1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16

Morgan - There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.—1 Sam. 16.11. In these words Jesse expressed what he considered the disqualifications of David for the kingly office. The fact that he was the youngest removed him furthest from the possibilities of responsibility; and the fact that he was doing the most menial work of the family made it most unlikely that he should in any sense be fitted for such responsibility. So completely was David out of the running in his father's thought, that he bad not even been sent for. Yet he was the chosen of Jehovah. The deepest reason is given earlier (1 Sa 16:7), "Jehovah looketh on the heart." Thus even here in these olden times we are brought face to face with a matter which even yet men have hardly come to realize. All the things which men count as privileges, and therefore as creating fitness for position and high service, are in themselves of no value in the sight of God. He looketh on the heart. He considers the deepest fact in personality, the inner and hidden impulse, desire, affection. Perhaps there is a yet deeper note in the story. The very supposed disadvantages in the case of David were advantages. The youngest son would naturally, from the discipline of those earlier years, be more free from arrogance than Eliab the first-born. The shepherd-boy was, in the very work of that position, learning the true art of kingship. Homer said: "All kings are shepherds of the people," and that certainly is the Biblical conception. God's choices and appointments are ever based upon the highest wisdom. (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible) Last but Not Least 1 Samuel 16:11 A friend once told me that the moment he dreaded most in high school was when his classmates in PE chose sides for a team. Being the non-athletic type, he consistently was chosen last. The rest of the school day was usually clouded by the realization that in athletics, at least, he was viewed as the LVP (least valuable player). Perhaps David felt the same way. While all his brothers were given responsibilities at home and their father's attention, David was sent off to the lonely task of herding sheep on the Judean hillside. He probably was speaking from personal experience when he said, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me" (Ps. 27:10). Yet the one whom others saw as a person of last resort, God considered a person of first choice. Even though David's father deemed him worthy only of leading sheep, God saw him as the future leader of Israel. How the world sees us is of little importance; of utmost importance is how God sees us. Heaven will be filled with those whom others considered to be of little value but whom God knew to be of supreme importance. What is hidden now will someday be revealed--if not on earth, then certainly in heaven. Many who humbly stood in last place in life will find themselves in that day at the head of the line (Matt. 19:30). Don't be discouraged if those around you do not hold you in high esteem. Little can they know the plans God has for you. You may be last in their sight, but you are not least in God's sight. (Courtesy of Back to the Bible) Those whom man puts last God often puts first. 1 Samuel 16:12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." BGT 1 Samuel 16:12 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτόν καὶ οὗτος πυρράκης μετὰ κάλλους ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὁράσει κυρίῳ καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Σαμουηλ ἀνάστα καὶ χρῖσον τὸν Δαυιδ ὅτι οὗτος ἀγαθός ἐστιν LXE 1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent and fetched him: and he was ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and very goodly to behold. And the Lord said to Samuel, Arise, and anoint David, for he is good. KJV 1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. NET 1 Samuel 16:12 So Jesse had him brought in. Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The LORD said, "Go and anoint him. This is the one!" CSB 1 Samuel 16:12 So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the LORD said, "Anoint him, for he is the one." ESV 1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." NIV 1 Samuel 16:12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." NLT 1 Samuel 16:12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.And the LORD said, "This is the one; anoint him." NRS 1 Samuel 16:12 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." NJB 1 Samuel 16:12 Jesse had him sent for; he had ruddy cheeks, with fine eyes and an attractive appearance. Yahweh said, 'Get up and anoint him: he is the one!' NAB 1 Samuel 16:12 Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, "There-- anoint him, for this is he!" YLT 1 Samuel 16:12 And he sendeth, and bringeth him in, and he is ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and of good appearance; and Jehovah saith, 'Rise, anoint him, for this is he.' ruddy: 1Sa 17:42 Song 5:10 La 4:7 Ac 7:20 Heb 11:23 beautiful: Heb. fair of eyes, 1Sa 16:7 And the Lord: 1Sa 9:17 anoint him: Ps 2:2,6 89:19,20 Ac 4:27 1 Samuel 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THIS IS THE MAN! ANOINT HIM! So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance - Did David qualify for king because of his appearance? Of course not, for God saw who he was inside, not outside! David reminds me of a sports analogy where Tom Brady, like David, was one of the last quarterbacks (and last players) selected in the NFL draft (199th player selected!) and went on to become the greatest quarterback in NFL history. David would become the greatest king in the history of Israel, reminding us of Jesus' words (in a different context) "behold, some are last who will be first." (Lk 13:30+). THOUGHT - God is looking at your heart and my heart, beloved. What does He see? Is it a heart fully surrendered to His good, and acceptable and perfect will (Ro 12:2+)? Or is a heart filled with, controlled by self-will? What do you (I) need to yield to Him today to be a man or woman after His own heart? John Davis - David is described as being ruddy. In the Hebrew this is reddish. This expression is usually considered to refer to the color of his hair, which was regarded as a mark of beauty in Southern lands, where the hair is generally black. Josephus (Antiq. 6.8.1) describes David as "one that is perfectly comely in that respect; I mean one who is beautiful in piety, and righteousness, and fortitude, and obedience, for in them consist the comeliness of the soul. . .he appeared to be of a yellow complexion, of a sharp sight, and a comely person in other respects also." And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint (masah/maschah; Lxx - chrio) him; for this is he." - Yahweh gives two commands. God's eyes had found His man. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says "the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." While Saul was a man after man's heart, David was a man after God's heart, and his heart was surrendered to the LORD. Stevenson writes "There is an interesting parallel between the anointing with David and the baptism of Jesus." DAVID JESUS The Lord instructed Samuel to anoint one who would be revealed. The Lord instructed John the Baptist that One who he would anoint would be Messiah. Samuel anointed David with oil. John baptized Jesus with water. At this anointing, the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David. As He came out of the water, the Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. In both cases, following the anointing there was no immediate movement toward kingship. The promise continued to be unrealized for a long period. Before the Face of God - David the Model Man He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” [1 Sam. 16:12b] King David is one of the most remarkable characters in the Bible. Because we are so familiar with him, we often fail to realize how remarkable he was. David’s potential developed in many areas. In fact, he showed what every one of us would be like if God gave us the grace to overcome more of the effects of Adam’s sin. First Samuel 16:12 says David was handsome and physically unblemished. He was a shepherd, which was a difficult task that required more skill than we twentieth century city-dwellers can imagine. Not only did David possess this skill; he showed commitment and bravery in facing both a lion and a bear in order to defend his flock. David was also a musician. He played so skillfully that of every musician in the land, he was summoned to play for King Saul. The Bible tells us that, in addition to playing well, David made or invented musical instruments (1 Chron. 23:5). He was the greatest poet Israel ever produced, writing more of the Book of Psalms than any other author. If that was not enough, David commands our admiration as politician and military genius. When Saul wanted to kill him, David fled into exile with a band of fugitives. Others who were hated by the king joined his band. Such men are usually difficult to deal with, but from them David molded the most effective fighting force in Israel. And, lest we forget, David was a great one-on-one fighter, taking down the older, more experienced, and decidedly larger Goliath. Warriors seldom make effective diplomats, but David became the greatest statesman Israel ever knew. He succeeded in uniting the tribes of Israel into a nation, a process rendered all the more difficult by the great cultural differences that already had separated the allegiances of northern and southern tribes. In David we see a kind of new Adam. He had much of the potential and grace of the first Adam. One wonders what he could have accomplished had he not succumbed to the temptation to adultery and murder. Coram Deo Do you resent people who are physically more perfect, or who display an array of amazing abilities? All of us have multiple gifts. We are unaware of, and fail to develop, many of them. Since God gives nothing by chance or to no purpose, think what interests and abilities you may have all eternity to unwrap and use. Thank God for your abilities and seek his aid in developing them more fully.