Jesse Last Born

Seven brothers stand for one line, di tallest first. One old prophet dey look each of dem, with horn of oil for im hand. And every time, e shake im head. No be dis one. No be dis one too.

Israel get king, Saul, tall man wey fine for eye, im head and shoulder pass everybody. But Saul don turn back from God commands, and God don reject am as king. Di prophet Samuel, wey once anoint Saul, dey mourn for am. Then God talk. How long you go dey mourn for Saul? Fill your horn with oil and go. I dey send you go meet Jesse for Bethlehem, because I don choose king among im sons. Fear catch Samuel. If Saul hear about am, e go kill me. So God tell am make e carry one young cow go Bethlehem to offer sacrifice, and make e invite Jesse.

When Samuel reach, di elders of Bethlehem come out to meet am, dem dey shake. You come with peace? Visit from di great prophet fit mean trouble. With peace, Samuel talk. I come make sacrifice to di Lord. Make una sanctify unaself and come with me. And e invite Jesse and im sons. Jesse first son, Eliab, waka enter. E tall and e fine. Samuel look am and think, surely na dis one be di Lord anointed. But God talk something wey Samuel no go ever forget. No look im face or how tall e be, because I don reject am. Di Lord no dey see as man dey see; man dey look di outside, but di Lord dey look di heart.

So Jesse call im second son, Abinadab. Di Lord no choose dis one too, Samuel talk. Then Shammah. No be dis one. One by one, seven of Jesse sons pass for di prophet front. And every time di answer na no. Samuel turn to Jesse, e dey wonder. Di Lord no choose any of dis ones. Na all your children be dis? Jesse hold back small. Di last born still remain, e talk. But e dey look after di sheep for bush. You fit almost hear am for im voice: im? Di small one? E no even think to call am come. Samuel talk, send go call am. We no go siddon until e come.

So somebody run go di hills, and after some time, di shepherd boy waka enter. Bible talk say im skin get reddish colour, im eyes fine, and e fine for face. Im name na David. And God tell Samuel, stand up, anoint am, because na im be dis. Samuel lift di horn of oil and pour am for David head, right there among im brothers. And from dat day go, di Spirit of di Lord come on top David with power. Then Samuel go back to Ramah. David go back to di sheep. E go take years before e wear crown. But God don choose im king, and e choose am from Bethlehem.

For old Israel, dem dey separate kings and priests by pouring olive oil for dia head. Di Hebrew word for person wey dem anoint like dat na mashiach. Na from there di word Messiah come. When dem translate di Old Testament go Greek, mashiach become christos, wey give us Christ. So when angels later tell shepherds near Bethlehem say Saviour don born, wey be Christ di Lord, wetin dem dey talk be say: di Anointed One don come, from David town.

Dis story dey First Samuel chapter sixteen, verse one reach thirteen. God pass di tall sons wey fine for eye, and e choose di one wey nobody even think to invite. Many hundred years after, God chosen King go born for di same town, dem go lay am for manger, and na shepherds go first visit am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When God look your heart, wetin e dey see?