If you had to decide who is going to be a leader, for example a king or a queen, what kind of person should he or she be and what kind of characteristics should this person have? What kind of person would you choose as a leader?
What do you think what kind of person would God choose to be a leader? Do you think God prefers a strong or a weak person? Do you think God likes handsome people more than not so handsome people? Do you think God would choose a smart person to be a leader or a stupid person? What is important to God?
The Bible tells us what kind of person God chooses to be a leader and a king. In 1. Samuel 13,14 God says about David that he was a man after God’s heart. In 1. Samuel 16,1-13 God describes David’s calling.
In this Bible passage God speaks to Samuel – the prophet – that he should stop mourning for Saul and go to Bethlehem to anoint somebody else to be king. Saul was the reigning king of Israel, but since he disobeyed God and didn’t repent, God rejected him from being a king anymore. Saul destroyed his life and his kingdom because of his disobedience. He was a very evil person. That’s the reason why Samuel was told by God to anoint somebody else. When Samuel heard that God wanted him to anoint another king, he was afraid that Saul would kill him. That’s how evil Saul was. God knew that Samuel was right about Saul. He knew that Saul was very evil and would kill Samuel, if he came to know about it. So God told Samuel to offer a sacrifice in Bethlehem, so that Saul wouldn’t get suspicious. Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint a son of Jesse as a king. He didn’t know who would be the new king, because God only had revealed to him a part of his plan. Samuel had to go to Bethlehem trusting God that He would reveal to him the right person at the right time. Samuel had to obey God and go without knowing everything. There was a certain uncertainty for Samuel. If he had stayed in Rama, he would not have known whom God wanted to be a king.
When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem he saw Eliab. Eliab was the oldest son of Jesse. He was probably a strong, tall and handsome man. Eliab was like Saul. Saul was a strong, tall and handsome man, too (1. Sam. 10,23). The Bible tells us in 1. Samuel 9,2 that Saul was the most handsome and the tallest man in Israel. There was nobody who was as handsome or as tall as Saul. Saul and Eliab were impressive men. But God didn’t want another Saul to be king. God wasn’t impressed by Eliab’s outward appearance or his stature. God saw Eliab’s heart and there was nothing in his heart that God liked. Eliab was quite impressive in the eyes of people. Even an experienced prophet and judge like Samuel thought that he was the chosen one. Samuel was a hero of faith, but he still made the mistake to look at Eliab’s appearance instead of his heart. He was a faithful servant of God who wanted to anoint somebody who wasn’t worthy to be anointed and to be king of Israel. Eliab would have been a second Saul. Samuel couldn’t look into Eliab’s heart, but he could hear God’s voice. We cannot see into other people’s hearts, because most people hide their true self. But we can see into God’s heart, because He has revealed His heart to us. God wants us to know His heart and to know Him. Our decisions have to be made as close to God’s heart as possible, so that we can see what God sees. He knows the future and He knows every human being. We don’t even know ourselves. We don’t know our own hearts. Our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17,9-10).
Only God knows our heart. He looks deep down inside your heart and my heart. Our hearts are much more evil than we even can imagine or think of. Very often we try to see with our eyes instead of listening to God. Samuel had to listen to God because he couldn’t see how evil Eliab’s heart was. God showed Samuel that Eliab and all his six younger brothers were not called by God to be a king of Israel, because none of them was a man after God’s heart. When Samuel was finished with the seven brothers he asked their father Jesse whether there is anybody else left. Jesse answered that his youngest son is taking care of the sheep. David was a shepherd. At that time in Israel being a shepherd was one of the most despised jobs. Shepherds had the lowest social status. What Jesse was basically saying here, was that his youngest son wasn’t even worthy to attend the meal they had. Jesse didn’t even think about asking David to join the meal. He wasn’t important in his father’s eyes, but He was important in God’s eyes. Samuel told Jesse to bring David to the meal, because without David nobody would eat anything. Everybody in Bethlehem who joined the sacrifice had to wait for David. David’s father didn’t want him to be part of this important event. But God wanted David to be the center of and the reason for the event. Nobody in David’s family cared about him, but God cared about David. When David arrived, God told Samuel to anoint him, because he was the one. David was the chosen one. He was the one God wanted to be a king. God didn’t choose any of David’s older brothers. God chose David. Sometimes God’s will is something we didn’t even think about. God is full of surprises. God’s ways are higher than your ways and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isa. 55,9). From a human perspective there was nothing that qualified David for becoming a king.
Why did God choose David as the new king of Israel?
Because David was a king after God’s heart. Saul was a king after the people’s heart, but David was a king after God’s heart. Samuel and Jesse didn’t even consider David to be a real man. He was too young and too unimportant. David wasn’t qualified to be a king before his calling and anointing, but he had a heart that was surrendered to God and in love with God. It took years in God’s school to prepare David for his service as a king. He, too, was in danger of becoming proud and disobedient just like Saul. David was sent to the king Saul after his calling and anointing, because he had to witness and see how much suffering a bad king can cause and what devastating consequences bad leadership can have.
What does it mean to be a man or a woman after God’s heart?
God wants us to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6,8). When we do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God, then we are men and women after God’s heart. God wants us to live according to His word – the Bible. He wants us to love other people and be compassionate. God wants us to be obedient. Saul wasn’t obedient. He did what he thought was right, although God told him something else. David was obedient. He was humble enough to let God decide what is right or wrong. God wants us to always tell the truth. God hates lying. The devil is a liar and the father of lies or liars (John 8,44). God wants us to say nice things about people and not slander about people. He doesn’t’ want us to look at anything that is evil, wicked or dirty (Psalm 101,3). God’s plan for us is to live in sexual purity. God hates sex before marriage or porn. God wants us to respect and obey our parents. Men and women after God’s heart don’t rebel against or disobey their parents. People after God’s heart care about the poor and donate money to help poor people. God wants us to read the Bible and pray every day. He wants us to attend to church regularly. He wants us to worship Him and surrender our whole life to Him. There are so many examples in the Bible that tell us what God wants us to do. God told us how He wants us to live.
How are we able to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God? How was David able to be a man and a king after God’s heart?
After his anointing, the Spirit of the Lord came upon David (V. 13). Only the Spirit of God can enable us to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. We need God to be able to do what He wants us to do. When we believe in Jesus, then we will receive the Holy Spirit. The Bible calls this being born again. David wasn’t called by God because he was very smart or special, but rather because he obeyed and loved God, and because he walked humbly with God.
God calls you today to believe in Him and to surrender your life to Him. If you don’t believe in Jesus yet, He calls you. He wants you to believe in Him and to trust Him. God calls children, women and man to follow Him. He wants a personal relationship with you. Listen to God’s calling. Answer His calling!
If you already believe in Jesus, then God calls you to serve Him. God knows you better than anybody else knows you. He doesn’t care about your looks, your strengths or weaknesses. He cares about you. He cares about your character. Your soul, your heart and your mind are so much more important than your appearance. God wants you to love him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength (Luke 10,27). He wants you to live for Him. Surrender your plans to Him. Let Him decide where He wants you to be. If God calls you to serve Him in a church or a Christian ministry than answer this calling.
God calls you to spend time with Him. He wants you to read the Bible and pray! God called us to communion with Him. Read your Bible and pray every day! Give God the best of your day. Wake up earlier in the morning to read God’s word and to listen to him. Talk to God in prayer.
When God calls you, say yes!