The stories of David weren’t preserved and crafted merely out of historical interest. The biblical author saw the God of Israel at work in David’s story in unique and important ways that made him stand out from among all of Israel’s kings. He’s the true king of Israel, but-and this is the catch-no one else knows it yet. Here in the family room of his house, David is appointed as the real king of Israel, with no fanfare and no crowds. Samuel performs the ancient anointing ceremony that had been performed on Israel’s priests, pouring oil over David’s head. This, we discover, is Israel’s true king. So Jesse fetches the forgotten son of the bunch, who has been out watching the sheep: young David. Humans see what is outwardly visible, but God sees the heart.”). But God was clear, outward appearance is never a reliable indicator of inward character (1 Samuel 16:7, “God doesn’t see as humans see. When Samuel showed up, he looked at seven of Jesse’s sons, many of whom were also tall and handsome. God revealed to Samuel that Israel’s true king and Saul’s replacement would come from the tribe of Judah and the family line of Jesse of Bethlehem (recall the story in 1 Samuel 16). Unlike Saul, Israel’s first king, David didn’t have height or muscle going for him (remember how Saul’s intimidating stature made him attractive as a royal candidate, 1 Samuel 9:2).
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