The Unexpected

-The Shadow King is a 10-week sermon series that walks through the life of David, Israel’s greatest king, while reminding us that even David—called a man after God’s own heart—was never the ultimate hope of God’s people.

-Each week we will highlight a pivotal moment in David’s story: his anointing as a young shepherd, his bold faith in the valley of Goliath, his refusal to seize the throne by force, his covenant friendship with Jonathan, his merciful treatment of Mephibosheth, his devastating fall with Bathsheba, and his heartbroken repentance.

-Through these narratives, we see David’s victories and failures, his worship and his weaknesses, his triumphs and his tears. In every moment, David’s story reminds us that God was pointing beyond him to a greater King still to come.

-That greater King is Jesus Christ—the true Son of David, the eternal Shepherd, the One who conquered our greatest enemies of sin and death. While David’s reign was marked by both glory and brokenness, Jesus’ reign is marked by perfection, humility, sacrifice, and victory.

-Where David abused power, Jesus laid His down. Where David stumbled, Jesus stood firm. Where David could only foreshadow hope, Jesus is the fulfillment of hope. This series will not only retell the story of David but also lift our eyes to Jesus, the King whose throne will never end and whose kingdom is established in grace, justice, and everlasting love.

Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13.

Pray

1. God Chooses the Unexpected (vv. 1–7)

Read 1 Samuel 1-7.

-Samuel goes to Bethlehem to anoint a new king. Jesse’s older sons look impressive, but God rejects them.

-The Setting: Saul has failed as king, and Samuel is grieving over what looks like the collapse of Israel’s leadership. God sends him to Bethlehem, to Jesse’s house, with oil to anoint a new king.

-The Assumptions: As Jesse’s sons line up, Samuel—Israel’s prophet, a man of discernment—assumes the firstborn, Eliab, must be the chosen one. Eliab looked the part: tall, strong, noble. To Samuel, this was the obvious choice.

-Verse 7 is the pivot: “Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.” 

-God is saying, I don’t choose leaders by outward appearance, charisma, or social standing. I look at what only I can see: the heart—the character, the humility, the faithfulness.

-God’s way of choosing is radically different from ours. We prize resumes, platforms, looks, or titles. God prizes dependence on Him. The kingdom of God advances not by human qualifications but by divine calling.

-God values obedience, humility, and faithfulness over appearances. The people God uses often come from obscurity.

-Obedience: God didn’t need another Saul—tall, impressive, but disobedient. He wanted a man after His own heart.

-Humility: David was the youngest, least likely, and not even invited to the feast. Yet humility was the soil God chose to grow a king.

-Faithfulness in obscurity: While others were striving for recognition, David was faithfully tending sheep. God often finds His leaders in hidden places, where they are faithful with little before they’re entrusted with much.

Practical Takeaway for Us:

1. When You Feel Overlooked—Remember God Sees You

-David wasn’t even invited to the lineup. His father left him in the field, assuming he couldn’t possibly be the one God would choose. Maybe you’ve felt that sting—overlooked at work, dismissed in your family, or unseen in ministry.

-But God doesn’t overlook His children. He saw David in the field, and He sees you where you are. He doesn’t need human approval to validate His calling on your life.

- Stop seeking your worth in recognition, applause, or position. Rest in the truth that God sees your heart and values you when others don’t.

2. When You’re in the “Shepherd Fields”—Be Faithful with What’s in Front of You

-David’s preparation for kingship wasn’t a palace—it was pastures. He learned courage fighting off lions and bears, worship by singing to God in solitude, and leadership by caring for sheep.

-We often want the throne without the training. We want influence without the obscure seasons. But God shapes His servants in hidden places.

-Instead of despising your current season—whether it’s changing diapers, showing up to a job no one notices, or quietly serving in the church—see it as God’s training ground. Faithfulness today prepares you for fruitfulness tomorrow.

3. When You’re Tempted to Judge by Appearances—See as God Sees

-Samuel was a prophet, yet even he almost made the mistake of choosing Eliab because of outward appearances. We do the same—elevating charisma over character, talent over integrity, image over obedience.

-God says: “Humans do not see what the LORD sees… the LORD sees the heart” (v. 7). That means we must learn to look beyond the surface—whether in choosing leaders, encouraging others, or even evaluating ourselves.

-Ask God to give you His eyes—to see people not for their status, looks, or accomplishments, but for the heart. Celebrate character over charisma in your kids, spouse, coworkers, and church family.

Jesus, was the Ultimate “Unexpected Choice”

- Like David from Bethlehem, Jesus came from Nazareth—a town so insignificant that Nathanael scoffed, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

-Rejected by Men: The religious leaders rejected Him because He didn’t fit their expectations of a Messiah who would overthrow Rome with military might. Instead, He came as a carpenter’s son, gentle and lowly.

-Chosen by God: Though despised by men, Jesus was the Father’s chosen one, anointed not with oil but with the Holy Spirit at His baptism (Luke 3:21–22).

-The Great Reversal: Humanity wanted a conquering king; God sent a suffering servant. Humanity looks at crowns and swords; God looks at the cross and resurrection.

-Just as David’s kingship wasn’t about outward stature but inward devotion, Jesus’ kingship isn’t built on earthly power but on divine sacrifice. He is the unexpected King who saves in unexpected ways.

2. Anointed in Obscurity

Read 1 Samuel 16:8–12.

-vs 8-10 is the The family lineup : Samuel examines seven sons who “look the part.” And Samuel even alosmt falls into choosing by sight until the Lord’s correction in vs 7.

-The forgotten son (v.11): “There is still the youngest,” Jesse says. The Hebrew nuance for youngest can also imply least/insignificant. David is so overlooked he’s not called to the feast at all—he’s left guarding sheep.

-In the ancient Near East, shepherding was low-status, unglamorous, necessary work—long days, lonely nights, danger from predators, relentless faithfulness. It’s exactly there God is shaping a king.

- (v.12): David arrives “healthy, with a handsome appearance,” but the accent is not on looks—it’s on the Lord’s voice: “Anoint him, for he is the one.”

-Something that really stuck out to me this week and I really reflected on is that God prepares His servants in obscurity long before He presents them in public.

1) What God forms in hiddenness

Identity: David learns to be a son before he is a sovereign. Hiddenness cures us of chasing validation.

Integrity: Fields are where no one is watching; secret places forge honest character (cf. Ps 78:72).

Intimacy: Solitude with God tunes the heart. David’s songs (later Psalms) were born outside the spotlight.

Industry: Sling skill, courage against predators, tenderness toward weak sheep—practical competencies that later scale up to Goliath and governing.

Something i think we must all remember is that  Obscurity is not God’s no; it’s often God’s nursery where He is shaping you and helping you grow.

2) How to steward your hidden season

Hidden Prayer: Set a daily, unseen prayer slot (Matt 6:6). Guard it like oxygen.

Hidden Excellence: Do uncelebrated tasks with visible quality (Col 3:23).

Hidden Service: Choose a ministry that has no microphone (set-up, cleanup, visitation). Let God see it.

Hidden Integrity: Establish one secret holiness habit (Scripture memory, generosity others won’t know about).

3) Common temptations to resist

Hurrying the throne: Saul grasped; David waited. Resist shortcuts that trade character for speed.

Resentment toward the “lineup”: Bless the ones who get called before you. God’s choice is not a zero-sum game.

Confusing silence with absence: God’s quiet is formation, not neglect.

1) Jesus’ long hidden season

-Thirty years in Nazareth: Apart from brief glimpses (Luke 2:51–52), Jesus lives in ordinary obscurity—family, work, worship. No crowds, no platform. He “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people” (CSB).

- Like David the shepherd, the Messiah grows up where no one is looking.

2) Jesus’ anointing without spectacle

-Baptism (Luke 3:21–22, CSB): As He’s praying, “heaven opened,” the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

No golden crown—the Spirit is His anointing.

No royal fanfare—the Father’s quiet affirmation secures His identity.

-Immediately, the wilderness (Luke 4:1–2): The Spirit leads Him into testing. Identity is tested before ministry is expanded.

3) A kingdom that begins quietly

Bethlehem and a manger (Mic 5:2; Luke 2): Royal promises, humble packaging.

Often unrecognized: Even His brothers did not believe at first (John 7:5). The crowds wanted spectacle; the King came as a servant (Mark 10:45).

The title itself: Christ = “Anointed One.” David is anointed with oil; Jesus is anointed with the Spirit—and He pours that same Spirit on His people (Acts 2).

-“David’s hidden anointing was real even when unseen—and the Spirit’s presence proved it. Next, we’ll see how that hidden formation produces Spirit-empowered courage when David steps onto the battlefield.”

3. The Spirit of the Lord Rushed Upon Him (v. 13)

Read 1 Samuel 16:13.

“From that day forward” — the hinge of David’s life

-A decisive new reality, “The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on David from that day forward.” That phrase marks a before/after.

-From this point, David’s courage, worship, wisdom, and resilience are no longer explainable by personality—they are the Spirit’s enablement.

-The Spirit’s fingerprints across David’s story in the coming chapter on his life.

Strategic placement (16:14–23): The Spirit orchestrates David’s entry into Saul’s court as a musician—proximity to the throne without grasping for it.

Courage for impossible assignments (ch. 17): David faces Goliath not with bravado but with Spirit-fueled confidence in the LORD’s name.

Wisdom and favor (18:12–16): “David continued to be successful in all his activities because the LORD was with him.”

Restraint and reverence (ch. 24; 26): Twice David refuses to seize the throne by killing Saul—Spirit-produced self-control and fear of God.

Worship and repentance (Pss 23; 27; 51): Spirit-inspired songs; and when he sins, he pleads, “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps 51:11).

-The Spirit Open doors, timely friendships (Jonathan), narrow escapes, and even delays all conspire to form a king. The Spirit’s presence shows up as wise timing and shaped character as much as overt miracles.

- The same Spirit-marked life includes caves, betrayal, and waiting. The Spirit is not a pass around difficulty but God’s presence within it.

- At Jesus’ baptism, “the Holy Spirit descended on him” and the Father’s voice affirmed Him (Luke 3:21–22). Immediately, “Jesus left the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1), and He declares, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me… He has anointed me…” (Luke 4:18).

-How His kingdom advances: Not with armies or political force—“not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit” (Zech 4:6). Jesus’ reign breaks in through healing, deliverance, forgiveness, and preaching good news(Luke 4:18–19; Acts 10:38).

-Victory by the Spirit: He drives out demons “by the Spirit of God” (Matt 12:28), forgives sins (Mark 2:5–12), and is vindicated in resurrection by the Spirit’s power (Rom 8:11).

- David shows us a king empowered by the Spirit; Jesus is the King who pours out the Spirit on His people (Acts 2:33).

- The King’s power is cruciform—power to serve, suffer, save, and set free. Jesus reigns by the Spirit and rules hearts, not by coercion but by new creation.

Anointed and sealed—what this means for believers

-Your identity: “Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed us. He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment” (2 Cor 1:21–22). Also see Eph 1:13–14; 1 John 2:20,27.

Anointed: Set apart and supplied.

Sealed: Claimed, secured, and destined for glory—even if the world doesn’t see your crown yet.

-Your empowerment: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you” (Acts 1:8). Power for witness, holiness (Gal 5:16–23), and service (1 Cor 12:4–7).

-Old vs. New Covenant nuance: Under the old, the Spirit often came upon specific people for specific tasks; under the new, He indwells all believers permanently John 14:16–17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.”

We can grieve (Eph 4:30) or quench (1 Thess 5:19) Him, but we are not abandoned.

Five practices to live a Spirit-empowered, David-like faith

Ask for ongoing filling (Eph 5:18): Daily pray, “Father, fill me with Your Spirit for today’s assignments.”

Obey promptly: The Spirit’s power is most evident on the path of obedience, not in the armchair of theory (John 14:15–17).

Attend to the Word: The Spirit wields Scripture (Eph 6:17). Saturate your mind; give Him material to ignite.

Serve where you stand: Take the small, hidden assignment in front of you. Power meets responsibility embraced.

Discern with the church: Test leadings by (a) Scripture alignment, (b) Christlike fruit, (c) wise community affirmation (Acts 13:2–3).

How you’ll know the Spirit is leading (David-shaped markers)

Courage with humility (face “Goliaths” without self-promotion).

Restraint under pressure (refusing shortcuts like David spared Saul).

Deeper worship and quick repentance (Pss 27; 51).

Love, joy, peace… growing (Gal 5:22–23).

Witness with compassion (Acts 1:8 + Luke 4 mission).

Conclusion

David was anointed king long before he sat on the throne. Jesus was declared King at His baptism, but His crown first came in the form of thorns.

For us, we live in the same tension: already anointed in Christ, not yet crowned in glory.

Encouragement: Stay faithful in the unseen and overlooked places—because the true King sees, calls, and equips you.