Sermon Tone Analysis

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to grieve over Saul?

I have rejected him as king over Israel.

Fill your horn with oil and get going.

I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have found my next king among his sons.”

2 “How can I do that?”

Samuel asked.

“When Saul hears of it he’ll kill me!”

“Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say, ‘I have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make clear to you what you should do.

You will anoint for me the person I point out to you.”

4 Samuel did what the Lord instructed.

When he came to Bethlehem, the city elders came to meet him.

They were shaking with fear.

“Do you come in peace?” they asked.

5 “Yes,” Samuel answered.

“I’ve come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.

Now make yourselves holy, then come with me to the sacrifice.”

Samuel made Jesse and his sons holy and invited them to the sacrifice as well.

6 When they arrived, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, that must be the Lord’s anointed right in front.

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Have no regard for his appearance or stature, because I haven’t selected him.

God doesn’t look at things like humans do.

Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the Lord sees into the heart.”

8 Next Jesse called for Abinadab, who presented himself to Samuel, but he said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.”

9 So Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “No, the Lord hasn’t chosen this one.”

10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t picked any of these.”

11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all of your boys?”

“There is still the youngest one,” Jesse answered, “but he’s out keeping the sheep.”

“Send for him,” Samuel told Jesse, “because we can’t proceed until he gets here.”

12 So Jesse sent and brought him in.

He was reddish brown, had beautiful eyes, and was good-looking.

The Lord said, “That’s the one.

Go anoint him.”

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him right there in front of his brothers.

The Lord’s spirit came over David from that point forward.

Then Samuel left and went to Ramah.

Let’s take a moment and get ourselves rooted in the story.

Samuel was the last of Israel’s judges.

A judge in Israel was a spiritual and political leader – but not a king.

God was Israel’s king.

Samuel was known as a just man.

In fact, the reason Israel decided that they wanted a king is because there was not another man like Samuel to be found.

Samuel’s own sons were not godly men like Samuel.

So Israel decided – since there is no Godly judge to be found, we’re going to need a king to lead us.

Now stop and think about that for a moment…

No one who is just is there to lead them…

So they’re going to make someone their king.

It seems to me that they’re getting off to a pretty bad start when they say to themselves, “no one follows God closely enough to be spiritual leader, so we’re going to put absolute power into the hands of someone who isn’t a good spiritual leader.”

Does that raise a red flag for you?

Can you see how that doesn’t make sense… at all?

Samuel was the final judge – and Saul was the first king.

Samuel knew Saul from the time he was a boy.

Scripture describes his good looks, his favorable height – he certainly looked the part of a leader.

I guess when there’s not a truly Godly leader to be found, these are the kinds of characteristics you look for.

Saul was the king who God chose for Israel,

But as you can probably predict, Saul didn’t do a great job of obeying God.

That’s why when we come to the passage we read today, Samuel is looking for a new king.

Saul was disobedient, and God declared that a new king must be found.

Samuel is heartbroken about it.

He loves Saul.

But Saul has not been an obedient leader.

So God tells Samuel that he’s going to select a new king.

He instructs Samuel to journey to Bethlehem to make a sacrifice,

And Samuel invites Jesse and his sons to participate in it.

And one by one, Samuel begins to guess at which of Jesse’s son God has chosen for Israel’s new king:

6 When they arrived, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, that must be the Lord’s anointed right in front.

– “That’s got to be the guy!”

Eliab stands out right away.

Perhaps like Saul, Eliab looks the part of the king.

He’s good looking and tall – perhaps strong.

And Samuel thinks, “Surely – this is the kind of guy God will choose for the job!”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Have no regard for his appearance or stature, because I haven’t selected him.

God doesn’t look at things like humans do.

Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the Lord sees into the heart.”

Huh… so I guess it’s possible to appear to be qualified,

But to fail to have the right heart…

The heart, in Jewish thought, is the motives, the allegiances, and the will of a person.

Eliab had all the right external qualities, but he didn’t have the right heart.

So Jesse starts bringing his sons to Samuel, one by one…

And one by one, Samuel shoots them down.

These men are not the king God has selected.

11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all of your boys?”

“There is still the youngest one,” Jesse answered, “but he’s out keeping the sheep.”

Now to anyone in room, it would seem that the most likely candidates are right here.

After all, it takes certain qualities to be a king.

Political savvy.

A certain appearance.

A command of authority.

Ideally, the king will be an adult.

But none of these sons of Jesse – the older brothers – are God’s pick for Israel’s king.

They might have been Samuel’s pick.

Or Jesse’s pick.

Or Israel’s pick…

But as God has already told Samuel – God is looking for the right heart.

Our series during Lent has been called “Out of” – and we’re going to focus on David in just a moment, but before we do – I just want to point out that at this point, God is calling Samuel and Israel to allow things to be out of their control.

Israel has been through one failed king.

Things are about to get worse with Saul, too.

It might seem natural that they don’t want to make the same mistake this time that they made last time.

Or it might seem natural that they would want the king who seems most qualified,

Or least error-prone,

Or most experienced, or oldest at the very least.

But God is calling them to release control – to let this decision come out of their hands, and to entrust it instead in God’s hands.