• Admin
• 0 Comments

NOT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE: DEFFINING THE NEW DIMENSION OF ISRAELS LEADER

NOT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE: DEFFINING THE NEW DIMENSION OF ISRAELS LEADER

 

(6)  When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." (7)  But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (8)  Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." (9)  Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." (10)  Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." (11)  So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." (12)  So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." (13)  So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:6 – 13 NIV)

Samuel is once again given the opportunity to identify the next king for Israel. It appears the identification of Saul in the first scenario had set some precedence as such Samues is coming into this assignment very much pre occupies with previous characteristics. Someone to fight the wars, tall handsome and well built. And somehow God allowed him to exhaust all that was available with such characteristics. But this time God had a different agenda to demonstrate to the nation of Israel. They had compared themselves enough with their neighbors wanting to be at par as far as who their leaders were at the top. God is now bringing in a different dimension. Not the physical stature, but the innermost characteristics. It seems with this new king, attention is not only going to be physical battles against Philistines and the like, but moral, integrity and spiritual battles against inner battles. 

Gods statement "Do not consider his appearance …...the LORD looks at the heart." Addresses both Israel’s problem and Samuels’s carry forward check list. With all such appearances Saul had failed Israel miserably. God is bringing in the dimension of a leader at heart. Probably such a dimension will be more obedient to heavenly directives than physical demands. When all possible candidates were considered and not chosen there came a description of the least and not fit to be candidate. Youngest and tending sheep. It is surprising that while Jesse was told to bring his sons to the function David was not invited. In the end, he was the one who was anointed. First, the choice of David was Gods drive to intervene in the people’s wrong mindset of who should be their leaders. Second, by making the attention towards the heart, God may have been wanting to have the Israelites focus on their internal relationship with God first and their relationship with the outer world later. When the internal relationship with God was resolved their outer fears with neighbors would automatically be resolved as well. Probably in David, this was the new dimension that was being taken.

Good Morning

Reflections From SCOM

 

 

 

 

 

.