#DailyDevotion The LORD Chooses A Man Who Will Obey Him To Be King

1 Samuel 16:1–13 “How long are you going to grieve over Saul,” the LORD asked Samuel, “now that I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I’m sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem because I’ve selected one of his sons to be My king.” ^.2“How can I go?” Samuel asked. “When Saul hears about it, he’ll kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the LORD said, “and say, ‘I’ve come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ ³Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what to do. You will anoint for Me the one I point out to you.” ⁴Samuel did what the LORD told him. When he came to Bethlehem, the elders of the town who came to meet him were trembling with fear. “Did you come for a friendly purpose?” they asked. ⁵“Yes,” he answered, “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.”

Well Samual anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. I guess the years working with Saul had given him some sort of affection towards Saul. Now the LORD was going to replace him and his dynasty with someone else. You might wonder what Saul did that was so grievious that the LORD rejected him as king. It was told in the previous chapter, “³Now go and defeat Amalek, totally destroy all he has, and don’t spare him, but kill man and woman, infant and suckling, cow and sheep, camel and donkey.” Saul did not completely obey the LORD. He spared Agag the king and he and the best sheep, cows, sheep, camels and donkeys. When confronted Saul said he was planning on sacrificing them to the LORD, which was a lie. It is telling when Saul bids Samuel to save his honor before the people he says, “Go back with me and let me worship the LORD your God.” It is telling he calls the LORD, “your God” and not “our God” to Samuel.

Now when Samuel finally does what the LORD asks he is a little fearful Saul will find out and kill him. The LORD gives him an excuse, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I’ve come to sacrifice to the LORD.” When he arrives the elders of the town want to know if he is coming in peace or not. He tells them what the LORD tells them and they are satisfied. It’s a scary thing when the prophet comes to town. It’s usually bad news. It’s like when the pastor knocks on your door unannounced. Hopefully you know how that feels. (insert smilely face here) The LORD is planning on making one of Jesse’s sons king over Israel. Of course we know that is David. David will be the ancestor of Jesus who is the LORD who is choosing David to be King. The LORD is looking for someone who will obey him in everything he commands. Now, we know David wasn’t perfect. He commits adultery and murder to cover up the adultery. But when the prophet tells him to do something he does what the LORD tells him to do. But David’s descendant will do better than David. Jesus obeys the LORD, his Father in everything in word and spirit. In doing so, Jesus fulfills for us what we cannot do and will not do so through faith in him we may be righteous before God our Father. Jesus then returns as the LORD who is king over his people.

Heavenly Father, give us faith and your Holy Spirit that we may do all you command us and be citizens of Jesus’ kingdom now and in the world to come. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.