Advent Midweek I: Kings of Israel- David Anointed

1 Samuel 16

Pastor James Peterson

December 6, 2024

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The theme is this: The Lord anoints a king from Bethlehem.

When you’re trying to pick someone for your basketball team, usually you pick the tallest person, the best shooter, or the fastest runner. You would never pick the short, stubby kid who’s just there to get out of the house for the afternoon.

Or when you’re trying to pick someone for a job, you usually want someone with experience, or someone who is responsible, or someone who has good references. You would never pick someone who is least qualified, least educated, or least able to do the work. There are no blind umpires; for example, city folk oftentimes are not ready for farm work.

We look at appearances. We judge the book by its cover. What did they just call it in the College Football Playoff? The eye-test? It’s no longer about how many wins you have, but how you look on the field. We look at appearances, but God looks at the heart.

That’s the case in our reading this evening. Saul was the tallest and the most handsome guy to be king, the very first king over Israel. By all appearances, he looked like a leader, talked like a leader, and he was anointed and appointed to be the leader. But Saul’s heart was rotten. Saul’s faith was failing. Like so many people in our world today, Saul believed in himself, but He did not believe in the God who anointed him.

It comes as no surprise that Samuel the priest was quite disappointed. Our reading says, The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Surely we have felt this way before. We picked the best player, but then he got injured. Or we picked the most qualified employee, but he left for a bigger and better job and was not loyal to the company. Bigger is not always better. Taller is not always faster. Stronger is not always smarter.

And so the Lord says to Samuel, Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Who? Where? Jesse from Bethlehem? Who is that? What about Jonathan, Saul’s son? No, it will not be Saul’s son. It will not be Jonathan. For as the Lord says, He does not look at appearances; the Lord looks at the heart. The Lord will anoint a king from Bethlehem.

But Samuel the priest is not up to the task. Like Moses, he is scared to death of the mission of God. He is scared to death of the power of the earthly king. And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” Aren’t we all like Samuel? Scared to death to invite our neighbors to church? Scared to death that we might be cancelled by the culture? Scared to death that we might offend someone we care about?

We all are. And yet God’s answer is simple. Do what God says. The text reads, Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. Do what God says. Priest, make a sacrifice and anoint my man to be king. It is often difficult to do what God says for all the reasons given above. But when we do what God says, we have nothing and no one to fear.

As we all know, Samuel anointed David, the son of Jesse. The Lord anointed a king in Bethlehem. But David’s brothers, who are not anointed, give us a clue about the coming King who is both David’s Son and David’s Lord. Each of these names points us beyond David to Jesus, the King of Israel.

Jesse’s firstborn son Eliab’s name means “God is my Father.”

The next brother Abinadab’s name means “Father who vows.”

And the third brother Shammah’s name means “loss.”

The fourth brother Nethanel’s name means “God has given.”

The fifth brother Raddai’s name means “Ruler coming down.”

The sixth brother Ozem’s name means “eagerness.”

And finally, David’s name means “beloved.” Let’s put it all together. God is my Father. He is a father who vows and makes promises. God will lose His Son. God will give His Son. God’s Son is a Ruler coming down. God’s Son is eager and willing to forgive and to save His people from their sins. And finally, Jesus is the beloved Son, with whom God is well-pleased.

Jesse’s sons’ names clarify the promises of God. Certainly, the Lord anointed David to be king in Bethlehem. And certainly the Lord anointed a king greater than David to be king from Bethlehem for the whole world. Certainly, David’s name means “beloved.” And certainly Jesus is the beloved Son whom God has given because He loved the world.

David would not be the first king we would choose, for he was the youngest, the smallest, and the shepherd boy. And yet God made Him mighty for the nation of Israel. And Jesus certainly would not be the first king of Israel that you would think, born in a manger and hanged on a cross.

And yet, the Lord anointed His King in Bethlehem, King Jesus, who lives and reigns still and always. And this King did far more than win battles and expand territory. Jesus saved us from sin, rescued from death, and defeated the devil. His territory is in your hearts and souls. For God does not look at outward appearances, but He looks at the heart, hearts of faith and joy in Him. And His territory is right here in this church and right there in the heights of heaven.

David was great, but Jesus was greater. David was a king, but Jesus is still King. David was anointed, but Jesus was anointed, the Messiah of the Old Testament and the Christ in the New Testament. David was beloved, but Jesus was God’s only begotten and beloved Son.

The Lord anointed a King in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, who reigns both now and forevermore.

In the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. James Peterson
St. John Lutheran Church
Curtis, Nebraska