to consecrate themselves and join Samuel in the sacrifice. In addition, Samuel consecrates Jesse and his sons as invited guests.
The selection of Saul, years earlier, was not difficult for Samuel. God told him in advance that the king-to-be would be coming the following day. God made it clear at the outset that Saul was the one He had chosen (I Samuel 9:15-17). In the case of Saul’s replacement, Samuel knows where and whose son the new king will be, but he does not know which one of the sons of Jesse. Samuel has his own criteria for selecting the new king, some of which must stems from the designation of Saul, reinforced by the criteria for kings of that day and our own day as well.
Just what would the criteria be? According to human tradition, one would expect the first-born to be the choice for king. The first-born was given a double portion of his father’s goods. Headship of the family was passed on to the first born. The oldest would be expected to be the most mature, the most experienced, the wisest of the family.
In addition to priority in birth order, Samuel expects the king-to-be will be evident by his appearance. This was the way it was with Saul (I Samuel 9:2). Jesse has his sons pass by Samuel one by one, beginning with the oldest. God knows what Samuel is thinking when he looks at Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son, a tall, good-looking fellow. But He tells Samuel that this is not His choice for Israel’s next king, indicating His criteria has more to do with a man’s character than with outward appearances. Jesse has the next son, Abinadab, pass by Samuel, and he too is rejected. Then comes Shammah, and then the next four of Jesse’s sons pass by Samuel, but God does not indicate any of them as His choice for king.
Now, Samuel is perplexed and wonders what the problem might be. Clearly, none of Jesse’s family considers David even a remote possibility for king. He virtually slips from their minds, until Samuel asks Jesse if there are no other sons. Well, there is David, but how could he be the new king? He has been given a child’s work – keeping the sheep.
What matters to God is David’s heart. Saul was one whose heart God had to change (I Samuel 10:9). But Saul’s heart did not remain true to the Lord, and he has to be set aside and replaced by a man, like David, who has a heart for God.
What no one considers is that God will provide David with all he needs to be Israel’s king. David is immediately given the Spirit of God to guide and empower him. In the providence of God, he is strategically placed in the presence of Saul as his armor-bearer (16:21), where he can learn how a king rules. David is not chosen to immediately replace Saul, but is first placed in a kind of internship, later to be mentally, morally, and spiritually groomed for the kingdom which will not be his for several years.
Jesse sends for David, and he is brought before Samuel. David is also a good-looking young man, lacking none of the qualities found in his older brother save his age and position as first-born. We see that God does not disqualify David for his good looks, but neither does He choose him because of them. David’s character is pleasing to God, and it is the basis of his election to service. David’s physical appearance is icing on the cake; David’s deficiencies will be provided by the Holy Spirit and the preparation God has planned for him.
God indicates to Samuel that David is indeed His choice for Israel’s king, and so Samuel stands up and anoints him. God’s Spirit comes upon David, possessing and empowering him from this point onward. Samuel then gets up and returns to his home in Ramah.