The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is now before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. 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. 1 Samuel 16:1-13
This is a much beloved story from Scripture.
Saul has made a right mess of this thing called leadership, and while many seem to still want to cling to him and his failed leadership, God has something else in mind. As usual, God is going to try another way, God is going to do a new thing.
God sends the prophet, Samuel, as a nominating committee to find a new king. He is directed to go to a specific place, to a specific family where the choice will become readily apparent. But it doesn't. Samuel, like many committees charged with finding a suitable candidate for a position, is tricked by appearances. Who is the most athletic, the best looking, the most charismatic? Who is going to have 'star appeal' and wow all the focus groups and make outstanding ads?
No big surprise, God will have none of that. Samuel says (with each one), "Found him!" God says, "Keep looking." Finally, with all the logical candidates given a thumbs down by God, Samuel asks, 'that's it? Nobody else left?" Well, there is the baby of the family, and of course, he has the most menial of tasks, he's out in the fields with the sheep. And there it is, the big reveal. Not the most athletic, the best looking, the most charismatic. But the dirtiest, the smelliest, the most naive of the clan. But when David shows up, God says, "Finally. Pick him."
It is not really surprising. The role of shepherd and the role of leader are intertwined in the Old Testament. Once Jesse says, 'oh yeah. There's a boy out in the fields with the sheep,' we know the rest of the story.
But here is what has always bugged me about this beloved story. God says 'don't look at the outer appearance,' yet when David is chosen, we are told quite clearly what a hunk he is! Why throw that in? Was it a wink-wink from the writer of the book to reassure us that the best leaders are always the most popular, the most charismatic, the most athletic?
Or is it a subtle suggestion that, like us, sometimes God has trouble making up the divine mind?
(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman
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