1 Samuel 16 Verse 1-23

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verse 1

 Samuel was extremely grieved over Saul. It was more than the failure

of a friend, there was a sense of personal failure on the part of Samuel

(it was Samuel that put Saul into this position in the eyes of the

nation). There was the sting of betrayal of Samuel as what he had told

Saul to do Saul had not done it…, a loss of a friend, a loss of what

could have been…, even dealing with the confusion of how could this

be if God was the one that told him to do it…, and it ends like this?

He’s not just angry but he’s perplexed, he's sad, his identity and self-

worth is being challenged…, he’s lost himself a bit in all of this…

 And God says, “How long will you mourn for Saul…?” God

essentially tells him that the time of mourning has come to an end. It’s

time to get up, even though it’s not all ok, and it’s time to move

forward. There is a time to mourn, for sure. And, there is a time for the

mourning to end and for life to continue. If not, well then, life doesn’t

continue… Here’s a good principle to consider. When your service to

the Lord is hindered, it’s time for the mourning to end…

 Moving forward from mourning is not just about you. In fact, it’s

really least about you… This bit about needing to move on… Samuel

needs to get up and go anoint the new king, the king that God has

chosen for Himself… The nation needs David. Samuel needs David!

Saul is in a downward spiral. This moving forward isn’t about Samuel

feeling better about things…, he needs to move forward for the sake of

the people around him. And it’s the same for us…

 I wish things didn’t still hurt. I wish they weren’t still fresh. I wish we

understood what happened, why it happened, why we had to lose that

person too soon…, all the why’s answered and all the issues

resolved…, I wish it was that way for us…, but it will never be that

way… The odd thing of it all, is the closest you get to answering all

the why’s and dealing with all the issues is when you move forward

to what God has next for you… Just like Samuel…

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verses 2 – 5

 Bethlehem is a small town about six miles south of Jerusalem in what

we know today as the West Bank. It was the hometown of Ruth and

Boaz and Jesse was a decedent of them. The king chosen by God will

come from this place and as you are aware, the King of kings will also

come from this place later!

 And it says here that the elders of the town trembled at his coming and

that makes sense! Remember, Samuel was the original hacker! HA!

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verses 6 – 7

 Samuel almost makes the same mistake twice! Saul looked the part for

sure, but when it came to character, Saul was small. Eliab no doubt

was impressive, prompting this statement from Samuel, but God loves

His short kings! HA!! Outward beauty, outward appearance,

handsomeness, those are all great things…, but those things fade.

Those things are quite obviously superficial… What is in the heart

will define the worth of a person…

 So, we have one of the most famous statements in all of scriptures as

the Lord Himself makes this statement that man looks at the outward

appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. It’s not only a fact but it

is a lesson in wisdom for us as well! As pleasing as someone can be on

the eyes and desirable to the flesh, we would be wise to search out

their true character before crowning them as a king or queen in our

lives!

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verses 8 – 11

 Why was David not there? It certainly wasn’t David’s choice. Not in

this culture. If your father called for you, there was no delaying…,

especially when you were David’s age which was probably 12-14

years at this time. So, the only conclusion is that he was left out by his

father… His father wasn’t proud of him, or maybe he thought he

wasn’t ready… He wasn’t invited to the meal. He wasn’t consecrated

by Samuel… By all accounts he was intentionally disregarded…

 But check this out, the Lord was with Him. Working in the unseen to

bring about great honor and great purpose, even eternal purpose for

David. God was regarding his heart as he was disregarded by

everyone else…

 David is unappreciated by his father and yet here he is serving his

father in the fields. Keeping the family flock. Doing what he was

supposed to be doing even though he wasn’t getting what he himself

needed or deserved. And God saw it all. The strength of Eliab and the

stature of his other brothers impressed the prophet, but God is

impressed with the humble, respectful and serving heart…

 Here are some excerpts of Psalm 34 written by the boy who was

obedient in silent disregard and became a man after God’s own

heart…, “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from

all my fears. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and

saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps

around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Blessed is the man who

trusts in him! There is no want to those who fear Him! Those who seek

the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Who is the man who desires

life, and loves many days? The one who seeks peace and pursues it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to

their cry. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and

saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

 David discovered the value and endless profit of being just a simple

servant. Small in his own eyes and content with an identity seeded in

simple service to those he loved. Not without fault or mistake but this

type of life is a decisive and bullet-proof path to the blessing of God

and we’ll even see this in how he handles his greatest enemy, who will

be Saul…

 One more thing before we move on. Some would look at the years that

David kept the sheep for his family, disregarded as lower than a

servant (because it was a servant’s job to keep the sheep), some people

look at that as wasted time, lack of opportunity, stalled potential…

That is entirely wrong. These were years that were training him and

preparing him for the greater work than any of his contemporaries…

 Don’t grow weary in the seasons of small things. Be faithful. The

seasons or years of small things, where you know you are meant for

more, you know you have entire potential for so much more, those are

the formative years that will ultimately enable you to reach your

potential. Be patient. Be faithful right where you are and God will

bring the increase when He has done the work of preparing you for

ridiculous success!!!

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verses 12 – 13

 How pleased is the Lord in this moment? He’s been watching David

his whole life! Speaking to the heart of David and David has been

faithfully responding and yet until today David has been disregarded

and put away. But oh, how God has loved him. And now, this day,

here he is, it says here, “anointed him in the midst of his brothers…”

How proud of David is the Lord in this moment!? How elated is God

in this moment to see David honored? Words probably cannot

express…

 This is the one that God spoke to Samuel about back in 1 Samuel

13:14 saying, “The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own

heart.” Check this out, where did he learn to be such a good-hearted

kiddo? I’m just going to say it…, Jesse wasn’t the source… David

never writes about him… But David does mention his godly mother

several times…

 Psalm 86:16 David writes, “Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!

Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your

maidservant.” Psalm 116:16, “O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am

Your servant, the son of Your maidservant…” We can conclude

Biblically that his success was imparted to him by a wonderful mother

who taught him the value, profit and heart virtue of humility and

simple service…, faithfulness in whatever season you are in!

 A song would later be written about David’s mom called Jesse’s Girl.

HA! Just kidding…

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verse 14

 From that day forward, the Holy Spirit was upon David and we read

some of the most horrible words in all of scripture concerning Saul,

“The Spirit of the Lord departed…” Why? Go back to the last

chapter. Saul could not find the will to overcome his fear, which

manifested in pride and grew up to disobedience to God… And so,

God honored his choice. Happens today as well… Certainly a

primary reason to discipline your flesh and teach yourself

humility….

 And it says here that a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled Saul. I

have heard so many ideas on what this means because truly it is

seemingly difficult to reconcile this with the nature and character of

God being perfect, unconditional, unrestrained love. I’ve heard some

teach that this is a demon sent by God… I definitely do not agree with

that…

 Maybe I don’t have it right either but I have an understanding that

aligns with scripture and with the character of God. Psalm 18:26 says,

“With the pure, You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious, You

will show Yourself shrewd.” Have you ever had someone in your life

that just argues with you? You say something and they always have

something to say in return, or one up you, or just question you

tirelessly? Or passive aggressively disregard your comments or

direction? And…, on the other hand, have you ever had someone in

your life that just admires you? Sees the good in you and thinks what

you have to say is important…, that it’s valuable?

 Do you approach those two people differently over time? Of course

you do! Do you give the best version of yourself to one while having

to protect yourself (protect your sanity!) in a way to the other? Of

course you do! Will one think you are easy, pleasant and light-

hearted while the other thinks you are difficult, harsh and

judgmental. OF COURSE. Same concept here…

 John 16:7-11, “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go

away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I

depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will

convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of

sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go

to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler

of this world is judged.”

 To be continually, day and night, convicted in your heart of hearts of

your own unrighteousness, disbelief and sin and yet without humility

and agreement with God…, definitely at that point you have

contention within yourself. And the God that you believe in becomes

to you difficult, harsh and judgmental. This is the primary source in

anyone who struggles with distress inwardly… This is what happens

at this point to Saul…

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verse 15

 Terrible friends. They blame God. Rather than encouraging Saul to

humble himself. But I get it…, don’t want to be judgmental, difficult

or harsh… So, blame the problem elsewhere…

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verses 16 – 18

 So, some time has transpired between Samuel anointing David the boy

to now, David the mighty man of valor, the man of war, the musician

and the well-spoken man… And he is known for these things… Just

throwing this out there… He was a sheep herder, for so many years…,

just a disregarded ruddy runt of the family…, and he was faithful in

that season. THEN the Spirit of God came upon Him and look at this

becoming…! MIGHTY man of valor, man of war, well spoken and

skilled… Just saying… The benefits and profit and heart virtue of

humility… it’s all over the scriptures, man. Ours to find like treasure if

we’re willing!

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verses 19 – 20

 Whoa! Thick typology there! Jesse, David’s father, took a donkey and

on that donkey, he set bread, wine and a sacrifice…, and sent the true

king to the false king… Exactly what we see in Jesus entering

Jerusalem to defeat the god of this age on the cross!!

 Now, notice, David is still with the sheep! So, let me offer a different

perspective even to my own self! It could be that NO TIME has passed

and David is still an early teen. And what was said about him wasn’t

accurate in reality but the reputation ascribed to him by his observed

humility and heart of simple service. It works like that! People will

come up with the greatest of accolades for someone who is simply

humble. “Oh, that person is so smart! He/she is so amazing! So hard

working! So, this, so that!” And you’re just sitting there like, “HA!

Not ME!” Why? Because humility messages inner strength… Over

and over and over again I will make this point! That could be the case

with David as well!

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verse 21

 David loved Saul, greatly. Why? Because Saul was so lovable. Nope.

Because David was a loving man… And Saul was the king…

1 Samuel Chapter 16 Verses 22 – 23

 The introduction to David is complete. We find him first serving in the

field. Then he is called and serves his home. We are told that he then

serves his country and fellow man in battle and protection. And now

we see him serving in the king’s presence… Venues changes,

environments change, people change, David’s heart is what it is in all

of them…, humble. And all of this is all preparation for his greatest

battle yet ahead of him. And without this…, without chapter 16, David

would not have found victory in chapter 17….