David: God's
Choice of King
1 Samuel
16:1-23
Intro: In our last two
studies we have focused on the rise and fall of King Saul
A) PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
– Saul was everything the people wanted in a King
B) But because of his Pride –
His was a quick Demise – After roughly 3 yrs God had rejected him
C) Although he would stay on
the throne for several more yrs – they would be yrs that were marked by an absence of God’s leading and anointing
D) The only good that would
come out of Saul’s time on the throne would come from God’s hand and anointing
being on some who were around Saul –Jon
Now Ch. 15 – Ended with
Saul’s incomplete obedience – Didn’t kill Agag –
A) Brought back
the choice animals – God said that is it – The kingdom will be torn from
you
B) Samuel takes care of Business – Saul & Samuel
go separate ways
1) Saul goes home discouraged – trying to figure out
how to hang on –
C) Samuel goes home mourning what is next
So w/ that as our Back drop we
come now to Ch.16 the Choosing of God’s man David : v. 1
1Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long
will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite.
For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
A)Now this is interesting to me/ It tells us there is a time for mourning over leaders who have fallen
B) Good mark of a man or woman of God – is that they
are burdened by the sins of those around them- 1) not so calloused – Policeman – happen to Pastors too{ Remember Sin
against God
C)
Samuel was discouraged but we must remember that God will never allow His work
to die with the death or failure of a
man.
D) If it is God’s
work, it goes beyond any man.
So God says to
Samuel – You have grieved enough – IT is time to
get on w/ My Program – my man
A)God
was ready to do a New thing / but Samuel was still grieving over the Old thing
/
B)
SO Samuel needed some Nudging -
( Notice Samuel’s response – v.2)
2And Samuel said, “How
can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
A)Now We can certainly understand Samuel’s
fear.
B) There isn’t any doubt that Saul would consider this
treason.
1)
Problem: Samuel’s
eyes were fixed on Saul / instead of on the Lord who was calling Him &
sending Him
C) We don’t have to fear for the future when we know
God has provided for Himself leaders.
1) In some unlikely place, God is raising up leaders
for His people.
D) He will keep them obscure and hidden until the
right time, then God will raise them up.
1) God will always provide for Himself leaders.
Now I
don’t know about you but Samuel’s response encourages me!
A) I mean here is this great & godly man like
Samuel reacting this way –
B) God says to do something & I give him 10
reasons why I can’t / why that is impossible
1)But here is what separates a great & godly man
like Samuel from so many of us – note v.3,4
But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to
sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I
will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to
you.” 4So Samuel did what
the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem
C) What Separates great men of God from the rest of
the crowd is when God says – Go they Go!
1)
They might question at
first/ they might lack faith at first – but eventually they respond / eventually
they take that step of faith
D)Peter was told to cast out his net– He questioned already fished all night the wrong time of the day – but
nevertheless at your word …….nests
1)
That is always the
response of the man or woman of faith !!!!!
E) Lord this doesn’t make sense to me – Submit – Nevertheless
….word
1)
Lord I don’t
understand this move – Nevertheless
…../ TITHE …
You want me to spank my child- nevertheless / FORGIVE HIM …..
WHAT IS GOD BEEN SAYING TO YOU –
RELUCTANT TO RESPOND ?
Only hindering his plan for you - Miraculous
So
Samuel did what the Lord said & went to Bethlehem
A) Bethlehem was a small town, not very
far from Jerusalem.
B)It was the home of Ruth and Boaz, from
whom the family of Jesse descended.
1) It was a hilly grain-growing region,
with many small grain fields carved into the hillsides.
C) But Bethlehem was the hidden place
where God was working in the heart of a young man
1)A
man who was after God’s own Heart – next King
Now I want to comment here on
Samuel’s Commission – It was VAGUE –
A)Go to Jesses house – anoint one of his sons
B) God didn’t tell Samuel the
sons name / didn’t tell him it was going to be the youngest –
1) God told him one thing & w/held the others
things
C)
So often that is God’s way – he only gives us part of the picture – rarely
spells it all out –
1)
why does He do that ?
D)
Note 3 REASONS
C) 1st
He wants us to walk by faith – trust
Him that He will supply the rest of the needed information & resources at
the appropriate time
D) 2nd – He
wants consistent & Constant COMMUNICATION -
1) If He told us too much our tendency would be to
get way ahead of Him
E) 3rd He wants us to be CONTINUALLY dependent upon
Him /
1) so He keeps us in the dark a little bit – so we stay
close
When
Amanda was younger – She wanted so much to be independent
A) She would try to run up ahead – thinking she knew
where she was going –
B) Oblivious to the Dangers around her – traffic etc
1) So we constantly had to REIGN her in .
C) We can be that same way – Run recklessly up ahead – get in the way – No sensitivity to God’s
timing & Purpose –
1)
Everything that He is
doing to prepare the scene before we even get there
4So Samuel did what the LORD said, and
went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said,
“Do you come peaceably?”
A) I can only imagine that after the Agag incident
what Samuel’s Rep was – Scarred of Him
B) These guys are wondering – Have you come
peaceably or are we in trouble too.
5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice
to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he
consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
B) PREPARATION BEFORE WORSHIP !!!!!!
1) clean yourselves – Prepare your Hearts
V. 6 So it was,
when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, "Surely the LORD's
anointed is before Him!"
7 But the LORD said to Samuel,” Do not look at his
appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD
does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD
looks at the heart."
C) Now here we get some Keen insight into the Kind
of man that God chooses when He is Looking for a Leader – Note several things
First thing that this tells us is
that the Basis of God’s Choice is Contrary to Human reasoning
A) When Samuel sees Eliab he is thinking right away
that this is a good Choice
B) Eliab was a carbon copy of Saul – Big strong / handsome – man’s man -
John Wayne / Clint Eastwood / Chuck Connors
C)Problem
was Samuel only saw the OUTWARD MAN – but God saw the Character of His heart – Man looks at the outward …… I look ….
D)In our society we base so much on Qualifications,
credentials & first impressions –
1) A lot of times those first impressions can be a
FAÇADE – it is not the real thing –
E) like Disneyland –
fake buildings – Movie sets
D) A lot of times you find that what is beneath the
surface isn’t very real /isn’t very deep –
When God is looking for a Person
– He isn’t interested so much in all the ability, talent or what person has to
offer on the outside
A)He
is more concerned w/ Who that person is on the INSIDE – the fiber of their
heart – Their Integrity – Eliab
didn’t pass the test /
B) Redpath – “God Chooses to build a man of God – He looks for
different timber” -
C) Samuel made the mistake of judging
Eliab based on his appearance.
1) Which is the same mistake Israel had
made with their failed king Saul.
D) Saul looked the part of a king, but he didn’t have the heart a king of
God’s people should have.
1) It didn’t matter how good Eliab looked,
because God said, “I have
refused him.”
8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him
pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this
one."9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the
LORD chosen this one."10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before
Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these.
D)
So Jesse has seven of his sons pass before
Samuel – Seven is the number of Completion or perfection
1) Redpath
– Samuel’s seven sons represented the
perfection of the Flesh/ outwardly they fit the criteria – but God is not
interested in refining the flesh
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all the young men here?"
Then he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping
the sheep."
And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him. For we will not sit
down till he comes here
A)Now the term Youngest in that culture – referred
to the least –
B) So Jesse was not holding back any secret of his
estimation of David
1)He was his insignificant
son his unimportant son –
C) He was so insignificant that– He didn’t even
consider calling him to this meeting –
1) But he was not
INSIGNIFICANT in God’s eyes
"12 So he sent and
brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the
LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!"13 Then Samuel
took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the
Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and
went to Ramah.
2nd thing we want to
note about the person that God chooses – often times it is the one that we
would least expect – Why does He do that ?
A)1Cor 1:26-29 Paul answers that Question – RD
B)God says I am going to
Choose the Least so that I will get the Glory
1) Look on in amazement &
Know – that was a work of God
C) There are certain campus ministries – that have based a large part of their – strategy on attracting the Brightest & the Best
1)QB on the Football team /the Cheerleaders / the ASB President & the Homecoming King
& Queen
D) Their thinking is If
we can attract those people – We can win the school / so that happens
we are successful because of our great strategy –
1)
Sometimes what is
going on is more of a social thing – Positive peer pressure
God
says I have a different plan – I am going to take the least expected / the
least likely & do such a awesome work – you Will know it is God
A)When God wanted to reach the Hippies in the 1960’s– Who did He Pick to minister to them – Hip guy w/ long hair / musician
B)
A humble balding
Bible teacher who liked to surf – Chuck smith
C) When God was
looking for a Voice – to Preach Gospel in the early part of the 19th
century – who pick – Brightest in Seminary - / Most Educated ?
1)
Humble uneducated Shoe salesman – DL MOODY
D) When He was looking for another Evangelist for
the Mid to late 1900’s who did he pick – A tall
lanky, fiery
farm boy from NC – Billy Graham
1)
When He was looking
for a New voice to reach the masses in this generation who pick – Ex Drug dealer – Greg Laurie /
See God picks people like that –
so that when the world looks at their Backgrounds the response – is It is a
Miracle – it makes no sense / Olympics
A)The only way that we can explain it is it is a work of God – that’s the only Kind of work I want to be a part of
B) So Jesse
had seven of his sons pass before Samuel – Seven # of perfection / but the 8th was Chosen – 8 # of New Beginnings
1)
God was going to do a
new work in Israel/ a work that needed a New man –
C) David was that man – What Kind of man was He note
3 things
1st David was a
Spiritual man – He is twice referred to as a Man after God’s own heart – what
does that mean
A) I think it means that – He was after God’s heart – David was a man who longed for God
Psa.42 As
the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
B)
David thirsted for God – who longed to be near God – Psa 27 One thing I have desired of the Lord that I will seek
……
1) Psa 57:7 My heart is fixed on you oh God & I will be
satisfied when I awake in thy likeness
C)
David might not have been much to behold on
the outside but He was something special on the inside – God took Notice – Unique title
1)
Man after my own heart
–
Also it means That David was Like hearted
A)It speaks of a person who’s heart is in harmony w/ the Lord – that the things that God loves – He loves / God hates / he hates / grieve over sin
B)The things that burden God are the things that burden that person / the things that are important to God are important to that person
C) That is the
kind of person that God is looking for – fits that Criteria Man or woman after
God’s own heart
D) David was unique but He is not to be looked at as
the Exception but as the example – we should all desire hearts like that
1) 2 Chron 16:9 9For the eyes of
the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on
behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
D) NASB – Who’s heart is completely his – God is looking for men & women who’s hearts are completely His –
1)
No locked closets –
nothing swept under the rug / nothing hidden
David was such a man – He was
spiritual man / 2nd thing we want to note about David is He was a
Humble man : Psa 78:70
A)He also chose David His servant,- And took him from the sheepfolds;
B) Sheep tending was one of the lowest of the servants Jobs – but David was humble enough to do it – even after being anointed King
1) Faithful in the little things – exalted w/ much
C) That is what God saw in His
Humble servant David –
D) David wasn’t seeking the lime light – but He
was faithfully tending His fathers sheep – God saw His Humility – Rewarded Him
1) Promotion comes not from the East or
from the west but from the Lord
3rd thing about David – why
God’s man David was a man of Integrity
Psa. 78:72 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And
guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
A)The
word INTEGRITY is interesting word in the Hebrew = complete, wholesome, innocent, sound,
having simplicity of life
1) It speaks of one who is real - Integrity is what you are when no one else is looking
B) There was a simplicity to David’s life – He was real – wasn’t pretending – wasn’t concerned about what others thought of him
1) But He was concerned about what God thought of Him
C) Motivated by the FEAR OF
GOD & not the FEAR OF MAN
From the actions of David, Jesse, and David’s brothers from this
point on, we can gather that only God & Samuel knew exactly what was
happening here.
A) Everyone else probably thought that
Samuel was just honoring David for some reason.
B) Probably no one even dared to think
that this was David’s anointing to be king over all Israel.
1) But God knew, because He had been
working in
David’s heart for a long time.
“The
public anointing was the outcome of what had taken place in private between
David and God long before.” (Redpath)
C) There were three outward evidences of
the destiny God had for David’s life.
1) The first evidence was the anointing.
D) He received that immediately.
E) The second evidence was the spiritual
battle he entered into with Saul.
F) The final evidence - was when he
received the crown and was enthroned in Israel, some 25 years later.
It was a long time between the time David
was chosen and anointed to be a king and the time he was crowned.
A) That time in-between would be used by God
to mold and Shape David for his Destiny.
B) SO too in our lives, it is a long time for most of us between when we are
chosen and anointed, and the time when we receive our crowns
C) . In between, there is a lot of
conflict and spiritual warfare / a lot of training / pruning
1) God is preparing us for our DESTINY !!!
Now as David was anointed with the oil –
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him
A) SO The oil on the head was just a sign
of this inward reality.
B) Now when the HS came upon David – He
also Departed from Saul -
v. 14But the Spirit of the Lord
departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.
Now right away a question arises in the minds of many - If God
is all-good, why did He send a distressing spirit upon Saul?
A)There are two senses in which God may send something. He may
send something in the active sense, or He may send something in a passive
sense.
B)Actively, God never initiates or
performs evil; (James 1:17). He is the Father of
lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning
1)
Passively, God may withdraw the
hand of His protection, and therefore allow evil to come, without being
the source of the evil itself.
C)This
is indicated by what happened with Saul. First, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.
1)
This means Saul lost
his spiritual "protection" & covering.
So, Satan was more than ready to send a distressing spirit to fill the void in
Saul.
D) Like in Job
– Satan was the source of Job’s problems – yet it is referred to several times
that it was from God – He allowed it
RD V. 15-23
SO David is thrust into this Position of
being right next to Saul – See what he didn’t want to be
A) See how he didn’t want to become
B) Drug addicts / Prison /
Before
we go note one more thing – V. 18 Provide a good description of what to look
for in a worship leader – Note 5 things
A) #1 Skillful in playing: To lead Saul in worship, and to minister
to him in music, David had to be skillful in playing.
B) The technical quality of music makes a
difference in being an effective worship leader.
1) The heart matters, but so does
technical ability.
C) This doesn’t mean that a person has to
be a expert Musician before they can be used of God.
1) But it does mean that they cannot
tolerate a too casual,
unconcerned, lazy, “we
don’t really need to practice” attitude. { Excellence – Best for God & pp
D) Skillful in playing reflects an attitude as much as it reflects ability.
#2 A mighty man of
valor, a man of war: Saul
was being spiritual attacked – worship was a weapon
A) Some of you – spiritually attacked all
day – time of worship is Victory time
B) Worship ministry is a constant
battleground.
1)
Satan hates worship – Tries to distract from it
C) A good worship leader is going to have a
degree of Sensitivity to the HS
1) Understanding of the Battle – Be READY
!!!!
#3 Prudent in speech: Good worship ministry needs a lot of
diplomacy.
A) Everyone has an opinion on music, and
everyone has a suggestion.
B) Effective worship ministers know when
to speak and when to be quiet on the platform, among the team, and in the
congregation.
#4 A handsome person: David was a good-looking young man
(1Samuel 16:12).
A) An effective worship minister doesn’t
need to be a fashion model, but their appearance is important.
B) They need to present themselves so as
to be invisible.
1) If they are so dressed up, or so
dressed down, that their appearance calls attention to themselves, it needs to
change.
#5 The LORD is with him: This is the most important attribute.
A) The other measures will grow &
develop, but it must be said of any WL the LORD is with him
B)
This means that they are anointed – that they called by God,
1) submitting to God, and submitting to
whatever
leadership the LORD has placed over them.