How God chooses
Expository Preaching Outline on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 – Then the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you pity Saul, when I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your jar with oil and come; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a king from among his sons.
Introduction to 1 Samuel 16:1-13
This chapter begins with God reminding Samuel that he rejected Saul as king of Israel. Saul was chosen as king because the people wanted to be like the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8:1-5). Until then, God had governed the nation, raising up leaders as needed. That’s how things worked from the days of Moses to the days of the Judges. They were warned that raising one man to the throne would bring political corruption and trouble (1 Samuel 8:7-21).
When Saul was chosen as king, the people were elated. He was an impressive physical specimen, taller than anyone else in Israel (1 Samuel 9:2). Although he was a giant among men, he was a spiritual pygmy! Saul was a jealous man who lived for the praise of the people. He tended to overstep his boundaries and was guilty of serious disobedience to the Lord’s commandments. As a result, the Lord showed Israel the dangers of a human king, and God rejected Saul as king of His people.
As a result of Saul’s rebellion, God chooses a new king to rule Israel. He chooses a young man called David. When God chooses David, He chooses an unlikely candidate for such a high and powerful office. In choosing David as king, we can see something of the process that God uses when he chooses someone to work for him.
Tonight, I want to preach for a while on How God Chooses. It may be that He has His hand on someone in this room. It may be that He is about to choose someone among us to work for Him. I know He is looking for those people tonight. Let’s look at the teachings of this passage as we reflect on How God Chooses.
I. v. 1 – GOD’S CHOICES ARE SOVEREIGN
A. Your choice involves sovereign providence
It is in the context of rebellion and rejection that God begins the process of choosing a new king for Israel. He was ready to raise up a new king, and the people had been prepared to accept a new king. God worked behind the scenes during those difficult days in Israel’s history to prepare the way for His plan to be fulfilled.
B. Your choice involves sovereign planning
Samuel is then told where to go to find the new king. It seems that the Lord had organized everything to bring His chosen king into the world at just the right moment in history. If you look at King David’s ancestry, you’ll find the Lord’s hand moving and shaping events. One of David’s ancestors was a woman called Rahab (Judges 2). She had been rescued from pagan idolatry and brought into the nation of Israel. She married a man called Salmon (Matthew 1:5) and became the mother of Boaz (Ruth 4:20). Boaz also married a young Gentile woman, Ruth, who was rescued from paganism by the sovereign grace of the Lord (Ruth 4). Ruth and Boaz were David’s great-grandparents.
These events were not accidental! They were part of a perfect plan, formulated in eternity and realized in time. This was no coincidence; it was the mighty hand of the Lord!
C. Your Choice Involves Sovereign Power
Look at the words “I have”. Many people have great plans and dreams, but they lack the power to make them come true. Not the Lord! What He proposes, He is fully capable of accomplishing!
II. v. 6-13 – GOD’S CHOICES ARE SURPRISING
A. Your choice is surprising in its rejections
The first of Jesse’s sons to pass before Samuel is Eliab. His name means “God is Father”. He is an impressive physical specimen, and Samuel thinks that he is surely the chosen one. But God says: “I have rejected him”. The word “reject” simply means “refuse”. Eliab may have seemed pleasant on the outside, but something in his character disqualified him from being king.
Abinadab is next. His name means “My father is noble”. But he too is rejected by the Lord. Then comes Shammah. His name means “Astonishment”. This may refer to his physical size or some other physical characteristic, but either way, he too is rejected! Then, one after the other, the sons of Jesse pass before Samuel until seven have passed, and all are rejected by the Lord.
Certainly these men were all impressive physical specimens; their bodies had been refined and toned by hours of hard physical labor. Any one of them would have the physical requirements to command attention and rule as king. But none of them possessed the right character traits.
B. Your choice is surprising in its requirements
God tells Samuel that He doesn’t look at a man’s physical attributes. God looks at the character of a man’s heart. Before Saul was no longer king, God had already determined to raise up a man with the right kind of heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
While Jesse’s sons were there, they all seemed suitable, but what Samuel couldn’t see was the condition of their hearts. Eliab, for example, caught the prophet’s attention, but he reveals the character of his heart in the next chapter. There, we discover that Eliab is critical, jealous and negative (1 Samuel 17:28). He may have been a great man on the outside, but he was a baby on the inside! He wasn’t the kind of man God could use for His glory!
C. Your choice is surprising in your receptions
After Jesse’s seven sons pass before Samuel and are all rejected, Samuel discovers that there is another son. He is the youngest and is looking after the sheep. He is so insignificant within the family that he is not even called with the others, but is left out of the banquet and the sacrifice. He is outside, doing the work of a humble servant.
In fact, when he is mentioned by his father, he is not even called by name; he is simply called “the youngest”. When he enters, Samuel sees a handsome young man, bright-eyed and with the blush of youth on his cheeks. God tells Samuel to anoint this one, for this is him! The one rejected and ignored by others is precisely the one chosen by the Lord! No doubt Jesse and his sons were all surprised to see the ancient prophet approach the young David and pour the anointing oil on his head.
III. v. 11-13 – GOD’S CHOICES ARE SPECIFIC
A. God chooses those who are ready
When Jesse and David’s brothers are brought before Samuel, they are “sanctified” (v. 5). In other words, their sins are dealt with, and they are prepared for worship. When David is brought, there is no time for him to be sanctified, but he is ready anyway! David is an image of that believer who keeps his heart in a state of readiness. He doesn’t know when the Lord might call him, so he remains ready at all times. That’s the kind of person God is looking for today too. God doesn’t use dirty vessels, but He uses those who are clean and ready for His call.
B. God chooses those who can be trusted
When God calls David, he finds him faithfully doing what he was told. He is looking after the sheep. He is doing a dirty and lonely job, but he does it because it is what he has been assigned. After being anointed, he returns to his flock (v. 19). Why? Because that’s what he does! Because that’s what he does! Even after being called to Jerusalem to play for King Saul (v. 23), he went back to look after his father’s sheep (17:15).
Why is that? Because that’s what he does! David was given a task and he carried it out faithfully. He even risked his life to protect those sheep (17:34-37). When Jesse looked at David, he saw his youngest son. His brothers saw a brat (17:28). Samuel saw a handsome little boy (16:12). But when God looked at David, He saw integrity, faithfulness, responsibility and character. Others saw a “nobody”; God saw a king!
C. God chooses those who are Redeemed
When Samuel anointed David and perhaps whispered God’s plan in his ear, it wasn’t the first time David had encountered God. No doubt David had seen God’s glory written in the heavens and His power manifested in the universe (Psalm 19). David had witnessed God’s tender care for His people in his own relationship with His sheep. This is evident in Psalm 23 and others that reveal David’s heart while he was still a young shepherd. He may have entered the public stage in 1 Samuel 16, but David had been walking with the Lord for some time! Listen to David’s own testimony in 1 Samuel 17:37; 45.
Here’s the point: God calls those who know Him! He chooses His vessels from among His redeemed. Those who know Him in a relationship of faith; who live clean lives; who are ready, reliable and available are candidates to be used by the Lord. Does that describe you tonight?
Conclusion of 1 Samuel 16:1-13
God is still looking for people He can call and use for His glory. Can you honestly say that your life is ready and available? Do you have the kind of character God is looking for? If you know there are problems in your relationship with the Lord, I invite you to come to Him tonight.
I invite you to confess your sins to Him, receive His forgiveness and prepare to be used by Him in His time. If you have the desire to be used by the Lord, I invite you to come to Him, renew your commitment to Him and present yourself to Him again tonight. If there are needs, He can and will meet them!
Expository Preaching Outline on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 – Then the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you pity Saul, when I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your jar with oil and come; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a king from among his sons.
More Preaching Outlines
- The truth – John 18:37-38
- The Vessel in the Potter’s Hands – 2nd lesson
- The open door – Isaiah 22:22
- Send for him – 1 Samuel 16:11
