We make hundreds of choices every day. We make simple decisions such as what to eat for breakfast. We make harder choices such which puppy to adopt. According to the Bible, even God has to make choices. Our story today tells us about God's unlikely choice for king of Israel.
We makes our choices based on some kind of yardstick. He comes from money. She's beautiful. Smart as a whip. Fast as lightening. These are phrases of measurement. We keep score. It seems to be part of our fallen human nature. The one who dies with the most toys wins.
Taking this philosophy to the extreme may become dangerous. Already, wealthier people are able to enhance their beauty through plastic surgery. In the next couple of decades procedures to enhance our mental abilities are likely to be legal, available, and possibly expensive. Imagine a world where you can purchase an upgrade to your mental abilities. A world where memory is enhanced, concentration increased, and problem solving ability multiplied.
So called "brain steroids" are widely used on American college campuses. We've heard about high school and professional athletes using steroids to gain a competitive advantage. Some high school and college students now use prescription drugs to increase mental abilities as they cram for exams. According to a story in this week's Washington Post "brain steroids" can be purchased on many campuses for as little as $3 to $5 per pill, though they are often obtained free from friends with legitimate prescriptions, students report.
Students using brain drugs such as adderall and ritalin are often the best students. They want to achieve a 4.0 grade point average instead of a mere 3.8 grade point average. They are, in a sense, the best of us. They mirror our desperation for success. We want to excel. We want to be the smartest and richest and most beautiful people we can be. We want to be recognized, admired and loved by the people we respect. And there is even a spiritual dimension to our desire to excel. For we want God in heaven to notice us and approve of us and say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." The craving for God's approval is a good and noble desire. Yet God's measurement is based on a different criterion. God is not impressed with physical beauty. Bank accounts and stock portfolios do not impress the Holy Spirit. Jesus describes God as owning the cattle on a thousand hills. According to our story today, God uses a different yardstick when God judges people. Let's take a look at this remarkable story.
God sends the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king in Israel. This is a dangerous mission for Samuel since the current King Saul is still alive and intends to continue being king. Even so, God orders Samuel to anoint another king from one of the sons of Jesse. Samuel courageously goes and finds Jesse and gets all Jesse's sons to gather for a ritual to anoint a new king of Israel.
When Jesse's sons arrive, Samuel takes one look at Eliab and thinks, "Here he is! God's anointed!" Samuel's choice of Eliab was made on his first impression. In the intriguing book called "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking," author Malcolm Gladwell argues that our best choices are the ones we make without thinking. Often Gladwell is right. As his book illustrates, our first impressions are often correct. However, that is not true in every case. And it was not true in the case of Samuel anointing a new king of Israel.
Samuel's first impression was to anoint Eliab as king. But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him from consideration as king. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." God's judgement goes beneath the surface all the way down into our heart. God knows our intentions and motivations.
In his ministry, Jesus provides an excellent illustration of how God judges people based on their heart. Jesus enters a house there where he doesn't think he will be found, but he can't escape notice. He is barely inside when a woman who has a disturbed daughter hears where he is. She comes in and kneels at his feet, begging for help. The woman was a Gentile, a Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.
He said, "Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there's any left over, the dogs get it."
She said, "Of course, Master. But don't dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?"
Jesus was impressed. This woman had heart. She was not from the right race, she did not practice the right religion, she may not have been attractive. But she had heart. She had spunk. She was determined. She was humble. Jesus said to her: "You're right! Dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children. On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone." She goes home and finds her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good. Jesus gazed into this woman's heart and responded to her cry for help.
Jesus was called the Son of David because he was literally a descendant of King David. Our story today tells us how God chose David to be King of Israel. The prophet Samuel gathers the sons of Jesse and from them the Lord will choose one to be King of Israel. Samuel's first impression says Eliab should be anointed king. God disagrees and says Eliab is not the one.
Jesse then called up his son Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, "This man isn't God's choice either."
Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, "No, this man isn't either."
Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, "God hasn't chosen any of these."
Then he asked Jesse, "Is this it? Are there no more sons?"
"Well, yes, there's the runt. But he's out tending the sheep."
Samuel ordered Jesse, "Go get him. We're not moving from this spot until he's here."
Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health— bright-eyed, good-looking. Even so, David had done nothing to merit being chosen as king. In the story, David utters not one word. David merely appears when he is summoned. God is the main character in this story.
God said, "Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one." Our story gives no explanation for why God chose David. The Psalmist will later explain why God chose David to be King of Israel.
You love the right
and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
from among your dear companions. (Psalm 45:7)
and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
from among your dear companions. (Psalm 45:7)
Samuel takes his flask of oil and anoints David as King of Israel, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God enters David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowers him for the rest of his life.
Samuel leaves and goes home to Ramah. Such is the life of a prophet. We go where God tells us to go and do what God tells us even when doing so is dangerous. Even when doing so means learning to use another yardstick to measure people. Even when we must lay aside our cultural heritage and current worldview and learn a new way of measuring people as God does, according to their heart.
The Bible claims God who uses a different criterion for judgment. God tells Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with looks and stature. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart."
In Matthew 5, Jesus describes how different the world would look if humans judged people according to their hearts. If the world judged people according to their hearts then the meek would be ruling the earth, those who mourn would be finding comfort, and the poor would be inheriting the earth.
Jesus' vision is right in line with the God he calls "Abba," meaning "Daddy." The story of God's choice of David is a story of expectations reversed. The last is made first. God chooses the runt of the litter to serve as king. God looks below the surface. God looks into our heart. Let's judge one another like God judges us, according to our heart. Since we have no x-ray vision this will be difficult. In fact, we may find judging people according to their heart to be beyond our ability as human beings. Perhaps that is why in our story for today God gets to choose the King of Israel. And God chooses David, an unlikely choice.
