The Misfit's Series

The Lord looks at the heart

1 Sam. 16: 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

In order to understand 1 Sam. 16:7, we have to go back to 1 Sam. 8 when Israel demanded a King. When Samuel was Judge over Israel at the time and his sons were going to take over his place when he died. Samuel’s sons did not follow in the ways of the Lord. The elders were not happy with Samuel’s son’s leadership and asked Samuel to give them a king just like all the other nations. They must have looked at what the other nations had and what they didn’t have. The other nations lifted up there king and I’m sure the other nations king’s looked high and mighty in the world’s eyes. They probably felt like these nations were prospering more than they were.  They felt like they were missing something! The grass is always greener on the other side. They were wanting to settle for less than what the Lord had for them. So God said OK you want a king like all the other nations. This is what’s going to happen to you. The Lord gave them a King exactly like all the other nations and listed everything that he would do. The Lord tells them you want a new king just like the nations and this is what’s going to happen to you. He goes through a whole list of things that’s going to happen to them and gives them the king that they wanted.

Saul is picked out. He looks good and tall. He’s handsome and probably muscular. I’m sure that Saul was picked out as king because he looked like a lot of the other kings that the nations had. They were all probably big, lofty, muscular and handsome. Isn’t that kind of interesting that we think that all these things are God, but sometimes the Lord might not even be in that big thing. He just might be in that weak person that you might think that’s not worth anything.

Saul was the king that the people wanted and he was full of the fear of man and didn’t obey God. Many times he didn’t do the things that God had called him to do and because of this God told him that his kingdom was over. The Lord was going to anoint a new king, so here’s the story Samuel going to anoint the new king.

Samuel is led by the Lord to go to Jesse’s house to anoint one of his son’s. Of course, Samuel’s mindset was still set on the type of king the other nations had. The Lord told him don’t look at the outward appearance, but look at the heart. He goes through each brother. Each brother the Lord tells him no that’s not the one. He kept asking every time can this be the one. Samuel asked Jesse after he went through all seven of Jesse’s sons and asks Jesse if he has anymore sons and he says that he has another son out there Shepherding the sheep and so David is brought in. I’m sure in everyone’s mind they were thinking this can’t be the one. He was a short good looking kid with a ruddy appearance (which means red hair and freckles). Here’s a young man that the world probably wouldn’t think much of.  I would like to call him a misfit. Even his brothers didn’t think highly of him. After feeding them lunch, they basically told him to go on home.  I can’t prove it, but I don’t even think his brothers believed David killed a lion and bear.  So the Lord raised up a misfit. A red haired freckled boy. A man after His own heart. He would take the foolish things of the world and turn this kid into a King. It sounds like a familiar story to me.