18 January 2022
The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
From 1 Samuel 16:1-13, NRSV
Having had the unenviable task of telling King Saul that God had deemed him unfit to carry on in his role, the prophet Samuel was then charged with finding and anointing the new king. He was understandably fearful that Saul would hear of this and have him killed. However, in obedience, Samuel set out for Bethlehem where one of the sons of Jesse was destined to become the King of Israel. Upon arrival in Bethlehem, Samuel noticed Jesse’s eldest son and assumed on the basis of his height and impressive appearance that he was the chosen one. Samuel seemed to have forgotten that these were the characteristics for which King Saul was also known but which had not ensured his success. The Lord told Samuel that Jesse’s eldest son was not to be the new king and explained that God does not see as man sees – that God looks at the heard rather than at outward appearance. Jesse then presented six other sons but all were rejected. Samuel must by then have been confused but asked Jesse if he had any other sons. Jesse’s youngest son, David, was considered so unlikely a candidate that he had been left outside guarding the sheep. And yet when he was brought before Samuel, David was immediately confirmed as “the one” and Samuel anointed him.
- Why do you think that it was Jesse’s youngest son who was chosen?
- When can outward appearances distract us from what is in someone’s heart?
In your encounters with others today, make an effort to avoid making judgements based on outward appearance and to seek what is in others’ hearts.
