God Choose the Least Likely

1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.” 2 Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?” 5 “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Human do not see what the Lord sees, for human sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” 8 Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. 9 Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10 After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” 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.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

Samuel mourns

Mourning Periods have a time limit

1 Samuel 15:35 CSB

35 Even to the day of his death, Samuel never saw Saul again. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted he had made Saul king over Israel.

Mourning: grieved- having lamentations

There is a period when you are to mourn but it does have an expiration date! Samuel loved Saul and his family but there was also anxiety about what would happen to the country.

Men only see the now situation where God knows the plans He has for their future.

Like most people, Samuel is trying to hold onto the past and how it is instead of moving forward for a better future.

Samuel is worried about the Past

Samuel is worried about Saul killing him. If God is for you and commands you to do something, what worries should you have?

Romans 8:31 CSB

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

If God sends you, He will always provide a way!

Too many of us try to move forward while dragging the past. How can we be obedient to God if we are stuck in the past? The second king would not come from the insistence of the people but of God’s own initiative.

Samuel did as the Lord said and when he arrived at Bethlehem the elders of the city were trembling. Bethlehem was not Samuel’s usually territory and they wanted to know if he came in peace.

When God sends you people will not see you they will see the Power of God in you!

Samuel looks at physical not spiritual

Jesse sends out his first son and Samuel thinks this is the one. This thinking hurt Samuel when he saw Saul,

1 Samuel 10:24 CSB

24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

Listen to what the Lord tells Samuel in verse 7. God is telling us today the same thing. “Do not look at his appearance” do not behold his luster, brilliance, or phenomenon. Those that we think have it all together and outer appearance is radiant are not those who God has chosen. Like Samuel we become to impressed with what the eyes can behold but never see the heart of the person. Churches run out and get the best preacher they can find, the great orator who’s vernacular impresses.

Luke 16:15 CSB

15 And he told them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly admired by people is revolting in God’s sight.

God looks past the person’s outer wear and sees the inner workings!

Matthew 15:18 CSB

18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person.

Samuel goes through all of Jesse’s sons and finds none that are worthy to God. You might go through multiple people before you find the one God wants you to have.

Jesse’s son

Samuel’s ideal of the perfect king that God would pick is not God’s choice.

Listen to the description of David. Ruddy: healthy reddish glowing appearance. beautiful eyes, and handsome. He did not look like any king to men but to God He was the chosen one to lead His people and have the lineage of Christ come from.

When Samuel anointed David God sent His Spirit upon David mightily.

Mightily: means to rush upon, cut through, force entry. God’s Spirit will be mightily upon the one God’s has anointed.

Application:

Mourning periods have an expiration date. Do not stay in mourning past this date or you will miss out of God’s plan and will succumb to depression. But, there is a period to mourn and do not leave it prematurely.

Drop the baggage of the past. You are no longer that person or that church but God is doing a new work in you and for you.

Do not look at the outer appearance. Do not allow yourself to get wrapped up with a great orator. Look at the heart of the person, you can see if they are anointed by God.

Do not allow your perception be God’s perception of what you need. Instead allow God to show you.

Related Media

Related Sermons