Epiphany 1 (3)
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1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NIV)
1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." 2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." 4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?" 5 Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." 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 man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." 12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." 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 upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
This past Thursday it was January 6. For us as Christians it is a significant date known as Epiphany (explain).
For us as citizens of the United States, it has for now also become known as the date on which an unprecedented event occurred in Washington DC last year at the capital (explain).
On January 6, 2021, a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.[note 1][28] They sought to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election[29] by disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize then President-elect Joe Biden's victory.[3][30] The Capitol Complex was locked down and lawmakers and staff were evacuated, while rioters assaulted law enforcement officers, vandalized property and occupied the building for several hours.[31] Five people died either shortly before, during, or following the event: one was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes.[19][32] Many people were injured, including 138 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months.[33]
Why did that happen? It was connected to a disagreement about how the current President of the United States had been elected. Questions had arisen about the election process and whether or not the election was carried out properly and if there had been an unfair result. Conservative talk radio incessantly harped on this subject and insisted that the wrong person had been elected citing any number of reasons. And so on the date when congress was scheduled to confirm the election, this incident happened at our nation’s capitol and on the anniversary of that event, the subject is brought forward again.
I do not believe it is my place to sway you one way or another on this event. I am not a talk show host and I don’t have a political agenda. The reason I bring this up today is because it illustrates how at times those who are being led by someone in authority do not always agree with that leader and may even question the process by which that person was chosen. In a democracy such as ours, we strongly believe that our leaders are to be elected according to the laws that are in place for such choosing. We insist on a fair and legal election with clear cut results. We do not believe that voters are to vote early AND OFTEN and that everyone who is eligible to vote should have their vote counted. We don’t seek to disenfranchise legal voters nor do we feel comfortable with non citizens voting for the leader of a country they aren’t citizens of, influences by foreign governments, or attempts to stuff the ballot box . . . or having dead people’s votes count. (You may have seen the cartoon: “My parents didn’t vote for that party when they are alive and I won’t stand for them voting for it now that they are dead.”
But a deeper issue behind all the controversy about last year’s election is that people were sharply divided about whom they wanted as president. And so when the results came in, there was sharp dispute and dissatisfaction by some about the one voted in.
People not accepting the one chosen to be their leader is nothing new. We have examples of it in biblical history.
Moses (explain)
19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. 21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” 22 “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”
“Give us a king.”
1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”
David
1 In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4 And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice.”
Jesus
13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
Our text today is about how God had chosen David to be the next king of Israel after he had rejected his first choice. We will see how God set David aside to be that next king and the importance of anointing.
But we will also relate this to David’s descendant whom God had anointed to be the King of Kings and how we are to subject ourselves to him who was anointed to save us from our own sins.
Earlier we had heard how the people of Israel had rejected God’s leader of Samuel (because of Samuel’s evil sons who were to succeed him) and had asked for a king. The Lord allowed them to start having kings beginning with Saul. This is something that Samuel was reluctant about and warned them concerning having a king.
9 “But they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10 They cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely. 12 “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! 15 But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
It did not take long for Saul to turn from the Lord so the Lord rejected him. Not only would Saul’s reign end somewhat prematurely, his sons would not be allowed to succeed him as well. So the Lord chose a new person to be king. This choosing takes place well before Saul’s successor would ascend the throne. That person would be David.
In the well known story of Samuel anointing David, Samuel does this privately at the home of Jesse (David’s father). This event tells us what people may expect out of a king, but also what God is looking for. David was chose even though he was the youngest and not according to human criteria. The reason the Lord chose him is stated, 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV84)
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 man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
At the end of this event, Samuel anoints David and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him.
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 upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
The life of David is a long and fascinating one. We know more about him than any other Old Testament character and his personal writing (many of the Psalms) give insight into his character and relationship with the Lord. Though a flawed human being, he would prove to be a faithful and capable leader whom the Lord had chosen and blessed throughout his lifetime.
The Lord had chosen him.
David had remained a faithful leader in spite of several “missteps” which could have ruined him but he turned to the Lord in repentance and was assured of forgiveness.
The Lord blessed David. The greatest blessing was a promise he made to David about his successor.
5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ 8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. “ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ ”
This is recognized as a clear promise about Jesus. The Bible traces Jesus’ human ancestry back to David.
Jesus would begin his public ministry after he too was anointed with the Holy Spirit.
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
The anointing of Jesus reveals that he is the promised Messiah by the descent of the dove and the Father speaking from heaven. Although a somewhat private event at the time, Jesus would continue to manifest (reveal) his being the Messiah throughout his public ministry. God had chose Jesus to be our Savior and spiritual leader and revealed it in his baptism.
Peter emphasized that Jesus was chosen by God even though people would reject him. He also teaches us how to submit to Jesus.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Application: We noted at the beginning of the sermon that those who are led don’t always agree with their leader. This may be warranted if the leader is in the wrong, but if they are carrying out their responsibilities, not following them is a sin against the Fourth Commandment.
Jesus is our ultimate leader. We cannot argue this. Nor does he do wrong but he is at the right hand of God as our anointed prophet, priest, and king and uses his power for the sake of us — His church. Although their have been those who reject him, we are not to be of that camp. God chose him to be our Savior and has led us to believe in him. He has also chose us to be his people. What is our responsibility according to Peter?
Declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Abstain from sinful desires.
Live such good lives among the pagans that they may see our good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
May the Lord help us to do this. Amen.