But The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but The Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)

In 1 Samuel 16, God told his prophet, Samuel, to stop mourning over Saul and find the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1). Samuel, like many of us, thought physical appeal mattered most when choosing a ruler. God, however, had something else in mind. And so began the story of David, the next king of Israel. 

A King Was Not In The Original Plan

In the book of Joshua, Israel’s leader, Joshua, gave a full breakdown of the requirements of serving God in the promised land. He did not force the Israelites to follow the requirements but Instead gave an option for them to not walk in the ways of The Lord. Joshua, however, declared that he and his family would serve The Lord in the manner God desired (Joshua 24:15). The Israelites followed his lead by also declaring, “We too will serve The Lord” (Joshua 24:18).

Reading the strong response of the Israelites in Joshua 24 next to the nation’s decision in 1 Samuel 8 to be like other nations and pursue a king they could see is disheartening. It was never God’s intention to have a governing system that included a king the people could see. He wanted to be their King. He wanted to speak directly to His people through the mouthpiece of Samuel and other prophets He would choose. This arrangement, however, was not what the people wanted. So they went back on their declaration to serve The Lord and decided to be like those around them.

Does this sound familiar? How many times have we gone back on our promises to be more devoted to God because others aren’t “doing all of that” and “it’s not that deep”? Oh, but it is that deep! God is looking for us to keep our vows to Him and serve Him the way He desires. 

Saul Was Wicked So God Chose David

Even though a human king was not God’s plan for Israel, God did not stop them from getting what they wanted (1 Samuel 8:22). The people chose Saul, and he was wicked. Meanwhile, God rejected Saul and chose David to be his successor. 

Not The King Anyone Was Expecting

David was a shepherd boy who couldn’t fit a soldier’s armor (1 Samuel 17:38-40). He was excluded from the lineup of potential choices for king because of his place in society (1 Samuel 16:11-12). Some would say he just wasn’t important enough to be considered for such a significant role as king of Israel. 

But God saw things differently. 

God saw a boy who was courageous enough to stand up to a giant (1 Samuel 17:45). He saw a boy who protected his sheep even to the point of putting his life on the line (1 Samuel 17:34-37). God saw David who would make a ton of mistakes in his adult life but would always manage to come back to the One who called him from the start (Psalm 51:7). God saw a king. 

Final Thought

It’s easy to want to be like people around us (“the other nations”) and reject what God has said because things don’t appear as we think they should. We, however, have to take on the spirit of Samuel in such times. 

Samuel did not rebel against God and anoint a king simply because he looked the part. He instead accepted God’s correction and waited for direction on who he should anoint. David was chosen because his heart posture was towards God. May we, too, have a heart that pleases The Father. 

Reflections

1. Have there been times when you made decisions based on what your eyes could see? How did things work out?
2. How will you cultivate your relationship with God this week so that your heart is turned towards Him?