The Crown – Season One – Episode 5 - The Lord Looks at the Heart

Today we will continue in 1 Samuel where the story has centered around Saul – the first king of Israel. But in 1 Samuel 16 the story shifts away from Saul to another character. You may have heard of him, David. Samuel is sent on a mission to find and anoint the next king

Before the events of 1 Samuel 16 I want to take you back about 100 years to another story.

There was a Jewish couple named Elimelech and Naomi who lived in the Israelite town of Bethlehem. They had two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Seemed like a happy family until one day famine set in and the family moved out to a neighboring nation called Moab. The sons found wives in Moab, Orpah and Ruth, both Moabite women. Then a series of disasters strike the family. First, Elimelek dies leaving Naomi a widow. But at least she had her sons and their wives to take care of her. But then both of her sons die. Now she and Orpah and Ruth are all three widows and the ancient near east was not a hospitable place for widows. They were helpless.

Naomi decides to move back to Bethlehem where she has family but tells her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab. Afterall, they were still young and could find another husband among their people. They can’t bear to part with their mother-in-law, but Naomi insists that they stay. Orpah decides to stay but Ruth decides to go back with Naomi to live in Bethlehem. Ruth famously says, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die.”

The two women return to Bethlehem. They were all but helpless. But, there was provision in the Jewish that landowners when they harvested their fields they would not harvest to the borders. They would leave some for people in situations like Naomi and Ruth to come and at the very least find some food to survive. This was called gleaning. And Naomi knew just the field to glean, her relative Boaz. So Ruth gleans Boaz’s field and before long a romance starts to brew. Ruth and Boaz fall in love and get married. And Ruth and Boaz start a family and Naomi, who once asked people to call her “Mara” which means “Bitter” is now a happy grandmother. Joy has returned. What started out as a tragedy has a happy ending.

It's a good story but there are hundreds of stories like this, aren’t there. So why did this story make the Bible? Why does this woman Ruth get a book in the Bible named after her?

The key may be at the end of the story where the author, who may have been the prophet Samuel, gives a little genealogy of this family.

Boaz and Ruth’s son was named Obed. And then Obed grows up and has a son. His name is Jesse. And Jesse will have a son.

Back to 1 Samuel 16

Samuel is devastated at what has happened with Saul. He must feel somewhat responsible. He anointed Saul. He tried to lead him. He saw so much potential in him and now Saul has been rejected as king.

But God tells Samuel it’s time to move on. Go fill your horn with oil! A new king is be anointed. This isn’t the first time a new and better king has been mentioned.

1 Samuel 13:14 (NIV) — 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”

1 Samuel 15:28 (NIV) — 28 Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.

Up to this point no specifics have been given, but now it’s time to take action. The mission is to go to Bethlehem to the household of Jesse – the grandson of Ruth. There you will find the next king.

Samuel arrives and Jesse brings out his first son, Eliab. He’s impressive, and Samuel thinks this must be the guy. But he’s not and in the process God gives Samuel a lesson he should have learned with Saul. 1 Samuel 16:7 is one of these verses you should be familiar with.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) — 7 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 people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language) — 7 But GOD told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart.”

That’s no problem for Jesse. He has six more sons waiting to audition. It’s almost like a scene from Cinderella but the glass slipper doesn’t fit any of the sons of Jesse. Samuel asks, “Do you happen to have any more sons?” There is one but he is so insignificant Jesse didn’t even think of inviting him to the party. He’s the youngest and he’s out shepherding the sheep. Samuel says, “Let’s take a look at him.”

Imagine the scene. This young, cute little kid walks in. Oblivious as to why he has been called in. He’s never invited to the grown-up meetings. He’s probably sweaty and smelly. I doubt Samuel is impressed but just then he gets one of those words from the Lord. This is the guy. Anoint him. He is the next king of Israel. This is the one after my own heart.

Samuel anoints him and the Spirit of the Lord comes powerfully on David.

Out of tragedy – famines, forced migrations, death, and despair – out of tragedy, right there in Bethlehem in the house of Jesse, the son of Oded, the son of Ruth the greatest king of Israel is anointed who will serve as a prototype of the King of kings and Lord of lords – Jesus, the son of David.

I needed this story. Samuel needed this story. It was getting depressing and here we see a ray of hope. David won’t begin acting as king but at least we know better days are coming. David’s life will be intertwined with the reign of Saul – David becomes Saul’s musician. David kills Goliath. David becomes a successful soldier. David becomes best friends with Jonathan, Saul’s son. We will cover all these stories in Season 2 of The Crown coming to a pulpit near you sometime in 2024. We will continue in the weeks to come to cover the demise of Saul, but keep this in mind – there is a better future with David.

Knowing there is a better future is so important to us as people of faith because sometimes life can be depressing. There are pandemics, there is tragedy, there are bad kings, there are so many things that Satan uses to tempt us to doubt in a good God. But just when he needed it the most God tells Samuel, go fill your horn with oil! Today’s story fills our horns with oil!

Another important message that comes out of this story is that verse 7:

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) — 7 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 people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

This means both that we should be cautious about judging other people and their potential effectiveness in the kingdom of God, and also that we should not question our own abilities and gifts for service. We may feel that we do not have much to offer God—but that would be a superficial evaluation, based on our own limited perspective. If God calls, he also empowers.

Looks, indeed, can be deceiving, and often are. Samuel needs help in learning to see God’s perspective regarding David. Likewise, we need a God-perspective in order to overcome our biases. We often fail to see the God-potential in others (or in ourselves) because we are easily impressed by the wrong indicators.

Arnold, B. T. (2003). 1 & 2 Samuel (pp. 232–233). Zondervan.

In one sense this is good news. Most of us have tried to measure up to the world’s criteria, but few people ever feel as if they have succeeded. The stress of trying to have the perfect body, a successful career, a conflict-free family—all these have eluded us. It comes as refreshing, freeing news that God is not particularly concerned with our earthly successes.

In another sense, though, this is a bit problematic. Who among us has the kind of heart God would want? Our outward appearance may not be top-notch, but if we are honest with ourselves, our heart condition is usually worse! We spend hours caring for our bodies (decaying as they are), or on our résumés (trivial as they are in eternity), but many of us never think about the quality of our hearts. If that is the case, then we are more concerned with the approval of others than the approval of God. This is such a counterintuitive lesson that even Samuel needs a consistent reminder. And so do we.

Greear, J. D., & Thomas, H. A. (2016). Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel (p. 121). Holman Reference.

Be careful how you look at people. And be careful how you look at yourself. Sometimes we feel useless or worthless because of our outward appearance. You are so much more than your outward appearance. In fact, your outward appearance leans so much less than we think it does. Jesus himself was described in these terms:

Isaiah 53:1–3 (NIV) — 1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Don’t be deceived by outward appearance in others and even yourself.

One final word from this passage. What makes David a powerful king is one thing and one thing only – his anointing of the Spirit of God.

1 Samuel 16:13 (NIV) — 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

This anointing theme carries over to the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 (NIV) — 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Zechariah would sum up all the great and powerful people in the Bible by saying,

“Not by strength or by might, but by My Spirit,” says the Lordof Hosts. (Zech 4:6)

David had that anointing. Now, not many rise to the status of David, but all of us are anointed. And God is working in our lives. Just like he worked in the life of Ruth who did nothing out of the ordinary but have a child! But she lived a life of faith and hope that God can turn famines and death into something beautiful when we simply believe and obey.

This is still what God does with us today. Mothers who feel undervalued, changing diapers for unappreciative infants, experience their own anointing and can do so with joy if they realize that in whatever they do, it is for the Lord (cf. Col 3:23). Businesspeople often work dead-end jobs, unnoticed even by their own supervisors, but if they work with faithfulness where they are, God often does magnificent things. Students, many of whom are eager to get out into the world and “make a difference,” pore over their books, learning material they may never use. But God is at work in them, forging their character, patience, and integrity. We ought not to despise the famines or resent our suffering: these are God’s laboratories for molding our hearts to look how He wants.

Greear, J. D., & Thomas, H. A. (2016). Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel (p. 125). Holman Reference. (adapted by Todd Catteau for this sermon)

David was the chosen one and so are you. David was the anointed one and so are you. You may not look the part but neither did David. You may have the qualifications but neither did the shepherd boy, the youngest son of Jesse. Others, including yourself, may be saying you’re not worthy – but you are. That’s what God says. You are not forsaken, you are chosen. You are not alone, you are a child of God! You have been called into service by the highest king.