King Saul failed in following the commandments that God had given to him. He failed in destroying the Amalekites as God commanded, and in chapter thirteen it is recorded that he offered a burnt offering which he did not have the right to offer. Because of his sins God rejected Saul as king. Samuel rebuked Saul for his trespasses and after that Samuel left Saul.

Beginning in chapter sixteen we find that Samuel has been mourning Saul. God speaks to Samuel about his mourning for Saul. “How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him form reigning over Israel:” Some have surmised that the reason for Samuel’s mourning was that he did not agree with God’s decision about Saul. While that is a possibility it seems more likely that Samuel, being human, had some affection for Saul and for the welfare of the kingdom, most likely this led to his mourning. God was telling Samuel it was time to move on to another king.

God now tells Samuel to fill his horn with oil and go to Jesse the Bethlehemite where God had chosen the new king. When Samuel heard this, he was afraid, believing that Saul would have him killed since Saul already knew that the kingdom had been taken from him by God.

While God had rejected Saul he was still in power as king over the nation, the time was not right for another king to be put in power.

At this time in the history of Israel there was no main place for sacrifices to be made, so Samuel made sacrifices in various places.

Because of Samuel’s fear, God told him to take a heifer with him when he went to Bethlehem and tell the people he had come to sacrifice to the Lord. As the sacrifice was a public event he was to have Jesse, and his sons come to the sacrifice. The sacrifice was for the anointing and that the people might worship.

Samuel did not have to tell of the anointing of David as it was not yet time for this to be made public.

Samuel did as God had directed him. When Samuel arrived the elders of Bethlehem were afraid. Samuel was a judge, a priest, and a prophet. It is possible they feared the city would receive divine wrath from God. Another possibility was that Samuel would hold court and address grievances and such. What a relief it must have been when Samuel said he had come peaceably to sacrifice unto the Lord.

Samuel called for all to sanctify themselves and come to the sacrifice. It may have been that Jesse was a leader in the city, so Samuel giving such special attention to Jesse would not have seemed out of place. Whatever the reason, they came to the sacrifice.

Samuel looked upon all the sons of Jesse, one by one. Eliab, (being the firstborn) was first. Samuel was certain that God would choose him to be king. Samuel had chosen Saul because of his great physical stature. This is a common mistake made by people. In fact, a leadership film for BSA shows that one should not judge a young man by his size. One should check the young man’s age as some grow tall and muscular at an early age, but their mental capacity has not matured as much as their physical capacity. It is here that God explains to Samuel how He chooses someone. “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). This is God’s standard of judging a person.

God is not like man, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9). One by one the sons of Jesse came before Samuel. Eliab, Abinadab, Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem, and finally David.

David was not present when Samuel made the sacrifice. After the other brothers had passed by Samuel, Samuel asked Jesse if that were all his children. He responded that there was the youngest who was watching the sheep. Samuel commanded that this young man be called stating that they would not sit down till he comes. David was anointed in the presence of his brethren. The scriptures do not tell us if Samuel stated the reason for the anointing, but it seems likely that he did.

David was not a military man at this time; he was a shepherd boy. Most believe David was in his early teens. His occupation showed humility and industry. In man’s eyes this would seem to be the wrong choice for a king, surely an older, stronger person

should be chosen, but God knew David’s heart. He was chosen at such a young age when he could be trained and prepared to assume the throne. This teaches a great lesson for young men today that they should begin while young to prepare for future responsibility.

David had great faith in God. He used this faith to face Goliath, giving God the credit for defeating the giant. He had faith and trust in God while shepherding his father’s flock. As lion and a bear had tried to kill the sheep, but David killed them. It was this faith that God saw when He looked on the young man. This faith would continue to grow just as David grew. He was not a perfect individual, he made mistakes, but he loved and trusted God. He became a powerful king, but he started out as a simple shepherd.