You Aren't What You Look Like

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 16. Again*

Last time I touched a little bit on David being anointed as the future king of Israel. Instead of moving forward, let’s hang out here a little longer.

This part of the story is one we cover a lot in kids ministry. We have a skit that we’ve done all around the world (literally—we did it in Singapore and probably Malaysia. I can’t remember) that shows the importance of this part right here.

I mean, obviously it’s important. It’s an extremely important part of Israel’s history—King David being anointed. But it doesn’t go quite how one would expect it to go.

As I mentioned last week, the prophet Samuel had to anoint David in secret so the bad King Saul wouldn’t be all, “I’m killing you for treason!” So when God told Samuel that he needed to go to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons, Samuel told King Saul that he was going to make a sacrifice in Bethlehem. (Which he did, so he wasn’t lying.)

Samuel told Jesse to bring out his sons. He had bunches. Seven or eight of them. (Some of the wording in the Bible is confusing. I personally understand it to be eight sons, but some people say seven. Anyhoo, that’s just a side note and beside the point.)

So Jesse brings out his boys and Samuel looks at the first one, Eliab, and says (and I’m paraphrasing), “I know this has to be the guy God picked!”

But God says, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Then this happens six more times. Samuel is all, “It’s gotta be this guy!” “Look how handsome this one is!” “Man, this one is strong.” “This guy won the superbowl three years in a row!” “This one is supahhh rich!” Or, ya know, something along those lines anyway. Each son that was put before Samuel LOOKED kingly but God was like, “Nuh uh.”

Finally, it comes down to the point where all the sons have gone before Samuel the prophet and there aren’t any left. So Samuel asks Jesse, “Um, is this all of them? You got any more kids?” And Jesse’s like, “Well… there’s the youngest. He keeps the sheep. But, I mean... he's just the baby.” (1 Samuel 16:11)

And Samuel says, “Go get him."

Okay, let’s pause. You read that right. David wasn’t even there. He wasn't invited to the party. He was still out with the sheep. His family didn’t even bother to go get him for the family meeting. He was literally an outcast in his own family.

Tradition says that David was an illegitimate child. I’m not going into details—you can look into that on your own. But it would sure make a lot of sense, huh? Let’s ban the illegitimate kid to working with the sheep. Keep him out of the way.

But he’s the one God picked.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:12)

Whoa, wait, what? You're picking the guy who is all stinky because he's been with the sheep all day? You're picking the illegitimate kid? It doesn't make sense!!

It all goes back to that earlier verse.

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

God isn’t looking at your outward appearance, or how many degrees you have, or how much money is in your bank account, or how many Instagram followers you have. He looks inside. He looks at your heart. He looks at your character. He sees your potential (because He placed it inside of you). And the cool thing? He can see those good things even through the bad inside of you. In the future, David will commit adultery, yet he’s still called “a man after God’s own heart.” Thankfully, our sin doesn’t keep God away. He sees it and sees through it. He’s looking for a heart that desires him, even when that heart messes up and falls into sin.

David was the outcast. Who else knows what that feels like? (Hand lifted high. Actually I’m raising both hands.) I think everyone has felt like an outcast at some point.

God uses outcasts.

God doesn’t view us like the rest of the world does, but rather as something far greater. David will later be called a king, a warrior, a giant-killer. God saw that potential in him while he was still an outcast to the rest of the world. And God sees that potential in you, too.

What the world thinks of you doesn’t matter. God doesn’t look at you like the world does. He sees you as something far greater. He sees the giant-killer in you when everyone else just sees the keeper of the sheep.

So don’t let the world get you down. Because you aren’t what you look like.