Old Testament - 1 Samuel 16 - June 16, 2022

 6/16/2022 – 1 Samuel 16 

Samuel, the prophet, is saddened by Saul’s changes of attitude and of behavior. “And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?” The Lord then tells Samuel to go on a journey to Jesse’s house to find the man that He has now chosen to rule over Israel. The Lord knows the good and the bad of all of us. He gives us our free agency-- that is the plan that we learned in Heaven. If we ask for His guidance, and if we respond to His promptings, we will grow closer to him…which will also help us to have a stronger life, and a more calm and happy disposition. 

When Samuel got to the place where Jesse and his family lived, Samuel asked Jesse’s family and those around him to participate with Samuel (their prophet) in his sacrifice to the Lord. 

After the sacrifice, Samuel looked over Jesse’s boys and saw Eliab (thinking: “Surely the Lord’s anointed…v 6) But the Lord then spoke to 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.” Beauty of the spirit is evident to the Lord and His servants. God judges us by our hearts rather than our outward appearance.

Samuel knew the Lord wanted one of the sons of Jesse to take Saul’s place as king. But as Samuel met each of Jesse’s sons, he knew that “neither hath the Lord chosen this” (v 8) Samuel asked if these were all of his sons, and Jesse answered: “There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep.” (v11) They brought this youngest son, David down from the hills: “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.”  

Samuel anointed David “and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” V13.  In v 14 we are told: “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.”  Even Saul’s servants saw and felt this.

This is what the Student Manual says about v’s 14-15: “Evil spirits are not sent by God, nor does God give revelations through the evil spirits which sometimes trouble men. He cast these evil spirits out of heaven long ago for their rebellion against Him. The Joseph Smith Translation corrects this passage to say, “An evil spirit which was not of the Lord troubled him” (JST, 1 Samuel 16:14; emphasis added). Recorded here are the first effects of Saul’s rejection of the Lord. More and more Saul failed to find peace with himself until at last he became a miserable, guilt-ridden man.”

Saul continues to be troubled by this “evil spirit” and his servants seek someone who is good on the harp and could play music to calm Saul’s anxieties. One of the servants said he had seen and heard David and described  David as “cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.”

Saul sends for David, and v 21 says “And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour bearer.” David has been anointed as king and yet he remains ‘the kings lute player’. He is humble, loving, and ready to serve at any level.


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