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Scripture Text (NRSV)
1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13
15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in
Gibeah of Saul.
15:35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but
Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made
Saul king over Israel.
16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I
have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with
oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I
have provided for myself a king among his sons."
16:2 Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill
me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have
come to sacrifice to the LORD.'
16:3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you
shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you."
16:4 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?"
16:5 He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD;
sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he
sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
16:6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the
Lord's anointed is now before the LORD."
16:7 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 does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He
said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one."
16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the
LORD chosen this one."
16:10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel
said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."
16:11 Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said,
"There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And
Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down
until he comes here."
16:12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had
beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint
him; for this is the one."
16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the
presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily
upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to
Ramah.
Comments:
Kent in Quebec
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Hi!
I think I am going to talk about David this week -
not just this little bit, but a lot more.
In so doing, one runs into topics of human nature
(imperfect) and leadership (also imperfect) and
God's faithfulness to us even when we are
imperfect.
Also, topics of expectations - Jesse did not
bother summoning David to see Samuel because it
could not be him - too young. Should have been
the eldest. God is not restricted to our
expectations....
peace
kent
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
Rev. G. in Indiana
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In light of Father's day: I think the text
(June
18 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13) speaks of the expectation
of fathers. Jesse the father of David, had an
expectation for the destiny of his seven sons.
David was left to tend the sheep. God made him
king of the nation. The question is, what is the
effect of our earthly father's expectations versus
our Heavenly Fathers' expectation and call over
our lives. What lives and dreams have been lost
and aborted because earthly fathers have and
continue to set low or non-existant expectations
for their children.
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
AF
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The LORD sends the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem,
where he anoints David, the youngest of the sons
of Jesse.
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
dale
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How can we pastors grow positive heart
conditions? How can we loose the Holy Spirit on
our congregations to transform people’s hearts and
thereby their lives? Perhaps prayer is the answer.
Perhaps it is fervent prayer!
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
RevMom
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In conjunction with the Mark 4 text for this
week,
the title I'm using is "Seeds of Hope".
The Samuel passage is filled with hope, with the
introduction of David. It is, however, hope which
we do not expect. It is once again God's great
reversal of the world's expectations, in the form
of a shepherd boy from the south. A good reminder
to all of us that we are to be faithful; we never
know how, why, or when, God is going to use us.
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
RevMom
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In conjunction with the Mark 4 text for this
week,
the title I'm using is "Seeds of Hope".
The Samuel passage is filled with hope, with the
introduction of David. It is, however, hope which
we do not expect. It is once again God's great
reversal of the world's expectations, in the form
of a shepherd boy from the south. A good reminder
to all of us that we are to be faithful; we never
know how, why, or when, God is going to use us.
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
Phil in KS
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I am struck by 15:35 "the Lord was sorry he
had made Saul king..."
God is saddened by letting the people push God
into making a King for them. God knows we need
only good leaders and not kings. Maybe the same
holds true today. Some pastors see themselves as
king/queen and not pastor.
It is now David who holds the leadership role and
he too is all too human. But still God tries to
lead through the leader. Can such leadership
happen today?
I hope so.
It is good God senses sorrow and sadness
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
Phil in KS
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I am struck by 15:35 "the Lord was sorry he
had made Saul king..."
God is saddened by letting the people push God
into making a King for them. God knows we need
only good leaders and not kings. Maybe the same
holds true today. Some pastors see themselves as
king/queen and not pastor.
It is now David who holds the leadership role and
he too is all too human. But still God tries to
lead through the leader. Can such leadership
happen today?
I hope so.
It is good God senses sorrow and sadness
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
Mike in KS
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Very good observation RevMom! One of the major
themes in the Old Testament is that of the
unexpected underdog being God's chosen. (Not to
mention those ideas would have had a lot of appeal
to an underdog nation.) However, it seems a bit
too trite to say, "Your outward qualities
don't matter, and God can choose even the smallest
and least expected." It's a canned message.
However, I think your method may be a fresh
presentation of an old theme.
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
Martha in Ontario
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Our congregation is in the process of locating
our
own building (we currently lease space from
another congregation). We will probably be moving
into that new building in the course of the next
three months or so.
I'm planning to use the David story, as it unfolds
in the lectionary, to highlight different aspects
of that process and the move--the power of God to
select and pinpoint what seems insignificant to
us, but is very significant to God; leadership as
a challenge to both the leader and the led; the
idea of God's purposes being played out, even if
we are not there to see them (David didn't build
God's temple, Solomon did, for example), and so
on.
I see the whole David story as a powerful metaphor
for a congregation coming into its own, not for
its own convenience or glory, or even so that it
will grow, but in order to do God's work better--a
new building as a call from God to minister in
that place.
Stay tuned to see how it goes!
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
CHB
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My sermon title is "SIZE MATTERS". I
figured that may catch someone's eye, especially
on Father's Day. As you may guess, i'm focusing on
how God can do great things through small things,
like David and a mustard seed. I'm thinking of
illustrations, like Mother Teresa and Allan
Boesak, but wanting something else. ANy ideas out
there....?
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| Posted by |
Comments: |
Rick in Canada, eh?
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Hi all.
Many of you have already "seen" the fact
that God chose the least, last, smallest, etc.
A helpful insight.
However, it seems to me that it goes far beyond,
"God can use even me." I think this is
reminding us that "God can use even
THEM," those whom we don't expect (as Jesse
and sons, and, dare I say, Samuel didn't expect).
This is not a call to "see" God in
ourseleves and our little efforts; this is a Call
to "see" God in the Other, the outsider,
the sinner... as one speaker put it, "we
discover God in the last place we would reasonably
look."
Happy looking!
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