大衛——一個愛神的人
撒母耳記上十六章1至13節
1耶和華對撒母耳說：“我既厭棄掃羅作以色列的王，你為他悲傷要到幾時呢？你將膏油盛滿了角，我差遣你往伯利恆人耶西那裡去，因為我在他眾子之內，預定一個作王的。”
2撒母耳說：“我怎能去呢？掃羅若聽見，必要殺我。”耶和華說：“你可以帶一隻牛犢去，就說：‘我來是要向耶和華獻祭。’
3你要請耶西來吃祭肉，我就指示你所當行的事。我所指給你的人，你要膏他。”
4撒母耳就照耶和華的話去行。到了伯利恆，那城裡的長老都戰戰兢兢地出來迎接他，問他說：“你是為平安來的嗎？”
5他說：“為平安來的。我是給耶和華獻祭，你們當自潔，來與我同吃祭肉。”撒母耳就使耶西和他眾子自潔，請他們來吃祭肉。
6他們來的時候，撒母耳看見以利押，就心裡說：“耶和華的受膏者必定在他面前。”
7耶和華卻對撒母耳說：“不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌，耶和華是看內心。”
8耶西叫亞比拿達從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：“耶和華也不揀選他。”
9耶西又叫沙瑪從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：“耶和華也不揀選他。”
10耶西叫他七個兒子都從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：“這都不是耶和華所揀選的。”
11撒母耳對耶西說：“你的兒子都在這裡嗎？”他回答說：“還有個小的，現在放羊”撒母耳對耶西說：“你打發人去叫他來；他若不來，我們必不坐席。”
12耶西就打發人去叫了他來。他面色光紅，雙目清秀，容貌俊美。耶和華說：“這就是他，你起來膏他。”
13撒母耳就用角裡的膏油，在他諸兄中膏了他。從這日起，耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛。撒母耳起身回拉瑪去了。
信息分享
我們不知道掃羅作王多久，才變得偏行己意，不聽從神。到最後神終於要說：「夠了，我要另選一個人來作王管治我的百姓。」
於是，神差派作先知和祭司的撒母耳到伯利恆，找波阿斯和摩押女子路得的孫子耶西，在耶西家裡找到神所揀選的人。當耶西的七個兒子，由大到小排在撒母耳面前，場面一定十分有趣。撒母耳看見長子以利押長得俊美高大，便以為他是神所揀選的人。
但神卻對撒母耳說了一句重要的話，請看第7節神偉大的描述：「耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌，耶和華是看內心。」這句話至今不變。
最後，耶西打發人叫放羊的大衛回來。他沒有時間更換衣服，立即從野地跑來，臉頰曬得通紅。
神於是吩咐撒母耳說：「就是他，你起來膏立他吧！」
我們並不準確知道大衛要等多久才被膏立，並且從被膏立到真正登基為王之間，過了多少年。沒有十五年，至少也有十年。在這等候期間，大衛經歷了人生中最艱難和危險的歲月。
有些時候，大衛真的很灰心（見撒上廿七1）；但是，透過他在晚年所寫的73首詩篇，我們看見他如何經歷神的扶助。檢視大衛的一生，將會使我們大得益處。我們不能涵蓋每一個細節，只能在后面幾天一同察看幾個片段。
反思：
神給你的應許，祂必定成就。我們只要等候祂的時間。神必信守諾言。
DAVID - THE MAN WHO LOVED GOD
1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!”
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
8 So 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 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”
12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
Message
We do not know how long Saul had reigned when it became apparent he would go his own way and not the Lord's. Finally God said, “Enough, I have chosen another man to be king over my people”.
So God sent the prophet-priest Samuel to Bethlehem, the home of Jesse, who is the grandson of Boaz and Ruth, the Moabites.
There he would find the one God had chosen. It would have been interesting to see the parade of Jesse's seven sons in front of Samuel, beginning with the eldest, Eliab. Samuel was sure that this fine strong young man must be the one.
Then came God's words spoken to Samuel's heart and mind. Notice the final sentence of verse 7 with its tremendous statement, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” How it is still true today.
Finally David, the shepherd boy was sent for. He had no time to change his clothes. He came as he was, his sunburn face showing his constant exposure to the weather.
God spoke again, “This is the one. Anoint him.”
We do not know how long it took before David was crowned king and the span of time between anointing and coronation. At least ten if not fifteen years were to go by. They were difficult and dangerous years and David had to wait for God's time.
Sometimes David was really discouraged (see 1 Samuel 27:1) but some of his experiences with the Lord are preserved for us in Psalms 73 which he later wrote. A study of his life can be richly rewarding. We cannot cover every detail but will look at several incidents together over the next few days.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: If God has given you a promise, He will fulfill it. Wait for His time. God is faithful to His word.