Seeing Things God’s Way

1 Samuel 16:1-13
Darrin Mariott, Lead Pastor

Big Idea: While the world focuses on appearances, God looks on the heart!

I. God Sees Things Differently (vv. 1-5, 7, 11-12)
1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

A. God tells Samuel to stop mourning Saul’s failure and to move forward by selecting a new king of God’s choosing. While initially fearful of Saul’s reaction, we see Samuel respond in obedience and faith to God’s Word. God has a plan, and Samuel knows his call is to be faithful (vv. 2-4).

B. God sees things differently than sinful humanity; He sees beyond what we see with perfect clarity. God’s vision:

1. Is not based on appearance, but on what is beneath; in the heart (v. 7; cf. 1 Sam. 13:13-14; Lk. 16:13-15).
1 Samuel 13:13-14
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

Luke 16:13-15
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

2. Is based on His purposes and plans (vv. 11-12; cf. Prov. 19:21).
Proverbs 19:21
21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

C. It should come as no surprise that a worldly point of view doesn’t understand the things of God—it can’t. God’s Word, informed by the Holy Spirit, enables us to see things from a divine perspective and make the appropriate choices (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18-25).
1 Corinthians:18-25
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

II. God Wants Us to See Things Differently (vv. 6-13)

A. Samuel makes a superficial assessment of who he is to anoint, which God immediately corrects (vv. 6-7). We are reminded to be a people who look deeper to the heart by trusting in God’s direction as revealed through His Word and by the Holy Spirit.

B. An important application of this passage is to understand the kind of person God seeks. God calls us to be a people of depth and character. Qualities God desires from us include:

1. Faith in Him (1 Sam. 17:34-37)
1 Samuel 17:34-37
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

2. Love

3. Humility

4. Integrity (honesty)

5. Mercy… and more!