In 1 Samuel 16, we see how David was selected to be the next King of Israel after Saul had turned out so disappointing. Samuel is sent to Jesse in Bethlehem where God has chosen one of his sons to be anointed the new King. Jesse trots out seven of his sons only to be told none of them fit the bill, and finally he asks if these were all your sons, and Jesse tells him the youngest son, David, is out keeping the sheep. And when David is brought to Samuel the Lord tells him that this is the one to be anointed. And when Samuel anointed him, the Bible tells us that the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. 1 Sam 16:13.

Image is important these days. It certainly is what is behind all the advertising with which we are bombarded — how to look sexy, how to look successful. Certainly, image was also an issue in Samuel’s day as we see in this passage. But God through Samuel was not looking at the outward image but at the heart of each of those sons brought before him. What was it that God saw in David’s heart? God saw the qualities of a good King — the courage that David showed against Goliath, devotion and obedience to God that David showed in bringing the ark and the worship of God to Jerusalem, passion for God that David showed in his Psalms, like the 23rd Psalm. David was by no means perfect. He was a violent man so God wouldn’t allow him to build the temple. He was a man of great sins as we saw in the adultery, murder and betrayal involving Bathsheba and Uriah, but he admitted his wrongs and left a legacy as the greatest of Israel’s Kings. It is from his lineage that our Lord Jesus Christ came.

So how do we look today? It would be easy to see ourselves as of not of much account. Most of us aren’t powerful or wealthy or have much clout or authority. We’re really not that much to look at, kind of like that shepherd, the youngest one that everyone overlooked. But when we’re baptized, when God chooses us out of that line up, God anoints us, saying to us, looking in our hearts saying just as God said about David — this is the one. You and I are the ones. May the Spirit of God come mightily on you, just as it did on David. You’ve been chosen to go out and spread that good news of Jesus Christ to all those around you, we are all God’s agents to bring God’s transforming Word to this community. The Word of God is alive and active — be the agents of that Word.

REV. DALE BROWN is the pastor of Cumberland and Guinea Presbyterian churches. His email address is dalembesq@aol.com.