Evening Capital

LESSON IX, FOURTH QUARTER, INTERNATIONAL SERIES. DEC. 1.

Text of the Lesson, I Sam. xvi, 1-13—Memory Verses, 1, 13—Golden Text, I Sam. xvi. 7—Commentary by the Rev. D. M. Stearns,

1. "I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a king among his sons." The last verse of the previous chapter shows that, although Samuel came not near Saul any more, yet he clung to him in his heart. It is a searching question, Am I wholly with God in everything, or do I in any sense cling to that which He has disapproved? Observe the words "I will send," "I have provided." In Saul's case it was God indulging the people, but now it is God working and choosing for His pleasure. See Ps. lxxviii, 70; lxxxix. 19, 20.

2. "Take an heifer with thee and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord." It is not like Samuel to be afraid of a man (Isa. li, 12), but the least lack of fellowship with God is apt to cause poor vision, and tremblings of heart, and fears and forebodings. When God speaks, it is not ours to reason, but simply obey. "Willing and obedient" are the words for us if we would eat the good of the land and see the power of the Lord (Isa. i, 19). He sees the end from the beginning and always knows what He will do (Isa. xlvi, 10; John vi. 6)

3. "I will show thee what thou shalt do." Here is sure guidance. Samuel had only to trust and obey. The Lord sends, provides, shows and names, and Samuel watches to see His way. The same Lord will guide us in all that which He requires of us, and we may in quietness and confidence dwell with Him for His work (Isa. xxx, 15; I Chron. iv. 23). As to His guidance see Ps. xxxii, 8; Isa. xxx, 21; xlviii, 17. To enjoy Him and be led by Him we must be as clay in the hands of the potter, with no will of our own.

4. "And Samuel did that which the Lord spake and came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the town trembled at his coming." There was no occasion to tremble if they had been walking with God. The godly man can say, "What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee." Or, better still, "I will trust and not be afraid" (Ps. lvi, 3; Isa. xii, 2). The Lord's thoughts to His people are always thoughts of peace (Jer. xxix, 11; Ps. lxxxv, 8; John xiv, 27). To believe what He says and do what He tells us is always pleasing unto Him.

5. "I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He uses the very words of the Lord (verse 2), and in this he was very safe and right. The Lord's messenger should say exactly what the Lord tells him. Thus did Jeremiah and Ezekiel and our Lord Jesus Christ also (Jer. i., 7; Ezek. ii. 7; iii. 4, 17; John xii, 49). We are never, under any circumstances, to lie, but we are not supposed always to tell all we know to everybody.

6. "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him." This said Samuel as he looked upon Eliab, Jesse's oldest son, but had he been looking to the Lord and watching for His message he would not have spoken thus. It seems so easy for us to look away from the Lord and use our own eyes or our own judgment. But all this we must contend against, and prayerfully and patiently seek and wait His guidance.

7. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Not until the heart is right are we in any sense right before God. The natural heart, or carnal mind, is enmity against God and never can be made better (Rom. viii, 7), but when we receive Jesus Christ we are said to be born anew, or from above, and then we have a new heart which cannot sin, while the old can do nothing but sin. This is the work of the Spirit through the Word. A person may be outwardly all that can be desired, even to moral character, but if the heart is not a new heart, if Christ is not there, all else goes for naught. Ponder I John v, 12. The whole world is wrong, and will be till the heart gets right, which is Israel and Jerusalem, and the throne of David.

8-10. "Neither hath the Lord chosen this." "The Lord hath not chosen these." As the seven sons of Jesse passed before Samuel the verdict for each was "Not chosen." Let us bear in mind that this was a question of service, not of salvation. For salvation the word ever stands, "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out" (John vi, 37). But in service it is still true that "few are chosen," not because the Lord does not want them, but because they do not want Him; they are not willing to submit wholly to Him, and His Word and His ways; not willing to have Him think for them, and act through them and live just to please Him in all things.

11. "There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold he keepeth the sheep." This was Jesse's reply to Samuel's question as to whether all his sons were present or not. Jesse evidently was expected to bring all his sons, but he supposed the lad David would not be wanted, and that was just where he was mistaken. It is generally the unlikely one that is wanted and the unlikely and unexpected thing that happens. Let us keep nothing back from God, but yield to Him every whit that He may use what He pleases. David was the eighth son (vii, 12), which is suggestive of the resurrection Man, and the resurrection day, the man who to the Jews was so unacceptable that they killed Him. It has made me laugh in my heart many a time to see all those big brothers passed by and set aside, and the whole proceedings at a standstill until little David is sent for and arrives upon the scene. We do not know how David took his being left at home that day. Perhaps his mother comforted him if he needed any, but we may learn this lesson, Where God wants you to be there He will put you.

12. "And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he." When at last the surprised boy arrived, this was the Lord's message to Samuel. This is our first introduction to the man after God's own heart, who is mentioned about 1,000 times in the Old Testament, and 50 in the New. Even his outward appearance is fair to look upon, but his heart is right with God, and he has already learned to trust Him for great things (chapter xvii. 34-37).

13. "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." The revised version says, "Came mightily upon David," which makes the meaning more plain, as the Spirit must have been on him before. By comparing II Sam. ii, 4, and v, 3, with this verse we see that David was anointed three times. The full significance of this we shall see some day in Christ, the true David or Beloved. David, though anointed, waited long for the throne and suffered much. Our David is still waiting for His throne and kingdom, and we must rejoice to wait and suffer with Him (II Tim. ii. 12; Rom. viii. 18).