1Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided a king for myself among his sons.”
2Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 3Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.”
4Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
5He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6When they had come, he looked at Eliab, and said, “Surely Yahweh’s anointed is before him.”
7But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.” 9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.” 10Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen these.” 11Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your children here?”
He said, “There remains yet the youngest. Behold, he is keeping the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
12He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. Yahweh said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.”
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
God had chosen a new King from the house of Jesse. Samuel goes to meet Jesse’s sons and they all look like great choices. After meeting all seven son’s Samuel still has not anointed a king, so he asks if there are any others. There is one more son but he was looking after the sheep and goats, everyone knew that he would never be picked so Jesse didn’t even bother calling him home. His name was David, he was too young, all he could do was write songs and look after sheep. David was definitely not the type of person to become king, yet he was the very one that God had chosen. That day Samuel anointed David as the new king of Israel, it took some time before he actually became king, but this was the first step.
David was humble, he trusted God above everything and was willing to be obedient. It was this obedience that led to David’s first victory while he was still a boy. He went to check up on his brothers on the battle field, and he met Goliath. Each day the giant would come out and taunt the Israelites, ‘pick one man to come and fight me’ he would cry. No one was willing to take him on. David asks ‘who is this man that he would dare to challenge the army of the living God?’ David offers to fight the giant not because he was a great warrior, but because he trusted God. He took five stones from the brook and his sling shot and with the first stone he brought Goliath down.
There is a theme that repeats itself throughout the whole book of Samuel. Pride and haughtiness will be brought down, while humility and obedience will be raised up. God is not looking for a people who are proud and strong, he is looking for a people who are humble and obedient.