Today’s challenge takes us through 1 Samuel 16 and 17! It’s a scary narrative! If you tremble at God’s word, these are epic stories. One of them is a very popular story, it’s titled “David and Goliath”. It’s an exciting story, but remember anytime we read the Old Testament and Jesus is not the lens we use, we miss the forest for the trees! In fact, anytime we enter we teach God’s people the Bible without entering the revelation through Jesus, we rob the people! Read John 5 and John 10 to fully understand!
First understand that the reason why God was going to crown a king in Israel is to prepare a history and a kingdom from which Jesus would come! Jesus has to be a King, and he must be in the lineage of Kings! In order to create the history for that Kingship, the devil in his typical style inspired Israel to demand for a King! The devil is usually silent, because all he usually needs to express himself is man’s want! Beware of what you want! All this wanting business has nothing to do with God, those who are set for eternity are those who do what God wants. 1 John 2:15-17 (MSG)
It’s interesting isn’t it? That while the people’s choice comes form the genealogy of Rachel, God’s choice is from the loins of Leah! A look at the burial place of both women would suggest which of them was God’s choice! God has since not been looking at the outward appearance, nor His inspiration for marriage drawn from what seems right. There is a way that seems right, the end is destruction! Man looks on the outside, but real beauty is beneath the skin – heart!
God clearly here shows his parameters for choosing his representatives! First He starts by rejecting Saul! Saul again is everything you and I thought it should be! All his attributes win in the market place. All his actions are not far from what we can relate with today! His activities are totally discordant from Christ! He does what seems right to him, it’s not important to follow God’s instructions to the letter! He doesn’t seem to understand what is at stake in eternity, he’ll rather sacrifice than obey! I like how it’s captured in MSG – Here 1 Sam 15:22-23.
Then Samuel said,
Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.
Because you said No to God’s command, he says No to your kingship.Did Saul repent? Yes. He wanted to make a show of it! God did not listen! Why?
In 1 Samuel 16 – God leads Samuel to choose His man! Clearly, God had considered all the brothers, but had rejected them. Rejection is only possible if there was consideration. God’s man, was a little boy by their estimation, but there was something about David which God would allude to later. It was captured in the same word used to describe Jesus, and the same word that better be used to describe you! “A man after His own heart, who will do His will!”. That describes Jesus perfectly, but does it describe you? Is God’s will unclear? Is God’s will personal or is it global? Think deeply about these…
God was declared he was conducting a search since I Sam 13, by chapter 16 God had found His man.
The battle with Goliath showed what God can do, when one man, or boy decides to see Heaven’s position, hear God’s voice and act in alignment. Don’t merely see David, see Jesus! Don’t merely Jesus, see Christ in you!
Adeolu Akinyemi
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