1 Samuel 16
Today's Passage: 1 Samuel 16
There are several aspects of 1st Samuel 16 that fascinate me. First, Samuel grieved the Lord’s rejection of Saul—even as he was the one who pronounced the Lord’s rejection. Sin has severe consequences. Agag’s demise provides a prime example. I don’t know about you, but it hurts to walk beside someone who can’t seem to get out of their own way. That person that knows what obedience is but prefers sin. Samuel’s grief mirrors our own when we see the path a person is on, yet who’s hard heart will not let them turn from destruction.
Secondly, when Saul was chosen as king the people rejoiced at his stature. Yet, by chapter 16, his heart for the Lord has been found wanting. David’s selection as king came as a surprise, even to Samuel. Here we receive the often-quoted verse, “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.”
David would be a great warrior. He would slay Goliath and many more of Israel’s enemies. He would expand the boarders of Israel during his reign. He would be the greatest king in Israel’s history. His reign will forever be considered the “golden-age.” Yet, as a small boy, it was hard to picture that David was a better choice than any of his older, bigger, brothers. However, what David had that the others did not was a heart for the Lord. It’s that heart, when fully devoted, that led to his success.
Finally, skipping back up to verse 4, the elders were “trembling” when they approached Samuel. We don’t often talk or think about what it means to “fear the Lord.” However, in the Old Testament, that was the expression for salvation. Disobedience, by its very nature, means we’re fearing something more than the Lord. When I disobey the Lord to gratify my sin, my fear of the Lord is small and my fear of discomfort is great. If a person struggles with something like unforgiveness, their fear of the Lord is small and their fear of further heartache, humiliation, or some other pain is great. If we really feared the Lord and the consequences of sin more than the discomfort or patience required for obedience, then we wouldn’t sin. Yet, none of us are perfect.
What stood out to you in this story?
Written By: Tyler Short
There are several aspects of 1st Samuel 16 that fascinate me. First, Samuel grieved the Lord’s rejection of Saul—even as he was the one who pronounced the Lord’s rejection. Sin has severe consequences. Agag’s demise provides a prime example. I don’t know about you, but it hurts to walk beside someone who can’t seem to get out of their own way. That person that knows what obedience is but prefers sin. Samuel’s grief mirrors our own when we see the path a person is on, yet who’s hard heart will not let them turn from destruction.
Secondly, when Saul was chosen as king the people rejoiced at his stature. Yet, by chapter 16, his heart for the Lord has been found wanting. David’s selection as king came as a surprise, even to Samuel. Here we receive the often-quoted verse, “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.”
David would be a great warrior. He would slay Goliath and many more of Israel’s enemies. He would expand the boarders of Israel during his reign. He would be the greatest king in Israel’s history. His reign will forever be considered the “golden-age.” Yet, as a small boy, it was hard to picture that David was a better choice than any of his older, bigger, brothers. However, what David had that the others did not was a heart for the Lord. It’s that heart, when fully devoted, that led to his success.
Finally, skipping back up to verse 4, the elders were “trembling” when they approached Samuel. We don’t often talk or think about what it means to “fear the Lord.” However, in the Old Testament, that was the expression for salvation. Disobedience, by its very nature, means we’re fearing something more than the Lord. When I disobey the Lord to gratify my sin, my fear of the Lord is small and my fear of discomfort is great. If a person struggles with something like unforgiveness, their fear of the Lord is small and their fear of further heartache, humiliation, or some other pain is great. If we really feared the Lord and the consequences of sin more than the discomfort or patience required for obedience, then we wouldn’t sin. Yet, none of us are perfect.
What stood out to you in this story?
Written By: Tyler Short
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