Samuel Annoints David

Hello!  and happy good Tuesday to all of us, GUYS.  For our today's "daily bread":

THE GOOD NEWS (19 January 2016)

"YAHWEH asked Samuel, 'How long will you be grieving over Saul whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have chosen my king from among his sons.'

Samuel asked, 'How can I go?  If Saul hears of this, he will kill me!'  YAHWEH replied, 'Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to YAHWEH.'  Invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will let you know what to do next. You shall anoint for me the one I point out to you.'

Samuel did what YAHWEH commanded and left for Bethlehem.  When he appeared, the elders of the city came to him asking, fearfully, 'Do you bring us peace?'  Samuel replied, 'I come in peace; I am here to sacrifice to YAHWEH.  Cleanse yourselves and join me in the sacrifice.  He also had Jesse and his sons cleansed and invited them to the sacrifice.

As they came, Samuel looked at Eliab the older and thought, 'This must be YAHWEH's anointed.'  But YAHWEH told Samuel, 'Do not judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him.  YAHWEH does not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; YAHWEH sees the heart.'

Jesse call his son Abinadab and presented him to Samuel who said, 'YAHWEH has not chosen this one either.'  Jesse presented Shammah and Samuel said, 'Nor has YAHWEH chosen this one.'  Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who said, 'YAHWEH has chosen none of them.  But are all your sons here?'  Jesse replied, 'There is still the youngest, tending the flock just now.'  Samuel said to him, 'Send for him and bring him to me; we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives.'  So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him to Samuel.  He was a handsome lad with ruddy complexion and beautiful eyes.  And YAHWEH spoke, 'Go anoint him for he is the one.'  Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed him in his brothers' presence.  from that day onwards, YAHWEH's Spirit took hold of David.,  Then Samuel left for Ramah." - 1 Samuel 16:1-13 

Samuel Anoints David

(How long will you be grieving over Saul?  Sometimes, we remain grounded, immobile, longing for the past, when events in life are pushing us forward to change plans and directions.

Samuel goes to Bethlehem to meet the one whom GOD has chosen.  Bethlehem is the city of David's family.  There, JESUS will be born ten centuries later.

David, Jesse's son, is tending the flock when they send for him.  He is a shepherd before he becomes king.  In the Bible, the shepherd  is the image of the perfect king who, rather than acting like an important man, attends to persons and serves them as the shepherd does his sheep.  JESUS, King and Savior, will introduce HIMSELF as the good Shepherd whom the prophets were dreaming of.

Humans see with the eyes; YAHWEH sees the heart.  In the adolescent David, there is yet no evidence of the moral qualities, intelligence and courage which he will display as military chief and politician.  Still, GOD knows whom HE chooses.  In order to bring HIS work to completion, GOD does not choose those who pretend to be greater than they are.

In any human group, it is necessary to discover the values of each person and not allow oneself to be deceived by appearances.  It is very important for Christian communities that those with responsibility know how "to look into the heart" of brothers and sisters, whether they be the quiet ones or those who show much zeal.  Then it will not be long before they find the persons needed to animate the community, and can bypass the ambitious ones.)