Anointed as Israel's Shepherd

1 Samuel 16:1-13

In this account, we learn how David was chosen to be the King of Israel.  Of Jesse's sons, he was the least likely to be chosen.  In fact, Jesse didn't even bring him along to meet Samuel.  Once all of Jesse's other son's were rejected by God, Samuel asked for David to be brought before him.  God saw something in David that no one else saw.  Because of what God saw in David's heart, he instructed Samuel to anoint David as the future King of Israel.

God does work in mysterious ways.  Sometimes I think he chooses the least likely in order to show us the greatest miracles.  Not only are we awed at David's greatness as King, but we are also awed by his humble beginnings.  All of David's greatness rose out of nothing spectacular which allows us to see the hand of God in David's life.

David's humble beginnings were a foreshadowing of how Christ would come into the world.  During the point in history right before Christ was born, Israel was waiting for a Messiah whom they thought would free them from foreign rule.  They wanted a political leader.  They wanted a military leader.  They wanted a way out of the tyranny that ruled their lives.  They never expected that Christ would come in the way he came.  They never expected for him to be born in a stable.  They did not look for him to be a carpenter's son.  They did not notice God in their midst as Jesus taught about love, peace and kindness.  Some even got angry when he revealed his identity because he wasn't the person they expected him to be.  How could this man be our savior?  He is not like us.  He is not the one we want to lead us out of this miserable existence under foreign rule.  Since he is not who we expect him to be, then he must not be Christ.

How many times has this same scenario played out in our lives? How many times have we gone to God with our petitions only to be met with a solution we did not expect or want?  How many times have we encountered people whom we thought were problematic but were really the people who gave us the most solutions?  How many times have we tried to do something our way only to be shot down and given a new way to proceed?  How many people have we dismissed before we have really given a chance to find out who they really are?  Sometimes I wonder if I let Christ slip through my fingers.  Sometimes I wonder if he is standing right in front of me but I don't see him because he doesn't look like the person I imagine him to be.

Lord, open my eyes to your face.  Open my heart to your love.  Open my mind to your ways.  Open my ears to your voice.  Help me to find you in all the people who cross my path.  Teach me to see how you see.