David Anointed King

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

An Outcast becomes King

1 Samuel 16:11-13

11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.”
12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. 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 brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

It turns out that Jesse had a younger son, a son that may not have been considered full family.

It turns out that David’s mother is not identifiable in the Bible, but a Jewish legend speaks of his mother, calling her Nitzevet. A quick search on this name will provide my reader with the Jewish story. Nevertheless, David’s relationship within this family was complicated.

In Psalm 86:16, David speaks of his mother as a godly woman, a maidservant of God. He speaks of his alienation from his brothers in Psalm 69:8. It seems Jesse did not consider David to be worthy of the visit of the prophet, and his absence may be simply due to Jesse’s estimation of David as being little more a laborer instead of a son. This may be too harsh to attribute to Jesse’s character, but David’s exclusion from this sacrifice may reveal a complicated family situation.

Nevertheless, when David was summoned, and upon his arrival, everything breaks loose! The Lord commanded Samuel to rise and anoint him. This is the king! No more rejection, no more guessing, no more disappointment, no more secrecy.

…Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward

All his brothers witnessed the anointing of their little brother! Talk about interpersonal conflicts within a family!

David, like Saul before him, experienced the Spirit of the Lord rush upon him. Notice one difference when comparing the two men, for with David, the added phrase “from that day forward” spoke of a resiliency in David’s kingdom, in his service to God and his faithfulness to his calling.

David was the new king, but to all appearances, Saul would wield power for years to come.

God has anointed and enthroned David’s son as King. Yet to all appearances, there is another king ruling. Where are you in relation to the true King, as opposed to a king that is simply depending on lies and deception, trying to maintain power through appearances?

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