Under cover as if he was just going to make a sacrifice,
Samuel was sent by God to ordain a new king for Israel. This happened while the
old king was still in power. It was risky business for the old prophet. Samuel
already knew enough about Saul's ideals to fear that Saul would kill him if he
found out what he was up to over in Bethlehem of Judah.
So, along with all the leaders of Bethlehem, Samuel went to
the house of one, Jesse. We must assume that this occasion was incredibly
significant, since long after these incidents we can find God referring to
Himself as "the root and the
offspring of David" (Revelation 22:16 & 5:5) and even as the "root of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:10
& Romans 15:12).
Now, Samuel was quite surprised by God's choice. God did not
pick the oldest son of Jesse nor the most attractive. He picked the baby of the
family, a rough young man named David. Not that David was particularly
unattractive, but his appearance was not the basis of his selection. It was his
heart. In I Samuel 16:7 God instructed
Samuel, "Look not on his countenance...
for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
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