After Israel rejected God as the King, God gave them the king they wanted. He gave them Saul. Saul would start well but ultimately be a failure because of pride, jealousy, lack of faith, and disobedience. God would fire Saul as king and anoint a new king for His people.
The next king would be David. In 1 Samuel 16, we learn about David’s early years. We learn that even as a young person, God worked in his life.
Consider three statements that sum up David’s youth.
It was a time of preparation.
- While grieving over God’s rejection of Saul, God tells Samuel to go and anoint the next king (1 Samuel 16:1-3). The next king would be a son of Jesse and come from the town of Bethlehem.
- Upon arriving in the town, the city’s elders trembled in fear (1 Samuel 16:4-5). They may have thought that Samuel came to announce judgment on them. Samuel told them that he came in peace and to consecrate themselves to offer a sacrifice unto the Lord. He also invited Jesse and his sons to the event.
- Samuel examined Jesse’s sons one by one (1 Samuel 16:6-10). God rejected all of them! Unlike Samuel, God was more concerned with the heart than physical appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). God’s next choice for a king wasn’t even invited to the sacrifice and was tending sheep.
- David was Jesse’s youngest son. While he may have appeared an unlikely choice, God had been preparing him for this work (1 Samuel 17:34-36).
- God continues to use the current circumstances of His people to prepare and equip them for future service (2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 1 Timothy 3:5).
It was a time of evaluation.
- What was the main thing that distinguished David from his brothers and King Saul? It was his heart (1 Samuel 13:14; 16:7; Acts 13:22). David possessed a heart full of integrity, faith, trust, humility, and reverence for God.
- God doesn’t judge and evaluate things that we do. God knows the heart and judges the heart!
- What does God see when He evaluates our hearts? Does He see humility, compassion, purity, and genuine faith (Matthew 5:8)?
- Or does He see pride, rebellion, partiality, jealousy, envy, hatred, and hypocrisy?
It was a time of expectation.
- David was probably between 15-20 years old when he was anointed by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:11-13). He wouldn’t be appointed king over Judah in Hebron until he was 30 (2 Samuel 5:4-5). He wouldn’t be made king over all of Israel until he was 37.
- Many events would occur in David’s life before he officially took the throne. Until then, he would continue being a shepherd and waiting on the Lord.
- We also must be patient and wait on the Lord. We must be patient in our prayers, spiritual growth, and maturity.
- Until the Lord is ready to do as He pleases with us, we work, serve, and be good stewards.
Conclusion:
God promised David that he would be the next king, and He will be faithful to that promise.