King Saul, the first king of Israel, disobeyed God during his second year as king (1 Sa 13:1, 13-14). At that time, God chose him a man after His own heart – a man who was not yet born. During the remaining 38 years of his reign, Saul displeased God. In about his 25th year as king, Saul disobeyed the Lord’s command to destroy all the Amalekites. For this Samuel the prophet rebuked him (1 Sa 15:22-23).

Transition

As we study the events of the youth David’s anointing, I want us to especially note principles that we can apply to our lives.

The Setting

1. Samuel mourned for Saul (v.1)
   1. Samuel mourned for Saul. About 25 years earlier, he had anointed Saul as king. As his spiritual leader, Samuel grieved that Saul was not walking with God. It hurt Samuel to know that God had rejected Saul.
   2. When we see a professing Christian turn away from God, we ought to grieve and pray for him.
2. God told Samuel to anoint a new king (v.1-3)
   1. God instructed Samuel (v.1).
      1. He was to fill his ram’s horn with oil. This oil was special oil used for pouring on the head of one chosen by God for a special service.
      2. He then was to anoint a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite to be the next king.
   2. Samuel feared God’s instructions and rightly so (v.2). Saul was an angry evil man who now disliked Samuel because of his recent rebuke. Samuel lived in Ramah. Ramah was about 15 km north of Bethlehem. The road from Ramah to Bethlehem went directly past Gibeah where King Saul lived.
   3. God gave him an excuse for going to Bethlehem (v.2-3). He was to take a heifer (young female cow) with him and to sacrifice to the Lord.

The Preparation

1. Samuel arrived at Bethlehem (v.4)
   1. Samuel was a highly respected spiritual leader. Now an old man, Samuel had been the spiritual leader of Israel since his youth.
   2. The elders of the small town trembled at his arrival. Perhaps they feared that as a prophet of the Lord he was come to reprove them, or pronounce some judgment upon them for their sins. Samuel assured them he came peaceably and to hold a sacrifice.
2. The people prepared for the sacrifice (v.5)
   1. Every person must sanctify themselves. At the least, this meant they must bathe and change their clothes (Lev 19:14). Coming together to worship the Lord was a serious event.
      1. The word “sanctify” means to consecrate, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, or be separate. It was a time of outward as well as inward preparation for worship.
      2. When we gather to worship the Lord, we too ought to sanctify ourselves. We ought to dress to honour the Lord. We ought to examine our hearts to be sure they are clean before the Lord.
   2. As part of the sanctification, Samuel examined each one of them as well.

The Anointing

1. Samuel evaluated each of Jesse’s sons
   1. Evidently, Samuel must have had a private talk with Jesse to let him know the mission of his visit. He clearly told Jesse that he was looking for one of his sons whom the Lord had chosen (v.10).
   2. Samuel made the mistake that we often make. He evaluated Jesse’s sons based on their outward qualities. Eliab was good looking and tall, thus Samuel thought he would make a perfect king.
   3. The Lord had a talk with Samuel (v.7). God is not as interested in our outward qualities as he is with our inward qualities. God evaluates us by our heart.
      1. This verse does not mean that we can live a sinful life as long as we have a clean heart, for that is impossible. Our actions reflect our heart. (Matthew 15:19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
      2. God was looking for a man after His own heart. God had Samuel tell this to Saul years earlier. (1 Samuel 13:14) But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
      3. When God sees you and me, He sees our hearts.
2. David was called and chosen
   1. David, the 8th son of Jesse, was absent because he was the family shepherd. However, Samuel refused to proceed until David was called in from the field (v.11).
      1. David was a very unlikely candidate for king. At this time he was probably about 15 years old. As the youngest son, he was assigned the disliked job of shepherd. He was left alone in the field with his father’s sheep. Day and night, rain and shine, cold and heat, summer and winter, in safety and in danger, David must tend the sheep. David was so disregarded that when Samuel, the great prophet came to Bethlehem and all were invited to a special sacrifice and feast, David was ignored and left in the hills with the sheep. David was treated as a nobody.
      2. On the other hand, David had many character qualities that set him above others. He was humble. He did not seek to promote himself. He was dependable. His father trusted him with the sheep. He protected them well. He was disciplined in that he learned to play the harp with superior skill.
   2. David’s appearance was quite opposite to Eliab (v.12).
      1. He was ruddy. Ruddy means red. He may have had reddish hair instead of the normal black hair.
      2. He had beautiful countenance or eyes.
      3. He had a good appearance. Though he was not tall and handsome as his brother, he was a pleasant nice looking young man.
   3. Most important of all, David’s heart was after God’s own heart. Here are some qualities of David’s heart.
      1. He loved God and His Word.
      2. He trusted God fully.
      3. He humbly gave God all the glory.
      4. He was repentant when he sinned. David was not a perfect man, but when he did wrong, he got right with God.
   4. God told Samuel to anoint David (v.12-13). As Samuel poured the oil on David’s head, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward. He was God’s chosen man to be the next king of Israel, but that would not come to pass for about 15 years.
      ☆ It was not accident that David was a young man after God’s own heart. Foolishness is bound in the heart of every child (Pr 22:15). David’s dad and mum had taught him the Scriptures and cultivated character in his life. As parents, your home environment and entertainment, your attitudes and actions, your instruction and discipline are either training your children to have a heart for themselves or a heart for God.

Conclusion

What does God see when he looks into your heart? Can you say with David, As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God? (Psalm 42:1). God delights in using ordinary people who desire to do His will. David said, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8) Whether you are a youth or a nobody in this world, God will use you for His glory if your heart is after God’s own heart. If your heart is full of self and worldliness, you need to ask God to give you a heart for Him.

Song: Chorus “Search Me”
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Youth David Anointed
21 June 2015 AM – 1 Samuel 16:1-13 – Life of David – Scott Childs