1Samuel 16:2 - Prayer Tents



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1Samuel 16
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God Looks into the Heart

16GOD addressed Samuel: "So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I've rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I've spotted the very king I want among his sons."H3068H559H8050H56H7586H3988H4427H3478H4390H7161H8081H3212H7971H3448H1022H7200H4428H1121 2"I can't do that," said Samuel. "Saul will hear about it and kill me." GOD said, "Take a heifer with you and announce, 'I've come to lead you in worship of GOD, with this heifer as a sacrifice.'H8050H559H3212H7586H8085H2026H3068H559H3947H1241H5697H3027H559H935H2076H3068 3Make sure Jesse gets invited. I'll let you know what to do next. I'll point out the one you are to anoint."H7121H3448H2077H3045H6213H4886H559 4Samuel did what GOD told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. "Is there something wrong?"H8050H6213H3068H1696H935H1035H2205H5892H2729H7125H559H935H7965 5"Nothing's wrong. I've come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of GOD. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship." He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship.H559H7965H935H2076H3068H6942H935H2077H6942H3448H1121H7121H2077 6When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, "Here he is! GOD's anointed!"H935H7200H446H559H3068H4899 7But GOD told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart."H3068H559H8050H5027H4758H1364H6967H3988H120H7200H120H7200H5869H3068H7200H3824 8Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, "This man isn't GOD's choice either."H3448H7121H41H5674H6440H8050H559H3068H977 9Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, "No, this man isn't either."H3448H8048H5674H559H3068H977 10Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, "GOD hasn't chosen any of these."H3448H7651H1121H5674H6440H8050H8050H559H3448H3068H977 11Then he asked Jesse, "Is this it? Are there no more sons?" "Well, yes, there's the runt. But he's out tending the sheep." Samuel ordered Jesse, "Go get him. We're not moving from this spot until he's here."H8050H559H3448H8552H5288H559H7604H6996H7462H6629H8050H559H3448H7971H3947H5437H935H6311 12Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking. GOD said, "Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one."H7971H935H132H5973H3303H5869H2896H7210H3068H559H6965H4886 13Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of GOD entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. Samuel left and went home to Ramah.H8050H3947H7161H8081H4886H7130H251H7307H3068H6743H1732H3117H4605H8050H6965H3212H7414

David—An Excellent Musician

14At that very moment the Spirit of GOD left Saul and in its place a black mood sent by GOD settled on him. He was terrified.H7307H3068H5493H7586H7451H7307H3068H1204 15Saul's advisors said, "This awful tormenting depression from God is making your life miserable.H7586H5650H559H7451H7307H430H1204 16O master, let us help. Let us look for someone who can play the harp. When the black mood from God moves in, he'll play his music and you'll feel better."H113H559H5650H6440H1245H376H3045H5059H3658H7451H7307H430H5059H3027H2895 17Saul told his servants, "Go ahead. Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me."H7586H559H5650H7200H376H5059H3190H935 18One of the young men spoke up, "I know someone. I've seen him myself: the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, an excellent musician. He's also courageous, of age, well-spoken, and good-looking. And GOD is with him."H6030H259H5288H559H7200H1121H3448H1022H3045H5059H1368H2428H376H4421H995H1697H8389H376H3068 19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse requesting, "Send your son David to me, the one who tends the sheep."H7586H7971H4397H3448H559H7971H1732H1121H6629 20Jesse took a donkey, loaded it with a couple of loaves of bread, a flask of wine, and a young goat, and sent his son David with it to Saul.H3448H3947H2543H3899H4997H3196H259H1423H5795H7971H3027H1732H1121H7586 21David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him immediately and made him his right-hand man.H1732H935H7586H5975H6440H157H3966H5375H3627 22Saul sent word back to Jesse: "Thank you. David will stay here. He's just the one I was looking for. I'm very impressed by him."H7586H7971H3448H559H1732H5975H6440H4672H2580H5869 23After that, whenever the bad depression from God tormented Saul, David got out his harp and played. That would calm Saul down, and he would feel better as the moodiness lifted.H7307H430H7586H1732H3947H3658H5059H3027H7586H7304H2895H7451H7307H5493


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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