1 Samuel 16:1-13

1 Samuel 16:1-13

[1] And the LORD  said  unto Samuel,  How long wilt thou mourn  for Saul,  seeing I have rejected  him from reigning  over Israel?  fill  thine horn  with oil,  I will send  thee to Jesse  the Bethlehemite:  for I have provided  me a king  among his sons.  [2] And Samuel  said,  if Saul  hear  it, he will kill  me. And the LORD  said,  Take  an heifer  with thee,  and say,  I am come  to sacrifice  to the LORD.  [3] And call  Jesse  to the sacrifice,  and I will shew  thee what thou shalt do:  and thou shalt anoint  unto me him whom I name  unto thee. [4] And Samuel  did  that which the LORD  spake,  and came  to Bethlehem.  And the elders  of the town  trembled  and said,  Comest  thou peaceably?  [5] And he said,  Peaceably:  I am come  to sacrifice  unto the LORD:  sanctify  yourselves, and come  with me to the sacrifice.  And he sanctified  Jesse  and his sons,  and called  them to the sacrifice.  [6] And it came to pass, when they were come,  that he looked  on Eliab,  and said,  Surely the LORD'S  anointed  [7] But the LORD  said  unto Samuel,  Look  not on his countenance,  or on the height  of his stature;  because I have refused  him: for the LORD seeth not as man  seeth;  for man  looketh  on the outward appearance,  but the LORD  looketh  on the heart.  [8] Then Jesse  called  Abinadab,  and made him pass  before  Samuel.  And he said,  Neither hath the LORD  chosen  [9] Then Jesse  made Shammah  to pass by.  And he said,  Neither hath the LORD  chosen  [10] Again, Jesse  made seven  of his sons  to pass  before  Samuel.  said  unto Jesse,  The LORD  hath not chosen  [11] And Samuel  said  unto Jesse,  Are here all  thy children?  And he said,  There remaineth  yet the youngest,  and, behold, he keepeth  the sheep.  And Samuel  said  unto Jesse,  Send  and fetch  him: for we will not sit down  till he come  hither.  [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. [13] Then Samuel  took  the horn  of oil,  and anointed  him in the midst  of his brethren:  and the Spirit  of the LORD  came  upon David  from that day  forward.  So Samuel  rose up,  to Ramah. 

What does 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This time God"s choice was not a king for the people according to their desires, but a king for Himself ( 1 Samuel 16:1) who would put Yahweh first ( 1 Samuel 13:14; cf. Galatians 4:4-5). Saul would have perceived Samuel"s act of anointing another man king as treason ( 1 Samuel 16:2). He continued to show more concern for his own interests than for the will of God. Evidently Samuel had gained a reputation as an executioner since he had killed Agag ( 1 Samuel 16:4; cf. 1 Samuel 15:33).
Samuel judged Jesse"s sons by their external qualities, just as the Israelites judged Saul acceptable because of those characteristics ( 1 Samuel 16:6). 1 Samuel 16:7 clarifies how God evaluates people, namely, on the basis of their hearts (affections), not their appearances or abilities (cf. Matthew 3:17; Mark 10:31; 1 Corinthians 1:27). As He had done earlier in Scriptural history, God chose the son that was not the natural choice, showing that He does not bind Himself to what is traditional. It is unusual that Jesse did not have David present for Samuel"s inspection since Hebrews , too, was one of his sons. Jesse had eight sons ( 1 Samuel 17:12; cf. 1 Chronicles 2:13-15; 1 Chronicles 27:18). This may suggest that Jesse did not think as highly of David as he did of his other sons (cf. Psalm 27:10, where David wrote of his parents forsaking him). Was David a neglected or even an abused child whom his father viewed more as hired help than as a son?
"It"s remarkable, isn"t it, how Jesse reveals two very common mistakes parents make. Number one, he didn"t have an equal appreciation for all of his children. And number two, he failed to cultivate a mutual self-respect among them. Jesse saw his youngest as nothing more than the one who tended the sheep." [1]
"The shepherd/flock image is a kind of Leitmotif for David from this point on.... The book"s last story shows David deeply concerned for the flock [2]." [3]
A leitmotif, literally a leading or guiding theme, is a phrase or image that recurs with and represents a given character, situation, or emotion in a piece of literature or music. David (probably meaning "beloved of the Lord") was physically attractive ( 1 Samuel 16:12; cf. Isaiah 53:2). Nevertheless, God did not choose him for that reason, but because of God"s sovereign election and because of David"s heart attitude. God"s sovereign election to salvation does not depend on human initiative ( Romans 9:16), but His sovereign election to service does ( 1 Timothy 1:12).
"What does it mean to be a person after God"s own heart? Seems to me, it means that you are a person whose life is in harmony with the Lord. What is important to Him is important to you. What burdens Him burdens you. When He says, "Go to the right," you go to the right. When He says, "Stop that in your life," you stop it. When He says, "This is wrong and I want you to change," you come to terms with it because you have a heart for God." [4]
David and his family were the first after Samuel to learn that he would be the next king, or perhaps that he would become Samuel"s successor, like Elisha became to Elijah. [5] In time, all Israel would learn that David would become the next king as he became the instrument through whom God blessed the nation. David became successful because God"s Spirit came on him, remained with him from then on, and empowered him for service (cf. Matthew 3:16-17). [6]
1 Samuel 16:13 records Samuel"s departure for his home in Ramah. At this point in the book he becomes a minor figure who no longer plays an active role in the progress of events. His anointing of David, therefore, was the climax and capstone of his career.