The Life Of David
Pt. 9 When God Looks At The Heart
1 Samuel 16:1-23

David is chosen by GOD to be king
God chose Saul as the first king of Israel and gifted him like no other. But after repeated failure and rebellion, God removed him, and Samuel stopped being his spiritual advisor (1 Sam. 10:6, 7; 15:35). Don’t let arrogance, insecurity, or unsubmissiveness cause you to be removed or replaced by God! God sends Samuel to anoint the second king of Israel at Bethlehem. As he arrives, the people fear his power, but he invites Jesse and his sons to a consecration meal. As the brothers pass before Samuel, Eliab, the first born, who was tall and handsome like Saul, looked like the next king. But God rejected him and all seven of Jesse’s sons until there were none left. Outward appearance isn’t a guarantee of inward godliness. When Samuel asked if there were any others, he is told the youngest and least honored son was out with the sheep. Samuel sends for David and when he enters, God says to anoint him as the next king. Here, the eternal Davidic Kingdom begins which Jesus, as the ‘son of David’, will rule forever (2 Sam. 7:8-16; Ps. 89:13-37; Is. 9:6, 7; 11:1-10; Luke 1:31-33; Rom. 1:2-4). Don’t give up, sometimes God is working for His glory and your greatness in the background!

David is chosen by SAUL to be his aide
At his anointing, David was likely a teen and the ideal of masculinity—good looking, beautiful eyes, strong, brave, a hard worker, loved to worship God in song, and had God’s presence (vs. 18). Sometimes God multiplies His blessing from strength to strength! When the Holy Spirit left Saul to dwell with David, an evil spirit tormented him so he would look for relief. Here, Saul loses all the good in his life as God turns against him. God can permit evil spirits to create havoc as judgment or testing in a person’s life. When all that is God goes, all that is good goes (Job 2:7; Matt. 12:43-45; 2 Cor. 12:7). Saul’s servants suggest a musician to sooth his mind. A servant recalled hearing of David’s excellent reputation, who was then brought to Saul. God uses—and people notice—doers not dreamers (Prov. 14:23; 22:29). Over the time David was in the royal court as harpist, he ironically got on-the-job training to be king from Saul himself! As David always used his gifts with excellence, at the right time, God exalted him. An excellent reputation is built on the repetition of excellence (1 Pet. 5:6; Col. 3:23).