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| 1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine 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 can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. |
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 show 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 that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou 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 unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified 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 the LORD'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 the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on 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 hath the LORD chosen this. |
Jesse – Doubtless one of the elders of the city of Bethlehem. R3226:1
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| 9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. |
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| 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
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Not chosen these – There was some unfitness in his heart. R4210:1
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| 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down 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. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD 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 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So 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 But the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD 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 unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. |
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| 16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an 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 unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. |
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| 18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. |
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| 19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. |
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| 20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. |
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| 21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. |
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| 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath 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 an harp, and played with his hand: so 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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