Let Us Exalt His Name | Psalms in the Key of Life
God is King and Thankfully Chooses Ragamuffins
1 Samuel 16:1-13
A grateful ragamuffin (soon repurposed ragamuffin)
From lost stray to spiritual fulness in Christ, thankfully God has a grand vision for building His kingdom with ragamuffins?
Context: the front end of Messianic anticipation—since God is King, each of Israel’s earthly kings is a vice-regent, symbolic, messiah, representing the standards of God personally and influentially, until the Messiah accomplishes the role perfectly and sacrificially—from the house of David arises the eternal dynasty of God’s kingdom; Jesus, Messiah, being the fulfillment of God’s salvation promise to those who receive the merits of His sacrifice.
1. God does the selecting because His vision is superior to that of humans. (16:1-10)
“...man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (7)
Saul won the “people’s choice” award... “listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” (8:22)—now under Divine impeachment proceedings.
“I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I see among his sons a king for Me.” (1)
“The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart.” (13:14)
Success or rejection is totally dependent on recognition of God’s authority and a genuinely repentant heart.
2. God doesn’t need great; below ordinary will do. (16:11-12)
A baby-sitter of sheep might be perfect for the job—being outgunned your whole life forces you to depend beyond yourself.
While David was relying on God to help him kill bears and lions, Saul was self-consciously hiding from Samuel’s job offer (10:22)—this wasn’t humility, the hiding confirmed that he knew nothing of depending on the Lord when out-matched.
The “qatan”, the 8th !—small, extra, not needed, unimportant (11). The contrast of God’s greatness shines unrivaled through the weak and unlikely (1 Cor. 2:26-29; 2 Cor. 12:9-10).
God regularly favours the late-born—the One who comes at the end of the Davidic line in the form of an infant (Is. 7:14-16), and suffering servant (Is. 52:13-53:12)
3. Since God overwhelms those who are His with His Spirit, what presently is, isn’t so important, because He determines what will be. (16:13)
God doesn’t need what is—we pick what is; God picks for what will be.
A king was needed, but not right this minute—the people forced and God permitted something before the right time, and they reaped the tragic fallout of that.
Physical giftedness tends to enamour humans—God has a whole other set of remarkable gifts to give.
“...from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.” (13)
Is God with you?—The definitive attribute of the believer
The old prophet disappointed by the failures of his own sons, and the colossal collapse of the king the people chose, whispers in the shepherd boy’s ear as the anointing oil flowed through his hair and down his neck, “you’re going to be the next king!” The grace of God on full display.
Millenia later a better David whispered into your heart, “I’ve selected you to belong to Me, and I’ll do all the heavy lifting—you, just trust in My grace to save you.” COME LET US EXALT HIS NAME TOGETHER.
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