Learning from 1 Samuel 16 - Samuel Anoints David (pt. 2)

“…When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” - 1 Samuel 16:6-10

In this story, the prophet Samuel visited Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem, to anoint one of his sons as king. The Lord sent him there, but did not tell him ahead of time which son He would choose. Jesse followed the custom of the time – he prepared a banquet for his guest of honor (the prophet) and had his sons appear before him one by one, starting with the oldest, as the way to introduce them to this great man of God. It appears that nobody but Samuel knew the real reason that he was there that day. Even the prophets make mistakes in their own reasoning; this is why we inquire of the Lord about everything. The prophet Samuel looked at the oldest son and thought he looked like a king, and the Lord had to correct him. The Lord rejects the oldest sons, because the Lord does not look at the things man values. The Lord looks at the heart. Man looks at outward appearances. These brothers later joined David, when he was fleeing from Saul; but at this point in the story, they are still in competition with him. The text gives us the names of three of the sons.  The Lord gives us a lesson in the three brothers whose names we see here.

ELIAB – Eliab in Hebrew means “My God is a Father.” This reminds us of the kind of religion that preaches only about God’s love all the time. God forgives. God is longsuffering. They look at man’s appearances. If a member commits a scandalous sin, something that brings shame on the whole church, and then glibly repents, these churches immediately accept such confessions and even allow such people to continue in leadership roles in the church. They have no concept of God’s justice, righteousness, holiness, discipline, etc. God is Love, but the Bible also says that our God is a Consuming Fire. The angels in heaven do not sing “Love, Love, Love,” but rather, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” (Revelation 4:8) We should have a healthy fear of the Lord. In religions that emphasize only love, they never test whether repentance is sincere, they never practice discipline, never walk in the fear of the Lord. They say all religions are good. They lack discernment. Their love is unsanctified, and their mercy is cheap. The Lord does not entrust the Work of His Spirit to this kind of church. Samuel did not anoint Eliab.

ABINADAB – This name in Hebrew means, “My Father gave” or “My Father is Generous.” Many who are in religions today preach that God is all about giving us money and material prosperity. They say God is ready to give his children anything their flesh desires – money, riches, physical healing, big houses, luxury cars, etc. They do not understand that Jesus’ kingdom is NOT of this world, and that the Lord’s supreme intention is to bring us to eternity. The things of earth have no lasting value. If we solve people’s material problems alone, they are comfortable for a few years, only to go spend eternity without God. God is mostly concerned about our spiritual lives. The early church grew at an amazing rate, despite persecution and poverty. They had no sound systems, no big buildings, no buses or airplanes. Yet they grew at a faster rate, converting more people, than those today who say such things are necessary for reaching the lost. Some churches spend more time talking about the offering than they do explaining the gospel. We have never taken a single public offering. Yet many religions today are all about getting wealthy, instead of being spiritual. The Lord does not entrust His Work to such churches. Samuel did not anoint Abinadab.

SHAMMAH – This name means “Fame” in the original language. This reminds us of the type of religion that exalts its heroes, that has famous preachers or distinguished leaders. Sometimes these are “famous evangelists” or the founders of a denomination. Our flesh craves fame and recognition, and many young preachers yearn to be well-known, to promote their own names, to take credit for everything they accomplish. They stand at the pulpit and brag about how many people they converted, or how many degrees they earned, or how many members they have in their churches. The Lord does not share his glory with any man. (Isaiah 42:8) Jesus said not elevate our leaders. (Matthew 23:9) They advertise for their crusades, with large photographs of themselves. They put their name on the church signs or buildings. Everything is about becoming a famous preacher or religious leader. The Lord does not entrust the Work of His Spirit to such a church. Samuel does not anoint Shammah.

Instead, the Lord chooses David, a man after his own heart – ready to obey his will. (Acts 13:22) David was tending the sheep – not even invited to the lunch. He had no human qualifications to earn the kingship. The same happens today. The Lord chooses not many noble, not many wise, not many strong (1 Corinthians. 1:26). The Lord entrusts his Work to those who will serve him in humility, focused on eternity, eager to do His will.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians. 1:27-31)