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Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
—From 1 Samuel 16:1–13 (NKJV)

Meditation

No one would have guessed, when David was out in the fields tending his father’s sheep, that he, youngest of his brothers, was the one God chose to be the greatest King of Israel.

It’s a familiar story: David’s brothers were older, stronger, more handsome. They had presence, a kingly bearing, so Samuel was surprised when none of them were God’s choice. Did God really want David? David, the dreamy child who’d rather make music and spend his days with sheep?

We often reflect on the passage, “the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” And we bring to mind Christ’s words, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

The Lord knows the desires of our hearts, and He looks at that heart when preparing His servants.

But let us notice something else.

David’s anointing did not instantly change his life.

He returned to the fields, working as a shepherd, and worked in the service of the current king. Although he was anointed King of Israel, although he was chosen as king by God, he remained a “nobody.” In fact, after David slew Goliath, Saul, the current king, asked, “Whose son was that?” (1 Sam. 17:56). Saul had no idea that his anointed successor had regularly been in his very midst.

God’s timing is not our timing. In fact, David would be anointed another two times (2 Sam. 2:4; 5:3) over at least the next fifteen years (some theologians count more than 20!) before being made King of Israel.

During those years he slew a giant, married the king’s daughter, was nearly murdered by his father-in-law—several times, fled for his life … and that’s just the beginning.

In David’s time there were three primary uses for anointing. To anoint prophets, priests, especially the High Priest, and kings. These roles were held by different persons each with a special anointing.

Except for David.

“The only other figure to unite Prophet, High Priest, and King is Christ Himself.”

David’s first anointing was a sign of promise, of God’s choosing. It marks God’s blessing and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. David began to become the man God planned for him to be. His family may not have been told why David was being anointed, and as they already had a king, likely would have assumed he had been chosen as a prophet of God. Acts 2:29–30 bears this out: David, the prophet, knew Christ would one day sit on his throne.

David’s second anointing took place by the men of Judah (2 Sam. 2:4), and in the third, with much pomp and ceremony, occurred when all the elders of Israel made David King.

David clearly fulfilled the roles of Prophet and King, but what of Priest? He later set up the Lord’s Tabernacle (2 Sam. 6:14–18) and offered sacrifices. When King Saul offered sacrifice, impatient over Samuel the High Priest’s delay, he lost his rule, and when Uzziah, a later king, tried taking on a priestly task, he was struck down with leprosy. David served as a priest without reprimand or punishment, and so David fulfilled all three roles.

The only other figure to unite the offices of Prophet, High Priest, and King is Christ Himself.

He was the last and greatest of the prophets, showing us God’s ultimate truth. He, as the High Priest, offered Himself as sacrifice for our sins. And He inaugurated a spiritual kingdom that will never end.

Inspiration

The Anointing of David

Paolo Veronese, 1555. Young David, the unlikeliest choice for King of Israel.

Music

Celebrate with While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night!

Reflect as you enjoy Little Drummer Boy that the anointing through Christ is not bound to any one language or nationality!

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Reflection

Even in his greatness, David was flawed. Many know the story of David and Bathsheba—David saw her in the courtyard, committed adultery with her, and, when she became pregnant and his sin couldn’t be hidden, he arranged for the death of her husband. Yet he and Bathsheba remained in the genealogy of Christ. As Christians we face two temptations in regard to sin. The first, and most common is to rationalize it, to think we’re better than we are and don’t need God’s grace. There is an equal temptation, especially for those who have made capital M Mistakes, to think our sins can outsize God’s grace. Reflect today on these two issues. Are you an, “I’m not that bad” sort of sinner, or do you carry a weight of guilt and shame that you think is too heavy, even for God? If the former, pray for God to search your heart and reveal you to yourself. And if you’re the latter, know there is no sin too grievous for God’s grace.

Prayer

Blessed Lord,
Give us your Holy Spirit to work in us daily a true and lasting repentance, and lead us as repentant Christian people, always willing to acknowledge, mourn and lament our sins, yet also keep us steadfast and strong in our faith in the forgiveness of sins and in our purpose to amend our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Johann Eichhorn (d. 1564)

Family Celebration

A shepherd staff reminds us that David began as a shepherd, but became a king.

In your child’s favorite Children’s Bible, read the story of David’s Anointing.

Say: Think of the strongest, coolest superhero. Who did you pick? What if I told you the strongest superhero was actually … an elf named Bingo? There isn’t really an elf named Bingo (probably), but the point is that Samuel thought one of Jesse’s older sons was sure to be God’s Top Pick for King. They were tall and handsome. They looked like kings. But God said that He doesn’t look at the things we look at. We look at muscles and gleaming teeth, but God looks at the heart. God knew that the little shepherd boy, Jesse’s youngest son, was a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). That’s why today’s symbol is a shepherd staff—because God chose a shepherd to be Israel’s greatest king, and God’s Son, Jesus, is our King and the Good Shepherd.

Especially for Toddlers and PreK

Resources

Until the mid-1990s there was little direct evidence for an historical King David beyond the Biblical account. Some dismissed the Biblical account as legend, a literary tale. That is, until an ancient inscription from a time after David’s reign was discovered referring to “The House of David.”
A beautiful music video of Little Drummer Boy.
Enjoy a printable coloring page of David's Anointing.
Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.