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Israel was now an independent group of people, living in the land that God had given them. The period of time after Joshua passed away was really quite disturbing. The book of Judges is filled with the phrase, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes”. As people did whatever they felt was right they drifted far from God. Israel was in turmoil. As Israel set out to do whatever they wanted, they desired to be like everyone else. They wanted a king rather than God as their leader. Israel was a Theocracy rather than a monarchy. God was their leader not a human. The infinitely wise, all knowing, all powerful God was their leader, but they wanted a king. God warned them through His prophet Samuel that this was not what they wanted, but God allowed them to have a king. Saul was chosen to be King of Israel. God rejected Saul as king after He disobeyed God’s command and Samuel was sent to find the next king that would lead Israel. From the lineage of this man would come the Messiah.
The choosing of David really seems to be quite an odd story that many of you will probably relate to. We will find out a lot about God through the choosing of David.

“Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.” But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”   “Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.” So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?” “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too. When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.” –I Samuel 16:1-13 NLT-

     God had already pronounced to Saul that he would not be king for much longer. God sent Samuel to find the next king of Israel, but he was afraid. Samuel made it to Bethlehem and spoke with Jesse, who God had told him to speak with.   Jesse brought his sons to sacrifice with Samuel as he had been asked to do and this is where we will begin talking about this.
“When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him." Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought that he was the one. Eliab looked like the next leader of Israel. I am sure he looked like a tall, strong, and handsome leader. Samuel knew that he was the one, but God told Him something that we would all do well to remember. “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.” God had not chosen Eliab as king. It is a reminder to us that we as God’s chosen people are, most of the time, not going to be in the upper sphere of society. People spend so much time trying to make Christianity cool, when it is never going to be cool, it is never going to be friendly with the world. The message we bring does not make sense to the world, and is not attractive to the world; even though it is the only way to God. Listen to what Paul says,

“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. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 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? 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. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." –I Corinthians 1:18-30 ESV-

   “the word of the cross is folly (foolishness) to those who are perishing” Our message of salvation is foolishness and stupidity to this lost and dying world whose understanding has been darkened by the God of this age. In Paul’s next letter to the same church he said this. “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” –II Corinthians 4:3-4 ESV- People do not want to believe the message we bring unless God in His power and might works in the person first. Satan has blinded the mind of the unbeliever leaving them unable to come to Christ or to see the way that you live as wise. “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?” Where are the people who are considered wise today? They are not here, and what is the reason Paul gives for this. “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” If you look around at those who are truly Christians, that is bearing fruit of their salvation, you will see that God really has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the wise.

   I think a look at a few people’s lives would help us here.

Charles Spurgeon, who is admired by almost all modern day preachers, often faced bouts of depression. He once said this about himself,

“Down on my knees have I often fallen, with the hot sweat rising from my brow under some fresh slander poured upon me; in an agony of grief my heart has been well-nigh broken...This thing I hope I can say from my heart: If to be made as the mire of the streets again, if to be the laughing stock of fools and the song of the drunkard once more will make me more serviceable to my Master, and more useful to his cause, I will prefer it to all this multitude, or to all the applause that man could give.”

Moses had a speech impediment, and was very conscious of it.

Elijah had depression problems and at times melted under pressure.

Jeremiah had zero followers the entire time he was preaching for the people to repent. Peter always seemed to have a knack for putting his foot in his mouth.

James and John were overeager and seemed to have bad tempers, so much so that they earned the nick name “The Sons of Thunder”

David himself that we are talking about here seems to have been absolutely insane in his emotional ups and downs in the Psalms. His moods range from God you are always near me to God why have you forsaken me and at times his mood changes 2 or 3 times per page. Jesus was despised by the world and Paul actually calls him “a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” The Jews felt that anyone hung on a tree that was cursed, which was the point of the crucifixion. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" –Galatians 3:13 ESV- Paul was quoting Deuteronomy 21:23. Jewish people today still say that there Messiah could never be a cursed person, but He was. He was made a curse for us. The Greeks thought that belief in Christ was ridiculous, because Jesus was fully God yet He came to earth.   Jesus humbled Himself and was made a curse for us. This made the thought of following Jesus foolishness. “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God”

   God overlooked every one of the brothers that were present. God overlooked all 7 of David’s brothers one at a time. David’s father had left David out shepherding. “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.” God had chosen the next king. God chose David to rule the kingdom after Saul. Isaiah 11 is devoted to the “root of Jesse” that would be the Messiah that would deliver the people from their sins. God’s promise of redemption would be fulfilled through David, whom no one thought would be the next king. Not even his own father Jesse.

We should each look at our own lives and see our shortcomings. As we look we will see that God chose us despite what we were, rather than because of who we are.

Dwain Minor