Day 6 – 1 Samuel 16:11-13

\\Personal Scripture Reflection\\

Personal Scripture Reflection

1 Samuel 16:11-13

"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. 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. 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."

Here we see Samuel waiting for David to appear. David is summoned from tending the sheep and brought before Samuel. He is described as ruddy, with a pleasing appearance, yet it is not his appearance that determines the outcome. It is the Lord's command that settles the matter. Samuel anoints David in the midst of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him from that day forward. After this, Samuel departs to his home in Ramah.

The word "ruddy" is interesting. In Hebrew word pictures, it is often associated with the idea of redness, which can be connected to the flow of blood or life. This is likely why the word is commonly understood to describe a reddish complexion or possibly red hair. Scripture also records that David was pleasant to look upon, but again, that is not presented as the reason God chose him.

Two things stood out to me in this passage.

First, Scripture says "the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward." That phrase tells us this was not momentary. From this point on, God's Spirit was with David. That made me think about the Holy Spirit in my own life since the day the Lord saved me on April 10, 2005. While the circumstances are different, I am thankful that God's presence in my life is not temporary or uncertain.

The second thought that came to my mind was more personal. When I asked the Lord for a wife, what drew me to my wife was her heart. Her compassion for others and her love for her family stood out to me. I believe God gave me a woman with a wonderful heart and I believe He said, "because I can, I'm going to make her extremely beautiful too."

One thing I'm not entirely sure about in this passage is how much those present understood what had just taken place. Scripture tells us David was anointed, but it does not say whether his brothers fully understood that this anointing was unto kingship. Scripture does not explain their understanding, so I'm careful not to assume more than what is written.