Day 14—Thursday, March 5

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I Samuel 16:11-13 (NIV)

So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

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 powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

For millennia, even to this day in many cultures and families, primogeniture – particularly male primogeniture – is the governing legal and societal force behind inheritance and decision making. In ancient Mesopotamia, this rule was no different. The first born son inherits and becomes “the man of the family” upon his father’s death – and so on.

Repeatedly, throughout the Bible, God thwarts this narrative, and this passage is no different. Samuel comes to Jesse’s house to anoint the next King of Israel. Of course, he started with the oldest. Both Jesse and Samuel presumed God would choose the oldest. But God had different thoughts. One, by one, from the eldest on down, each son stands before Samuel. God’s instructions to Samuel were explicit “Do not consider his appearance or his height . . . The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (v.7).

Seven of Jesse’s eight sons pass before Samuel, but God does not chose any of them. Jesse then calls for his youngest son who is tending the sheep. God chose this young, faithful boy to be King. We see David’s faith play out in the next chapter when he is the only one to stand up to Goliath and bring victory to Israel and honor to God.

We can learn two lessons from this passage as affirmed throughout the scriptures.

1. God often choses the unlikely people who are faithful in small things. (Luke 16:10; 1 Cor. 1:27). David was a young boy tending sheep, a banal chore easy for him to handle. Yet God chose him. God doesn’t need big flashy displays of strength – he needs our quiet, faithful responses to every day tasks.

2. God uses the youth. Paul tells Timothy “Let no man despise thy youth.” (1 Tim. 4:12, KJV). God could have picked one of David’s older brothers – grown men – to do grown men things like fight wars and lead nations. But God saw something in David – maybe the same thing he saw in Samuel as a boy. God saw their faith and their faithfulness, and he used them for great things.

Adults – we ought to encourage our youth and entrust them with responsibilities; and Youth, let God lead you, no matter your age, to be a force for Him.