The Basis of God's Choice

When the Israelites wanted a king, and God finally gave in to their demands, He instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul to be their first king. I Samuel 9 tells us that Saul’s father was a man of wealth, that Saul himself was very handsome, and that he was the tallest man in the land.
Wealthy, tall, dark, and handsome—the kind of guy every little girl dreams of marrying when she grows up. And Saul was certainly the kind of guy everyone would expect to have as king. He was the most obvious choice. And he was the man God chose to be the king. It was the perfect situation. That is, until Saul’s true character came out. After his repeated disobedience to God, God had to reject him as king.
So in I Sam. 16, God sent Samuel to a little obscure village called Bethlehem. There, he was to have a church service, and God told Samuel, “Make sure invite a man named Jesse to church. One of his sons is going to replace Saul as king.”
So they held the church service. Jesse came to church, bringing his family with him. They offered the sacrifice. Maybe Samuel preached a sermon and led them in a verse or two of “Amazing Grace” (everyone knows Samuel was a good Baptist). Then the time came to anoint the next king.
Samuel stood up, glanced at Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, and thought, “There. That’s him. A big, strong, tall, handsome guy. Just like Saul. Perfect stock for being a king.” But before he could call Eliab forward to be anointed, God told Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him” (v. 7).
So Samuel took a look at Jesse’s next son, and then his next, and then his next, and on down the line. Each time, God said, “No, that’s not him.” After looking at seven fine young men, each of whom God rejected, I wonder if Samuel wasn’t a bit confused. “But God, you told me to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king. Now they’re all here, and You’ve rejected them all. I’m beginning to look like a fool.”
Ah, but they were not all there. Everyone forgot the runt of the litter. David, the youngest, the least important. All they used him for was to tend the sheep. But surely, God’s not going to make this little shepherd boy the next king of Israel, is He? What could a kid like that know about being a king?
Pastor Wil’s sermon this past Sunday pointed out that the basis of God’s choice is contrary to human reasoning. The latter half of I Sam. 16:7 says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
Second, we saw that God’s choice is conditioned upon the heart’s response (to God). If God looks on the heart, what did God see when He looked upon David’s heart? The overall testimony of the Bible is that David was a man who loved God and who praised God. And his praise to God was an expression of his love for God.
Finally, we saw that the basis of God’s choice is characterized by heavenly recognition. That is, God will always let us know who His choice is. Verse 12 of our text tells us that when David came in, God told Samuel, “There! That’s him. I’m going to make him the next king of Israel. Anoint him.” It was clear, unmistakable instruction from God. In addition, verse 13 says that after Samuel anointed David, “The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.”
For the Christian, this last point is not to be missed. When God chooses to use you in a certain way, His Holy Spirit will enable you to do what He has called you to do. So often, we shy away from serving God in a way that He might be calling us toward, because we feel we are not capable of it. We’re not up to the task. But I am reminded of a song lyric I have heard, which says, “God doesn’t always call the equipped, but He will equip the called.”
And how does God equip us? In the same way He equipped David for kingship. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do what God calls us to do.
With that in mind, let us not miss the point that God often calls the least likely to do great things for God. The reason He calls the least likely is so that, when they, in the power of the Holy Spirit, do that which they couldn’t do on their own, God gets all the glory.


Some Questions to Consider

1. To what area(s) of ministry might God be calling me?

2. Do I feel capable and qualified for what I sense God may be calling me to? Does that call coincide with my spiritual gifts, natural talents, and abilities?

3. What fears do I have about serving God? Am I willing to surrender those fears to Him and trust Him to enable me to do what He wants me to do?