1Samuel, chapter 16, comments

 1Samuel 16:1 ¶  And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. 2  And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. 3  And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. 4  And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5  And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

 

God tells Samuel to stop mourning for Saul. He’s finished. Now, Samuel is to anoint a person who will become king, one of the sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite. Read Ruth, chapter 4, to see that this will be David, a descendant of Ruth and Boaz, who are his great-grandparents.

 

Samuel is afraid that Saul will have him killed if he finds out and God allows for his all too human fear by disguising this anointing as a sacrifice. The elders of Bethlehem are also afraid. Samuel is getting up there in years and his coming to their town suggests something very significant is about to happen. I am reminded of reading a book by a Black American who lived through the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s who said his family were concerned when Civil Rights activists were supposed to come to their town. They had an uneasy relationship with local Whites that, although not ideal, was something they could live with and did not look forward to anyone upsetting the proverbial apple cart. They knew someone was coming that was important to their future but they were afraid of what would happen when those people left.

 

1Samuel 16:6 ¶  And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. 7  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 8  Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 9  Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 10  Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11  And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12  And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

 

Apparently, to show Samuel and us something about God’s way of looking at things He starts with one of Jesse’s sons after another disapproving of each one to be the king God is going to have Samuel anoint. The youngest, the most unlikely one, has already been chosen by God and is now revealed to us. God does not choose using the same standards we do. His ways are not our ways.

 

Isaiah 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

 

We like physical perfection as established by Greece thousands of years ago but God chooses the heart.

 

These brothers had more than one name, like most of us, and there will be variant spellings of the same name. See 2Samuel 13:3 and 1Chronicles 27:18 for examples. I talked about people having different names and spelling variants in my discussion of Genesis.

 

David the youngest kept the sheep.

 

Psalm 78:70  He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: 71  From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.

 

Notice how God’s Spirit comes on David from that day forward, through all of his triumphs and failures, and God never leaves him because he is faithful to God, a man after God’s own heart.

 

1 Samuel 13:14  But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

 

1 Samuel 16:14 ¶  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. 16  Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 17  And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. 18  Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. 19  Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. 20  And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. 21  And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 22  And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. 23  And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

 

Saul is now plagued by an evil, malicious, disembodied mind rather than the beneficial Spirit of Jehovah God. His servants understand that he is being oppressed by an evil spirit. It is sent by God Himself. Yes, God can and will disrupt someone’s mind who is following his own path rather than the one God set for him. They recommend music therapy and the result is, as you can see from the text, David’s introduction to court. This recommendation by Saul’s servant is interesting;

 

18  Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

 

a mighty valiant man, and a man of war suggests that David may have participated in Saul’s war against the Philistines as discussed previously, as one of the chosen 3,000 in 1Samuel 13:2 or at some other time. This servant of Saul knew David by his talents, bravery, and fighting skill even being so young.

The Spirit that gave Saul prophecy, fortitude, courage, an understanding of how to run a government as executive, legislator, and judge, all were gone from Saul. It is only through David’s ministry of playing the harp that he finds any relief.