3.20 1 Samuel 16-19

Phil Perez

3.20.2020

1 Samuel 16-19

These chapters contains one of the most familiar stories in the bible.  It contains the anointing of David as the King of Israel and his battle against the mighty Goliath.  David’s success made Saul even more paranoid and insecure about his own reign. David in all his dealings with King Saul remains righteous.

A key verse for me from these chapters is 1 Samuel 16.7 

As Samuel is in Bethlehem under the pretext of sacrificing a young cow which may insinuate he was there to investigate an unsolved murder (Deuteronomy 21.1-9) he has Jesse’s sons stand before him and is initially quite impressed with Eliab and is convinced by appearance that he is the Lord’s anointed

16.7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or his height, because I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”

Mankind focuses on the visible while God focuses on the invisible.  

Reminds me of Jesus in John chapter 2 which states that Jesus knows what is in the hearts of people.  

My constant prayer is to have eyes that see what God sees, and to have ears that hear what God hears so that I can live in his direction.

I think this is especially a good prayer when we have such confusing times where people are in need of God’s direction.  I want to make sure especially at this time that I am not just looking at the visible and physical – but attending to people’s inward needs as well.