Life of David Part 1: 1 Samuel 16
This Life of David series outlines my study for my current Sunday morning series for the middle school youth group I lead. This writing series will show how I broke down each chapter and what general points I used in teaching this to middle schoolers. Hopefully, it will help you in teaching something on the life of David.
Many things can come to mind when a person thinks of King David. Some may think of his fight with Goliath, others may remember his falling with Bathsheba, while others reflect on him as a man on the run. Regardless of which element a person focuses on, David's story must be kept in context with his beginning. 1 Samuel 16 outlines how David was anointed as king and turns him from a mighty Bible character to a relatable person.
1. Seeking A New King
Verse 1 begins the story of King David:
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.”
This teaching series is beginning in 1 Samuel 16, which means time is needed at the beginning of this message to unpack who Saul was and why a nation with a king began looking for another. Chapter 15 shows Saul actively disobeying commands God had given to him, particularly regarding how Israel should go forward with military plans and how the nation should handle the spoils of war. What's ultimately important to show is that Israel asked for a king in disobedience to God and received one who went on to disobey God. Things that start in disobedience have a tendency of ending there as well. Saul still remained king over Israel, but Samuel was told to find God's new man.
Samuel reflects on his problem in verses 2-3:
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.”
With Saul becoming unhinged, searching for his replacement under his nose would be tricky. Rather than relying on his own craftiness, Samuel brings his problem right to the Lord. This gives us a small insight into why God chose to deal with Samuel instead of Saul. Samuel becomes our first example of faith and obedience in the chapter and in David's life as a whole.
With a plan in place, Samuel acts on it in verses 4-5:
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.
Sometimes we wait for a plan to be fully formed until we begin. Samuel fully trusts God and inserts himself into a situation where he has to trust that God will show him the right way to go. This creates one of the main questions of the chapter: will God be faithful to finish the plan He started? This may feel like the question of our lives, which makes the rest of the chapter such an encouraging example.
2. Searching For The Right Heart
The right way to judge a person is shown in verses 6-7:
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.”
Even while being fully obedient, Samuel couldn't help having an opinion. As far as he was concerned, God had been faithful to guide the search for a new king. But these verses reveal one of the most fundamental truths in all of Scripture: God doesn't regard outward forms like we do; God is concerned with a person's inward character. We can easily be like Samuel and flock towards those who are outwardly impressive. God would have us be more careful than that. Saul was outwardly impressive, had a sinful heart, and was rejected from God's service. Evaluating people through the wrong means can wind up with us accepting those whom God has rejected.
The search for a king continues in verses 8-10:
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.”
This was certainly a discouraging situation for Samuel. As far as he could tell, God was instructing him to not fulfill his mission of finding a new king. Risking his life to defy Saul hardly would have seemed worth it without results. And yet, he knew God was the one saying these sons weren't the right guys. These situations can discourage us, but if we sense we're following God's voice, we shouldn't lose heart.
Samuel was about to find who he was looking for in verses 11-12:
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.”
Finally we meet the future king. Despite not being welcomed at the original ceremony, God called out the lowly David to become the new leader of Israel. David was such an unlikely candidate for kingship that he wasn't even invited by his own father to a sacrifice with Samuel. This is just like God. Those who are most used in God's service must remember they join a long line of people who were no good anywhere else. God loves to use the lowly for big purposes.
The search fully culminates in David's anointing in verse 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.
This was the great thing Saul lacked. Saul definitely experienced God's Spirit at work, but he slowly learned to resist the voice of God. For David, the only qualifying characteristic we can see is that God's Spirit was upon him. That was enough for David to do wonderful things. For our lives today, we can think about whether or not we have the qualifications to do this or that, but what ultimately matters is whether or not God's Spirit is at work in us.
3. Waiting For God's Work
While God calls David, other matters needed to be worked out. Those situations begin to fall into place in verses 14-17:
Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”
In direct contrast to the Spirit blessing David, we see Saul fall victim to a tormenting spirit. Certainly, we see the principle that disobedience does not end in an enviable position. Saul's sin has harmed him and now he needs to be comforted. This is the first of many troubling picture of a man who set his heart against God and paid dearly for it.
In verses 18-20, God begins his providential work:
One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.
Without Samuel saying a word, one of Saul's servants asks for David to be brought into Saul's court. David did nothing to try to make God's word come to pass, but God was already beginning the work of getting David where he needed to be. Not only that, but Saul was asking for David to stay with him. When circumstances seem like they could never change, God loves to find ways to bring about His purposes. Followers of Jesus don't need to concern themselves with finding ways to make God's plan happen; they only need to sit back and let God do His work.
The chapter concludes with verses 21-23:
And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
Though God put David in the palace that would once be his, it was not at first to take over. David was willing to be a humble servant and do his best to help his king. While God may show that He is at work quickly, He is never in a rush to do something immediately. For David, this is just the first step towards becoming king.
For people reading this passage today, it brings up the theme of having a right heart towards God. Saul wanted to remain disobedient and found himself rejected and afflicted. David wanted to be loyal to God and found himself prompted from shepherd to king. Ultimately, God is not after the great and mighty. Instead, God turns the humble into the mighty. In teaching this passage, there's a great opportunity to ask whether or not the people you're teaching are fully right with God. Maybe some are putting on a show, maybe others think their actions are saving them. Whatever the case, this passage can be a tool God uses to remind people that God doesn't see like man sees; God looks at the heart.