The Search for a King
When it became apparent that King Saul failed in his duties by disobeying God (1 Sam
15), God told Samuel that He was going to appoint a new king for Israel. God spoke to
Samuel and said “I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for
myself a king among his sons” (1 Sam 16:1b). At that time Samuel “consecrated Jesse
and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice” (1 Sam 16:5b) but “When they came, he
looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 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 sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam 20:67).
Finally “Jesse made
seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not
chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said,
“There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep” (1 Sam
20:1011a). When the least likely, at least in the eyes of man, came before the Lord “the
Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and
anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon
David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah” (1 Sam 20:12b13)