God Looks With His Heart

God operates according to His plan, not according to our limited sight.   ~~~   1 Samuel 16:6-7 “When they came, the looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.’ But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’” The emphasis of this section is trusting the LORD’s sight over our sight. Notice how many times the word group “look” or “see” is used (6, 7—six times in two verses). And when we start reading the text, we are startled to find out that Samuel is about to use the same standards of selecting a king as were used in selecting Saul, that being outward appearance. The first son of Jesse impressed Samuel to the point to where Samuel says, just based on appearance, “Surely this is the one!” But Samuel is instructed to trust what God sees over and above what man sees. Man sees and is impressed with the externals, but God sees the heart. So six other sons of Jesse are paraded in front of Samuel, seven in all, all of them supposedly physically impressive from the sheer fact that Jesse calls them to be in front of Samuel, and that he doesn’t call in the least of the brothers. David, the youngest, the smallest, the most physically unimpressive one of the bunch in terms of stature, is finally called before Samuel. And we know that Samuel is not impressed because God has to tell him, “Anoint this one.” Why this one? God tells us that it is all about God’s heart, or will. We oftentimes think this is talking about David’s heart, but I think the better interpretation here is a reference to God’s heart, or will, as it can be translated. This is what makes God’s choice for king a better choice for us. He sees with His heart and will, and calls us to trust His will. And this was God’s man. The one He had provided for Israel.