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| 1 And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. |
How long wilt thou mourn – A slight reproof. R4209:2
I will send thee – When our hopes and aims have failed us, the Lord bids us look in another direction. R4209:2
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| 2 And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. |
Say, I am come – If the whole truth would do injury, then it is the course of wisdom and love to withhold the injurious element. R4209:5
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| 3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. |
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| 4 And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably? |
Comest thou peaceably – Does your coming mean judgments of the Lord upon us, or blessings? R4209:5, R3226:2
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| 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Hallow yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he hallowed Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. |
To sacrifice – The Ark being in the hands of the Philistines, the Tabernacle services had been discontinued. R3226:3
Sanctify yourselves – By washing, and with clean clothes, drawing nigh to the Lord with their hearts, typifying the justification and sanctification which the Gospel age Church enjoys. R3226:3
The sacrifice – An acknowledgment of sin and thankfulness to the Lord for his mercy; a consecration of obedience. R4209:6
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| 6 And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him. |
Looked on Eliab – Judging from the human standpoint, Eliab was the most suitable person, but not so in the Lord's sight. R3226:3
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| 7 But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart. |
Looketh on the heart – The mind, the intention, the endeavor. R5947:4
It behooves us, then, to see that our hearts are loyal, faithful and obedient. R1902:4
He knows to what extent you are striving against sin. CR335:1
If he sees earnest endeavor to do his will he will cover the deficiencies and imperfections with the merit of our Savior. R5757:5
And not on the social, intellectual, moral or educational position of those he would honor. "Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh are called." (1 Cor. 1:26) R3226:5
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| 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one. |
Jesse – Doubtless one of the elders of the city of Bethlehem. R3226:1
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| 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one. |
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| 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these. |
Not chosen these – There was some unfitness in his heart. R4210:1
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| 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither. |
Keepeth the sheep – David was counted by his brethren too insignificant to be considered in this connection, so also are those whom the Lord is now choosing for his heavenly kingdom. R3226:4
Will not sit down – To the feast of which they were about to partake, celebrating a communion with the Lord. R3227:1
Till he come – A feast of fat things for the whole world cannot be participated in until the justifying and sanctifying sacrifice has been killed and the Anointed One comes. R3227:1
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| 12 And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he. |
A beautiful countenance – David was fair complexioned, with auburn hair, and about 18 to 20 years old. R4210:1, R3225:3
Goodly to look to – He had not wasted the precious spring-time of life in sowing wild oats. R1901:3
This Is he – One who aptly prefigured Christ. R1901:2; B255
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| 13 And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. |
Anointed him – Samuel probably privately informed David of the meaning of the anointing but his father and brethren probably did not understand. R3226:2
As David was anointed years before he became king, so Christ and the Church receive their anointing years before the Kingdom's establishment. PD39/50; SM601:1; CR367:1; Q501:4
We, as members of Christ's Body, have in our anointing of the holy Spirit a recognition of our coming kingship and joint-heirship with him if we remain faithful. SM601:1
Came upon David – The spirit of wisdom and judgment pertaining to government. Note his subsequent discreetness. E176
David means "beloved"; we are "accepted in the Beloved." (Eph. 1:6) Each Body member must be b R3226:4, R4210:4; PD39/50
The reigns of David and Solomon picture the great work of the Lord's Anointed: David's, the work of the Church in the flesh; and Solomon's, the work of the Church glorified. R1901:3, R2010:4
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| 14 And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. |
But the Spirit – Previously energizing Saul's mind. E176
An evil spirit – A spirit of sadness, dejection and loss of confidence. E176
From the LORD – Due to the Lord's dealings with him. E176
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| 15 And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee. |
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| 16 Let our lord now speak; thy servants are before thee: they shall seek out a man, a skilful player on a harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. |
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| 17 And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. |
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| 18 And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him. |
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| 19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep. |
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| 20 And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul. |
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| 21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer. |
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| 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight. |
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| 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. |
Evil spirit from God – The spirit of melancholy due to the Lord's dealings with him. E176
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