David is anointed & joins Saul's staff

1 Samuel Chapter 16

The Lord told Samuel that he had mourned long enough for Saul and the Lord rejected him as king of Israel. The Lord told Samuel to go to Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse, for his son would be the new king.

But Samuel was afraid if Saul discovered what he was doing, he would kill him. So the Lord told him to take a heifer with him and say that he had come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will show you which of his sons to anoint. So Samuel did as the Lord instructed and when he arrived in Bethlehem, the leaders of the town asked his reason for being there and he answered to have a sacrifice to the Lord. And he invited Jesse and all his sons.

When they arrived, Samuel thought perhaps Eliab might be the anointed one, but the Lord told Samuel to not judge by appearance or height. The Lord did not make decisions based upon outward appearance, but looks at a person's thoughts and intentions.

Then Jesse told each of his sons to walk in front of Samuel, but none of his seven sons was chosen. Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons and was told the youngest David was in the fields watching the sheep. David was sent for and was ruddy and handsome, with pleasant eyes and the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him." So as David stood among his brothers, Samuel took the olive oil he had brought and poured it on David's head and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

Now the Spirit of the Lord left Saul and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled Saul with depression and fear. His servants suggested that a musician might play the harp for Saul and take his mind off whatever was tormenting him. The son of Jesse was a talented harp player and brave and strong, Saul was told. So Saul sent a message to Jesse to send his son David, the shepherd. Jesse responded by sending David along with a young goat and donkey loaded with food and wine. David went to Saul and served him. Saul liked David so much that he made him one of his own armor bearers.

Then Saul send word to Jesse requesting that David join his staff. Whenever the tormenting spirits from God troubled Saul, David would play his harp and the spirits would go away.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Samuel seemed to be looking for someone handsome to replace Saul as King. But God warned him about judging by outward appearance. Only God can see the inside of a person.
David was anointed in secret. But although Saul was still king, God was preparing David for future responsibilities. Though God rejected Saul's kingship by not allowing any of his descendant to sit on Israel's throne, Saul himself remained in his position until his death.
A harp playing shepherd? Harps were known for their soothing music.Some harps had up to 40 strings and were louder than lyres. David was known as a skilled harpist and musician who would eventually write many of the psalms found in the Bible.
When Saul asked David to be in his service, he didn't know about David being secretly annointed. But the invitation to be on Saul's staff presented a great opportunity for the young man to gain information about leading a nation.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Many of us spend hours a week maintaining our outward appearance. We should spend even more time to develop our inner character. Everyone sees our face,but only you and God know what your heart really looks like.
Sometimes our plans, even ones that God approved, can be put on hold indefinitely. Like David being forced to work on Saul's staff, he used his time to learn about running a nation. We can do this too. No matter what our circumstances, we can choose to learn and grow.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Arlene’s nephew David, Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family and my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, is now able to speak and is working on rehab for paralysis. Pray for Robert Sargent with lung cancer and Marthaline Sargent with serious health issues. Update on Stella: She is 10 weeks old and has her own room at the hospital. The doctors continue to experiment with respirators, but her parents can see progress in her lung activity. Pray also for healing of Mark after brain surgery and my friend Elaine who underwent surgery. Pray also for Craig who is undergoing heart tests. These folks need your prayers so badly. Let’s all raise our voices to God to hear our prayers.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.