Choosing a leader has never been easy. Few know a person’s capabilities under pressure. Only God knows that.
So centuries ago when God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem to anoint a king, He emphasized, “anoint the one I indicate.”
In Bethlehem, Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and had each son, from the oldest to the youngest, come before him as recorded in I Samuel 16. Of the family of eight brothers, only the three oldest and the very youngest are named.
“Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.’”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Then Abinadab and Shammah each stand before Samuel and look promising to Samuel. But each time he hears, “The Lord has not chosen this one.”
The next four sons similarly pass before Samuel. Finally, Samuel turns to Jesse and asks,” Are there are any other sons?” Samuel has been sent to anoint one of Jesse’s son, but God passed over the first seven.
Jesse has one more son; a son so young he was not called in from watching sheep for the special sacrifice. At Samuel’s request, David is called home, and arrives glowing with health and good looks. “This is the one, anoint him,” the Lord tells Samuel.
With all seven older brothers watching, David is anointed – a ceremony signifying God’s choice.
Years later he assumes the throne and is called a man after God’s own heart – an improbable title considering his personal history. During his kingship, David had an affair, he started and completed wars with neighboring countries, he had family problems, rebellious children, incestuous children and was himself an accused murderer. Even God called him a bloody man and would not allow him to build the first temple for Him.
Yet, God called David a man after His heart.
Why?
Because David trusted God. His trust stands out the only other time the same four brothers are named – during a war with the Philistines when the giant Goliath challenges the Israelites to send out one soldier to fight him.
Jesse sends David from tending sheep to take food to his three oldest brothers, Eliab, Abinadab and Shammah, on the battlefield with King Saul. David hears the giant’s daily challenge and sees the fear and desperation of all the Israelite soldiers – including his brothers. Eliab accuses David of being conceited, wicked and a spectator. For obvious reasons, no one wants to fight such a formidable foe.
No one, that is, except David who goes to King Saul and promises, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him . . . The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” I Samuel 17:37.
With that statement of trust in the God of Israel, David demonstrated “why” God had chosen him to be the next king rather than Eliab, Abinadab or Shammah or the other four brothers. David knew he would not fight Goliath alone; he would fight with God.
In later years when he was called down for his sins, David stood before God and said, “Against You and You alone I have sinned.” Psalm 51:4. He did not make excuses or whine as King Saul had done when Samuel pointed out his deliberate disobedience to God’s instructions.
David had all the characteristics of a strong leader. Good leaders take responsibility, they don’t whine and blame others. Leaders persist with a plan in the face of nay-sayers. Leaders volunteer to tackle the impossible task because they trust God and expect Him to be there with them in the battle.
(Joan Hershberger is a reporter at the News-Times. E-mail her at joanh@everybody.org.)