Jesse's Youngest

Seven brothers stand in a line, tallest first. An old prophet looks at each of them, a horn of oil in his hands. And each time, he shakes his head. Not this one. Not this one either.

Israel has a king, Saul, tall and impressive, head and shoulders above everyone. But Saul has turned away from God's commands, and God has rejected him as king. The prophet Samuel, who once anointed Saul, is grieving over him. Then God speaks. How long will you mourn for Saul? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen a king among his sons. Samuel is afraid. If Saul hears about it, he will kill me. So God tells him to take a young cow and go to Bethlehem to offer a sacrifice, and to invite Jesse.

When Samuel arrives, the elders of Bethlehem come out trembling to meet him. Do you come in peace? A visit from the great prophet could mean trouble. Peaceably, says Samuel. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Make yourselves holy and come with me. And he invites Jesse and his sons. Jesse's eldest son, Eliab, walks in. He is tall and handsome. Samuel looks at him and thinks, surely this is the Lord's anointed. But God says something Samuel never forgets. “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.”

So Jesse calls his second son, Abinadab. The Lord has not chosen this one either, says Samuel. Then Shammah. Not this one. One by one, seven of Jesse's sons pass in front of the prophet. And each time the answer is no. Samuel turns to Jesse, puzzled. The Lord has not chosen any of these. Are these all your children? Jesse hesitates. There is still the youngest, he says. But he is out looking after the sheep. You can almost hear it in his voice: him? The little one? He did not even think to call him in. Samuel says, send and fetch him. We will not sit down until he comes.

So someone runs to the hills, and after a while, in comes the shepherd boy. The Bible says he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and good-looking. His name is David. And God says to Samuel, arise, anoint him, for this is he. Samuel lifts the horn of oil and pours it over David's head, right there among his brothers. And from that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Then Samuel goes home to Ramah. David goes back to the sheep. It will be years before he wears a crown. But God has chosen his king, and he has chosen him from Bethlehem.

In ancient Israel, kings and priests were set apart by having olive oil poured on their heads. The Hebrew word for someone anointed in this way is mashiach. That is where our word Messiah comes from. When the Old Testament was translated into Greek, mashiach became christos, which gives us Christ. So when the angels later told shepherds near Bethlehem that a Saviour was born, who is Christ the Lord, they were saying: the Anointed One has come, from David's town.

This story is in First Samuel chapter sixteen, verses one to thirteen. God passed over the tall and impressive sons and chose the one nobody thought to invite. Centuries later, God's chosen King would be born in the same town, laid in a manger, and first visited by shepherds. So here is a question to carry with you. When God looks at your heart, what does he see?