1. And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. 2. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. 4. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5. And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord; sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. 7. But the Lord said unto Samuel, 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. 8. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 9. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 10. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. 11. 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. 12. 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. 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. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
Golden Text: “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Verse 7.
Note.—The time of this lesson is not long after the rejection of Saul. The place is Bethlehem, about six miles south of Jerusalem, and ten miles from Ramah, the home of Samuel. After his warning to Saul, Samuel saw him no more. He was now a very old man; Saul was middle-aged, while David was but a youth, probably not twenty years old. The whole of chapter 16 may be read with the lesson.
Suggestive Questions
(1) What word of the Lord came to Samuel? Verse 1. Note . (2) What reply did Samuel make? Verse 2. (3) What plan did the Lord suggest? Same verse. Note . (4) What further instructions were given Samuel? Verse 3. (5) What anxious inquiry was made by the elders of Bethlehem? Verse 4. Note . (6) What answer was given them? Verse 5. (7) Who was specially called to the sacrifice? Note . (8) What was Samuel’s impression when Eliab passed before him? Verse 6. (9) How did the Lord regard him? Verse 7, first part. (10) How does the Lord’s estimation differ from man’s? Memory verse. Note . (11) How many of Jesse’s sons passed by, and what was the verdict in each case? Verses 8-10. (12) What question did Samuel ask Jesse? Verse 11. (13) What was the reply? Note . (14) What did Samuel then say? (15) What was David’s personal appearance? Verse 12. (16) What was the command concerning him? (17) What did Samuel do? Verse 13. (18) What was the result to David? Same verse. See note .
