Pam Padgett ... teacher
God told Samuel that HE had chosen a king from among the sons of Jesse and sent Samuel to anoint him. But the whole way was not revealed to Samuel in the beginning.
As Samuel took a step, then he was shown another step to take.
First, God told Samuel to go to Jesse in Bethlehem, taking oil with him. God had chosen one of Jesse's sons to be king, but Samuel was not yet shown which son God had chosen ...
1 Samuel 16:1 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou
mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?
fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the
Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
Samuel was concerned that Saul would kill him for doing this, and
brought this concern to God. God told him how to handle this by taking a heifer to sacrifice to the Lord and calling Jesse
to the sacrifice. Still Samuel did not know which son was to be anointed, but God told Samuel that HE would show
this to him ...
1 Samuel 16:2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he
will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am
come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I
will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him
whom I name unto thee.
Samuel did as God instructed, going to Bethlehem and calling Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice. When Samuel saw Jesse's son, Eliab,
Samuel thought surely this was the son chosen by God. But God had refused
Eliab, and instructed Samuel to not look on the outward appearance for
God looks on the heart ...
1 Samuel 16:4 And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came
to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and
said, Comest thou peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to
sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the
sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the
sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on
Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord 's anointed is before him. 7 But the
Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of
his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man
seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh
on the heart.
One by one as Jesse's sons passed before Samuel, but God had not chosen any of those present ...
1 Samuel 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before
Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 9 Then Jesse
made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And
Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
All of Jesse's son who were there had passed by Samuel and none had been
chosen. Yet God had told Samuel that one of Jesse's sons had been
chosen to be king. Samuel asked Jesse if he had any other sons. Only
one son hadn't been brought in, the youngest who was keeping the
sheep ...
1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy
children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he
keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for
we will not sit down till he come hither.
David, Jesse's youngest son, came and God revealed that this is the son HE had chosen. Then, as God instructed, Samuel anointed David ...
1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he
was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.
And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13 Then Samuel
took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and
the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel
rose up, and went to Ramah.
Although God knew from the beginning that David was the one HE had
chosen to be king, it was HIS will to teach and lead Samuel step by step. As Samuel
turned to God when he had concerns and took each step he was given, God
led Samuel to anoint David whom HE had chosen.
Often we are led by God in the same way, being shown just a single step
to take. If we have questions or concerns, we take those to God to be resolved. And
as we take each step before us, we are shown the next step, all
according to the will of God.