Anointed King

Introduction

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I. God’s Man (v. 1-12)

A. v. 1-5: Samuel felt personal responsibility for Saul and was sorrowed at his rejection. But God rejected Saul because of his own choices: rebelling against the Lord’s commands and rejecting the Lord as his God. Samuel is saddened by this but continues to put his trust in the Lord. God then sends Samuel to anoint the next king, but it must be the one God designates.

Samuel arrived in Bethlehem without any heads up. The elders came trembling with fear. First of all, they knew Samuel was a priest and prophet of God, he might have a message of judgment for the people. Second, in the previous chapter he pronounced judgment on king Saul and hacked king Agag to pieces for the Lord (15:33). Surely, word would have reached the ears of those in Bethlehem. Samuel reassured the elders that he was there for peace not judgment.

He consecrated (purified and set apart) the elders and Jesse with his sons (except David, he was not at the sacrifice nor was he invited! He stayed in the fields with the sheep).

B. v. 6-12: “Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.” Illus. It’s like a few weeks ago at my in-laws’ house. They had several mangos that were spotted brown. It was off-putting, but when you ate one, it was absolutely delicious. Looks can be deceiving. We don’t see what God sees. We have our own ideas, goals, intentions, and desires. God knows what is best and will direct our paths if we seek His guidance.

The sons of Jesse came to the sacrifice, walking past Samuel. He, of course, observed with the intention of anointing one of them. Samuel saw the firstborn and immediately thought, “He’s kingly and must be worthy.” But God said no. So it was with 7 brothers and Samuel thought, “Could this possibly be it?” Unbeknownst to him one brother, the youngest, was left out.

Jesse and his sons did not know Samuel was looking for someone to be the next king, they were attending a sacrifice. David was busy doing his job, watching over the sheep. They may not have thought it important to bring him for this, he had other responsibilities. They quickly realized how important it was for all the boys to be present, they sent for David and would not sit down until he arrived.

The physical appearance didn’t make the difference for David had beautiful features like his brothers. God didn’t look at the outward appearance, He wants a fully dedicated heart. God wants a person of integrity, a person of trust, a person with courage, a person who will follow Him no matter what. God spoke to Samuel and said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”

C. What’s holding you back from living the life God wants you to? Do you feel you don’t know enough about the Bible? Your prayer life isn’t what it should be? You aren’t as spiritually mature as someone on the other side of the room? You aren’t dynamic and charismatic, you don’t know what to do or say, etc. We often get in our own way. God doesn’t crave the person who is the most impressive or has the best spiritual resume. All He wants a fully dedicated heart. Give your whole self to God and He will use you in ways you can’t possibly imagine.

II. God’s Spirit (v. 13-26)

A. v. 13-23: Saul rejected God by constantly rebelling and decided not to make Yahweh his personal God anymore, 1 Samuel 15:26, 30). Saul wanted a life separate from God, so God gave it to him. Yahweh withdrew His presence and allowed a harmful, evil spirit to torment (terrorize) Saul.

It’s similar to what Jesus said: Luke 11:23–26 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”” A life without the Lord is a life of terror and hopelessness. God was no longer with Saul, that left room for other spirits to fill the void and all other spiritual beings pale in comparison to the Living God.

However, it was evident that God was with David. People could tell the difference God made in David’s life. The Spirit bore fruit and it was clear David belonged to the Lord. The man of God produced peace through his skillful music and comfort because God empowered him. Saul loved David and promoted him (v. 21-23). God put David in a prime position to minister to Saul (probably giving another opportunity to repent) and gain notoriety for the day when he would become king.

B. When God is with you it is clear to everyone around you. Belonging to God means you have His Spirit living in you, producing His fruit. Strive to live like David, he had a heart dedicated to God and sought to please Him in everything. He even took the courage to stand before the king and comfort him: a man who rejected God and was in terror. Yet, God used His anointed to bring comfort and witness to a man who needed it.

Are you walking with God? I pray you have not rejected the Lord through rebellion and selfishness like Saul did. I know we all struggle with sin and temptation but that struggle does not mean you are separate from God, rather, it shows we belong to Him. If we did not have God’s Spirit, applying forgiveness/cultivating our consciences to be in line with Him, then we wouldn’t feel bad about sin. We wouldn’t seek to please Jesus, we would simply live for what makes us happy and not care what God thinks. However, if you do care about God’s blessings/praises, if you want to please Him, if you want to follow in His ways, and sin bothers you then you can guarantee God is working in your life. You are not cut off from Him but being cultivated by Him into a Christlike person.

What does a Christlike person look like? David was a man like us, had struggles and failures, but he was a man after God’s own heart. In fact, there are many similarities between David and Jesus. David was not expected. No one would have chosen him when there were fine men who looked to be a better fit. Jesus was the same way. People thought John the Baptist was the Messiah but he said no. Jesus comes along and no one expected it. David was anointed and the Holy Spirit came upon him, so it was with Jesus when He was anointed at His baptism with the Holy Spirit. He was truly the Man after God’s own heart, for He is God. He served boldly, fulfilling the will of the Father and became the Lord of all through His submission via death and resurrection. David was the shepherd of his flock. Now, the Lord is our Chief and Good Shepherd who loves, leads, and protects.

Conclusion

You don’t have to look the part to be the part. Have a heart dedicated to the Lord, live a life with the goal to seek and glorify God. It will become evident that God is working through you as His Spirit produces His fruit while you live a life for God. God will put you in places where He can use you to bring comfort and spread His love. It will become known to all that you belong to God when His Spirit produces life-changing fruit through you.

Take courage, step out on faith, and walk by the Spirit with a heart turned toward the Lord. God will use you in ways you can’t possibly imagine.