Last week, we focused on the call of Samuel to become a prophet for God. When God first started appearing to and communicating with Samuel, he was just a boy…probably around 12 years old.
Samuel became the primary prophet in the land of Israel. He lived his whole life in service to God. God had Samuel anoint Saul to become the first king of Israel. Samuel was a mentor for Saul….he nurtured Saul as the first king of Israel. Samuel worked alongside Saul for many, many years. Whenever Saul had to lead the army against their enemies, Samuel would be on the sidelines, praying and offering sacrifices to God. Before each battle began, Samuel led Saul in prayers and offering sacrifices.
And, this was how Saul fell-out with God. Once, when Saul and his army were facing a great foe, Saul was waiting for Samuel to arrive….he was anxious to get the battle started. And, Samuel didn’t come when Saul expected him. So, Saul offered the sacrifices and prayers before Samuel arrived. As soon as he was done, Samuel appeared. And, Samuel told Saul he had broken covenant with God – he hadn’t followed the proper procedure. God was so angry that Saul had broken the rules that God decided to reject Saul as king, reject Saul’s family so that his descendants would also not become rulers, and was going to anoint another person to become king instead of Saul. Saul was contrite after he learned of his mistake, but it was the final straw that broke the camel’s back – he had been disobedient to God’s will and God decided he needed a different person to rule over Israel.
This morning, our first reading is the tale of how that next ruler was selected. God had Samuel go to the province of the Benjaminites and anoint a son of Jesse to replace Saul as king. Listen to the story as we read from 1st Samuel chapter 16.
Scripture 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 51:10-14
16 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? 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.’
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 people look at. People look 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. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this 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 powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
Amen.
Let us pray….may the words of my mouth and the mediations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
God chose David to rule, not for his outward appearance or his height, but for his heart.
David was just a kid when he was selected. He was the youngest son in a culture where birth order was important – as someone with 8 older brothers, he was not expected to become a leader in his family or in the outside world. And, he was just a kid – so unimportant that his family left him to watch the sheep while they went to make sacrifices with the great Samuel. But, God cares about our hearts – not our family position, not our appearance, not our education or professions or prestige.
Our hearts.
David led a complicated life. He developed a special father-son relationship with King Saul (who didn’t know at first David was going to replace him)...David played the lyre to soothe King Saul’s headaches. David also became best friends with Saul’s son, Jonathan. Then, David used his skills as a sling-shot master to kill the Philistine warrior Gollith. Afterwards, Saul had his daughter married off to David. But, when Saul realized David had been chosen by God to replace him as king, Saul spent many years chasing David around the Middle East and trying to kill him. Eventually, Saul was killed and David became king.
God anointed David to be king because God could see that David had a good heart. But, David was not always a good person or a good ruler. One of the worst things David did was rape a woman – a married woman named Bathsheba. A pregnancy resulted from the rape. Uriah, her husband, was a loyal soldier who found in David’s army – David tried to bring him home to sleep with his wife, but Uriah was so loyal to David he refused to have relations with his wife until the war was over. So, David told his generals to intentionally place Uriah in harm’s way so that he would be killed. After his death, David forced Bathsheba to marry him. The baby who resulted from the rape was born, and he died in infancy. God was displeased with David.
We all would be displeased with David.
What made David different – different from Saul – different from other followers of God – was that he was capable of repentance. By the time David’s disaster with Bathsheba took place, Samuel was long dead. Nathan was the prophet and advisor who supported David. He confronted David for his massive error–his colossal mistake–and David was contrite. David repented. David understood he had done a series of wrongs, each one leading to the next, with terrible consequences.
David wrote Psalm 51 in response to his transgressions. Listen to a few stanzas from David’s prayer admitting his guilt and asking for repentance….he said:
10
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Amen
Message God Chooses David
How could God pick such a flawed man to lead the people of Israel? He was a rapist, a murderer, and a sinner. His lust led to the death of both a loyal soldier and a baby. His lust led to the destruction of Bathsheba’s content life and threw her into a chaotic mess. How could God pick a man like David?
David’s story is the very human story of a person who makes many, many mistakes, but truly repents and works to change his life for the better. David repented and actively worked to be a more loyal follower of God. David repented and actively worked to be a better leader of his family. David repented and actively worked to be a better leader of his country.
In ancient Israel, the role of a shepherd was always used as a metaphor for a king. God knew David’s heart was a shepherding heart – he had the qualities of a good shepherd, even though he made mistakes. Like David, we are called to embody the qualities that will make us good shepherds – and compassionate members of the Christian faith. We may not be called to lead a country, or an army, but we are called to put our Christian faith into action, and work to embody “shepherd” attitudes and care for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
A good shepherd is trustworthy – their people, and sheep, can rely on them. They treat their followers consistently with care…their followers feel safe and valued.
A good shepherd leads by example – demonstrating the behaviors and values they wish to instill in their followers. They embody dedication and integrity.
A good shepherd is compassionate and caring. They are attentive to the needs of their people (and sheep), provide support during difficult times, and celebrate the successes of their people.
A good shepherd establishes boundaries. They create safe environments where their people can thrive without fear of harm or confusion.
A good shepherd has endurance and commitment. What if David decided after a few months that being a king was no fun, so he ran away home? A good shepherd perseveres during challenging times. They remain committed to their people, even when faced with difficulties, and are willing to put in hard work.
A good shepherd listens and is understanding. They take time to listen to their people, understanding their concerns and aspirations.
A good shepherd provides guidance and direction. They lead their people towards positive paths and help them navigate challenges.
A good shepherd has humility. They recognize that their role is to serve their people, rather than dominate or control them.
The qualities of being a good shepherd were embodied by King David, even though he was a flawed person. The qualities of being a good shepherd were embodied by Jesus, even though he sometimes blew his fuse when he was exhausted or hungry. And, as followers of Christ, even though we have all made mistakes in our pasts (and will make mistakes again), we are called to embody the qualities of a good shepherd in our lives and as we serve God in the world. We are all called to be trustworthy; live out our values; have healthy boundaries; be compassionate and caring; have endurance and commitment; listen attentively to others and be understanding; provide valuable guidance and direction; and seek to be humble.
God judges people by their hearts. Let us work to embody God’s love and compassion in our hearts and as we live out our faith on earth.
Amen.
