Daily Dose of the Word of God - 1 Samuel 16: 1-7

Kelly Day, Director of Coffee Break Bible Study 

Transcript

Kelly Day  0:06  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It's October 14. Today's reading is from 1 Samuel, 16: 1 through 7.

Kelly Day  0:26  

Samuel anoints David. 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.” But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.” 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?” 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. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” 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.”

Kelly Day  1:57  

God sent Samuel on a mission to replace the first king of Israel, Saul. Samuel has a pretty good track record with listening and obeying God's will. So he goes to Jesse's house, as told. Samuel sees Jesse's son, Eliab, who must have stood out as an obvious candidate for a king. Earlier in chapter nine (when Samuel anointed Saul) he was described as an impressive young man without equal and was a head taller than any of the others - but God was looking for something else here. I love the line, "The Lord doesn't look at the things man looks at." Well, what do people look at?

Kelly Day  2:45  

As someone who grew up appreciating art, fashion, and even started working in design, I can relate to looking at outward appearances. I can be lured into things based on how they appear - but the Lord doesn't look at those things.So what does he look at? The heart. God wanted something deeper, not a false facade. God sees what actually matters. Eliab might have fit the king-like profile, but will find out that it's his brother David whose heart was what God wanted. How's your heart today? Are you spending your time and money on things to improve your outward appearance, or investing in what really matters (your heart)?

Kelly Day  3:36  

Let's pray. Dear God our father, King of Kings and Lord of all, I pray that you help shape and soften our hearts today. I confess I tend to look at the outward and get caught investing in non-heart matters. Please, Lord, have your Spirit fill us so that we look and act more like you. Help us dump our pride in egos and care about the things you care about. I pray you, Lord, reveal these things to each one of us today. Amen.