The Anointed One - The Root of Jesse

12/23/2012 – Evening Worship

Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Message: Son of Jesse

[16:1] The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” [2] And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ [3] And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” [4] Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” [5] And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.A son of Jesse of the village of Bethlehem would be king in place of Saul. This would be God's doing. As He told Samuel concerning Saul, “I have rejected him.” But concerning Jesse, “I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.” There would be no need for Samuel to fear. The Lord had a plan. Samuel was to anoint “for Me him whom I declare to you.”

[6] When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.” [7] But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

When God had chosen Saul, the target of His grace had looked the part. Samuel was warned not to presume that it would be that way again with the Son of Jesse. The Lord alone would choose the right man. The Lord sees. He looks on the heart. He knows what is in a man.

[8] Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” [9] Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” [10] And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” [11] Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” [12] And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”

None of the seven oldest sons of Jesse would be king. It would not be through their lines that the Anointed of God would come. Only through David, the Lord's chosen. The instruction to Samuel was direct and uncompromising. “Anoint him, for this is he.” This king of Israel would be chosen by God. If man had any role, it would be to agree with the choice that God had already made long before. That would be a great privilege, but we would be very mistaken to see the Anointed one of Israel as first and foremost our choice. He was God's choice.

[13] Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.That choice of God was confirmed with more than the oil of man. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. How much more is Jesus the Anointed of God, and we who have loved Him, the chosen of God in Jesus Christ. God has chosen us. Let us walk by the Spirit of the Lord which has become the Lord's mark for His children.

Do you fear that you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you? Ask. Do you have the Spirit of Christ, but are disappointed with your lack of sanctification? Be filled with the Spirit. The faith of Jesus-followers is a Spirit-filled, Christ-exalting, God-first life. This is as it must be, for the unexpected blessing of Bethlehem comes to us through the merits and gifting of the ultimate Spirit-filled Person, the Anointed Son of David.