1 Samuel 16: The Lord Chooses David

There have been hints at his coming, but finally in this chapter we meet for the first time David, future king of Israel.  David is right up there with Moses and Abraham as one of the few towering figures of the Old Testament.  He marks a coming shift for God's chosen people -- a covenantal shift.  With Saul we've seen the shift to a monarchical government, but with David we'll see the true fullness of that shift, as David will be the greatest king Israel will ever know, and that greatness will make his kingship a model for generations and centuries to come.  There are also the symbols and figures of David's kingship.  Much of Jesus Christ's teachings hearken back to David's reign, showing how it was a type of the eternal heavenly kingdom of which Jesus came to tell us.  I simply pause to reflect on the significance of David before I begin reading his chapters in Scripture, for his entrance marks the beginning of a new and momentous era for the Israelites.  And furthermore, there is the unavoidable symbolism of God's favor passing from Saul to David.  Saul was chosen first by God, as were the Jews, but Saul proved obstinate and unfaithful and so God abandoned him, and instead sought out the lowly and unassuming shepherd David.  David is the church of Christ, which began humble and small but ultimately flowered into a glorious regal and spiritual power.  This is the symbolic example that is repeated over and over in Scripture, and the figures of Saul and David probably illustrate the supersession most vividly of all; for the Jews sought a worldly power, a kingdom full of outward strength and glory, much like Saul.  Instead, God sent His Son, a poor carpenter, who exuded strength via spirituality and taught us how to pray, much like David.

A couple of important things of note in 1 Samuel 16:

1) The significance of God's emphasis of heart versus appearance.  In 1 Samuel 16:7 it is said: "Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart."  This seems like such a revolutionary idea.  In an era when tribal warfare was constant, outward strength and power was everything.  We see this with Saul, who was a towering and commanding figure based on appearance alone.  But he proved inept in God's eyes.  By choosing David, God is telling us that He doesn't care much about outward appearances the way we do.  We, being confined to our senses, tend toward superficiality.  But God sees the hearts of men.  He saw in David faithfulness and other virtues that we might overlook for vain reasons.  This is also why we must not judge other men, for only God truly knows their hearts.

2) Saul's descent into madness, evil, and despair, and David's healing harp.  This whole notion is full of symbolic import.  It seems obvious that at the same time God would abandon Saul, an evil presence would take up residence in him.  For where God is absent, there surely are the devils.  Saul's story is again a tragic one, though one he wrote himself.  He has become a tormented figure, an example of one desperately clinging to his own pride and power and yet descending into despondency and desolation.  But he discovers the music of David, which seems to heal him, at least temporarily.  This also is a powerful symbol.  We know David as the future author of the Psalms, the sacred prayers still sung today by God's faithful the world over.  His music played on his harp is indicative of those prayers as they literally chase away Saul's demons.  We see right away that David will become a much different kind of king than Saul.  He has a spiritual heart, he is attuned to God's music, and he will show the world how to pray.