1 Samuel

Chapter 16 Introduction

God chooses David as king.  He appoints, annoints, and qualifies him for service.  The Spirit of God came on David and left Saul. 

1 Samuel 16:1-3

Samuel must have been affected by Saul’s rejection.  He mourns for Israel at his rejection by God.  But Saul left the Lord.  Samuels's sons had been rejected by the people (rightfully so), then Samuel anointed Saul, and he was not rejected by the Lord.   There is a time for mourning and sadness, and then there is a time to get over it and get on with life.  The Lord indicated to Samuel it was time to move on.  The work of the Lord didn’t stop with Saul’s disobedience. There was another that must be brought to the leadership of God’s people.

The Lord told Samuel to prepare for a trip the Bethlehem by filling his horn with oil.  The Lord had provided a king for himself.  But Samuel is afraid of Saul and expresses his concern that Saul might find out he was going to anoint another and have him killed.  The Lord provided Samuel with a cover story.

This seems to be a deception from the Lord, but the sacrifice actually takes place.  Jesse and his sons were to be invited.

1 Samuel 16:4-7

Because he was no longer with Saul, Samuel was a lightning rod for trouble.  He obediently went to Bethlehem, but the people were nervous about his presence there.  The sacrifice of a heifer wasn’t something that just happened out of the blue.  Deuteronomy 21:1-9 demands this for an unsolved murder to atone for an undefined sin.  They may think that Saul sent Samuel to them. 

Samuel called for the sacrifice and invited the people to prepare.  He also consecrates Jesse’s sons and invites them also knowing that the next King would come from Jesse.  He looked for the Lord’s annointed among the sons of Jesse. 

Jesse belonged to the tribe of Judah and was an elder and man of God with a good reputation in the town of Bethlehem.  His name became associated with God’s work throughout the Bible.  God could look to this man and His family as worthy servants devoted to Him.  His name was a legacy that continued throughout Israel’s history because of David and the messianic hopes that came from his kingship.  (Isaiah 11:1, 10; Psalm 72; Acts 13:22; Romans 15:12).

Samuel was close to God, but still fell into the trap of looking with his eyes.  He saw Eliab and thought he was the tall and handsome man who would surely be the next king.  He certainly looked like a king outwardly.  Luckily, Samuel wasn’t choosing the king.  After all, they had fallen into this trap once. 

We are continually fooled by outward appearances.  God corrected Samuel and said that He looks at the heart. 

1 Samuel 16:8-13

Seven sons pass before Samuel, from the most likely in their eyes to the least possible, even initially discounting David, who was sent only at Samuel’s prompting.  When the seventh option was dismissed, Jesse answered Samuel, saying there was an eighth son.   The implication of being a shepherd of the flock may have been a reason for why he wasn’t there or a veiled opinion of the Shepherd boy’s inadequacy to be a king.

First Chronicles 2:13–15 records that Jesse has seven sons total, not seven plus David. The seven sons there may have referred to only the sons of prominence—those who had other sons to carry on the family name. Alternatively, the narrative in 1 Samuel may be arranging the material for thematic reasons. As the seventh son, David would have held a place of honor and blessing. But as the eighth son, he would have been seen as one among many; David has a humble and insignificant standing within the family.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R.,

Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E.,

Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016).

Faithlife Study Bible (1 Sa 16:10). Lexham Press.

Upon seeing David, Samuel anointed him as king. David, the eighth son, had come right out of the field where he had been shepherding.  The Bible tells us David was ruddy. This could be red from the sun or red-headed.  He was also bright-eyed. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. This shepherd boy was anointed king and empowered by God. 

God teaches us once again that He doesn’t call the qualified, but he qualifies the called.  There was nothing about David that folks would have thought he would have made a great king. 

In many places in the Bible, leaders are referred to as shepherds. God made David a shepherd of sheep before making him a shepherd of God’s people. 

We see an interesting contrast between Saul and David. Our first look at Saul shows him chasing donkeys across the countryside and never catching up with them. He was displayed as a poor shepherd. Our first look at David shows him in the field with the sheep. It was a lonely, dangerous job, and one needed to care for and lead the sheep. He had not left his sheep to come to the feast until the prophet and his father called for him. 

1 Samuel 16:14-18

In contrast to the spirit coming upon King David, the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit began to torment him.  Saul’s servants seemed to recognize an evil spirit when they saw one.  The departing of the Spirit means that Saul is no longer divinely empowered to lead God’s people or fight their enemies.  Because Saul rejected God’s Spirit, it has been given to another.

God gave Saul an evil spirit.  This may mean a literal spiritual being was sent to torment Saul, or Saul’s spirit was tormented at the vacancy of God’s Spirit.  Interestingly, Saul’s servants knew an evil spirit when they saw it. 

It was widely believed that music was the remedy for an evil spirit.  Musicians were kept nearby to entertain in the palaces of kings.  These servants wanted to use the musician to soothe Saul’s spirit.  Saul agreed, so they needed someone to play the harp.  One servant remembered David and sent for him.  He was considered a skilled musician but also a mighty man of valor and a warrior’s warrior.  He was a good speaker and handsome, and the Lord was with him. 

1 Samuel 16:19-3

Saul’s messengers went to Jesse to draft David into service for Saul. Jesse was honored that his son could serve the king, so he provided gifts for David to take Saul when he went. 

Saul was pleased at David’s arrival and took him as his armor bearer.  This was a position as an assistant or trainee to the king.  Saul was unaware that he was providing orientation to the next king. 

When this evil spirit came upon Saul and tormented him, David, filled with the spirit, would play the harp, and Saul would feel better.  We don’t have to imagine that Psalms David began to play for Saul to soothe his soul, many are recorded in the Psalms.  

The Big Idea

Saul’s rejection was final.  God was moving His king into position in His time.  God had prepared David in the fields as a shepherd with a heart to lead His people.  He filled him with the Holy Spirit and was growing him.  David showed respect for the throne and love and compassion for the man who sat upon it.  All of this was part of David’s preparation.

©2004 Doug Ford; Further Study and Revision 2015, 2024