Chapter 16

1 Samuel sent by God, under pretence of a sacrifice, cometh to Beth-lehem. 6 His human judgment is reproved. 11 He anointeth David. 15 Saul sendeth for David to quiet his evil spirit.

1. How long? Saul had made an inspiring leader. As the first chief of state under a new form of administration, he had almost hypnotic power over the high-spirited and independence-loving Israelite people. But he had rapidly developed into a despot—cruel, tyrannical, and unforgiving. Let it be remembered, however, that although the king had refused God’s counsel, and had effectively separated the nation from His guidance, yet this did not bar Saul from salvation as an individual. Nebuchadnezzar, for example, gloried in the thought that his god Marduk was stronger than Jehovah, yet God’s Holy Spirit appealed to him through Daniel—so much so that he extolled the God of Daniel as the Most High (Dan. 4:34–37).

Jesse the Beth-lehemite. Samuel was probably acquainted with some of the people of Bethlehem from previous visits. Although he probably knew Jesse, he was unacquainted with the rest of his family (vs. 11, 12).

2. Take an heifer. It was entirely natural and proper for the prophet to visit Bethlehem to make a sacrifice. The ark was still at Kirjath-jearim. It is known that the sanctuary was in Nob during at least a portion of Saul’s reign (ch. 21:1–6), but we are not told whether the yearly feasts were held there as they had been in Shiloh. Since the cessation of sacrificial offerings at Shiloh, these had been conducted at various cities throughout the land (PP 609). At such sacrificial gatherings the prophet would instruct the people concerning the great plan of salvation and would encourage them to send their young men to the various schools of the prophets, in order to raise the intellectual and spiritual tone of the nation. The king would thus have no question about Samuel’s visiting Bethlehem. So far as the people were concerned, it was a routine ministration by the prophet, similar to a district meeting today.

Say, I am come to sacrifice. It was not in the public interest that the act of anointing David be known at once. Was not Saul’s anointing conducted in much the same way? Did the 30 elders who then responded to the invitation to attend the feast know why Samuel had given Saul the seat of honor? They were not present while Samuel and Saul communed together after the feast (ch. 9:25). Neither they nor even Saul’s servant witnessed the early morning anointing (chs. 9:27 to 10:1). Nor did Saul’s family learn of the anointing until the time of the Mizpah meeting for selecting a king (ch. 10:20–27). The anointing of Saul was to him a declaration of God’s plan for his life. He was invited, but not compelled, to accept God’s summons. Such anointing gave him no license to initiate action to bring about his actual installation, publicly, as king. The record shows clearly that even after his selection at Mizpah, Saul returned to his home and waited for the Lord to lead in the next move.

The only difference between Samuel’s anointing of Saul and his trip to Jesse’s home was that at this time there was already a king, suspicious of every move the prophet made since he had announced the Lord’s rejection of Saul. This sensitiveness was no doubt greatly increased by Samuel’s hesitancy to join his king in worship. There may have been a considerable interval of time between chs. 15 and 16.

4. Comest thou peaceably? From the description given in ch. 9, it is clear that the feast for Saul’s anointing was held at the high place, in connection with a feast well known in advance. But Samuel’s coming to Bethlehem unannounced, leading a heifer, and summoning the elders to be present, would naturally lead to considerable speculation. The elders came in fear and trembling, wondering what terrible thing had happened. Such a reaction to the unexpected coming of an important official was entirely natural and, in fact, adds an authentic touch to the narrative.

5. Peaceably. Samuel quieted all their fears and authorized them to sanctify themselves, that is, to go through the procedure for ceremonial cleansing, which included bathing of the body, washing of the clothing, and continence (see Ex. 19:10–15; 1 Sam. 21:4–6). Samuel personally saw to it that Jesse and at least his older sons were purified (1 Sam. 16:5). Then all were called to the sacrifice. A few hours would elapse between the sacrifice and the feast, for the heifer must be dressed and roasted before they could eat of it. Samuel took advantage of this interval to become better acquainted with Jesse and his family. That they had not yet assembled themselves for the feast is clear from v. 11, where David is brought in from the fields before they sat down to eat.

7. The Lord looketh on the heart. The “heart” refers to the intellect, the affections, and the will (Ps. 139:23; Matt. 12:34; etc.). It is the guiding factor in determining destiny, for as a man “thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). Free choice is essentially a matter of the intellect, but is often strongly influenced by the feelings and emotions. Within the limits of probationary time God invites men: “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isa. 1:18). He would have us become acquainted with Him and with His plan, for it is by beholding that we become changed (see 2 Cor. 3:18). God makes His appeal to the intellect. Outward appearances do not reveal the real motives of life, for ofttimes actions are misinterpreted. When Moses told the children of Israel, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart” (Deut. 6:5), he was thinking of the guiding influence brought to bear on the life through personal acquaintance with God. The fact that the disciples had seen God through associating intimately with Jesus (John 14:9) greatly strengthened them in their surrender to His plan for them. David had learned to know God as he watched over the sheep, and, though unrecognized by his brothers, this acquaintance made it possible for the Holy Spirit to lead him on from step to step.

12. Goodly to look to. Or, “handsome.”

Anoint him. Why does God choose certain men to be His representatives, passing others by? What difference was there in His choice of Saul and His choice of David? Being omniscient, God knew precisely the course Saul would take, yet anointed him and promised to be with him (ch. 10:7). Contrary to their own best interests and to His will for them, God answered the demand of the people for a king. It is clear that Saul was popular with the people—a king after their heart, but not God’s. They were not thinking of spiritual leadership but of national strength. When chosen, Saul had serious handicaps. God recognized these, yet forewarned him of the dangers he would meet, and gave him definite counsel on how to meet them.

With David the case was different. There is no evidence that the people had become dissatisfied with Saul; in fact they were entirely satisfied with the results of the Amalekite campaign. David was the youngest in his father’s house, and in the Orient age carried with it respect and priority (Gen. 29:25, 26). He was a stripling, with no claim to recognition even from the members of his own household (1 Sam. 17:28). He did not have the lofty stature of Saul, nor the physique of Samson. Saul was called from the plow in response to the urgent pleas of the elders for a king. He had little time for training. David was called from tending sheep, while yet a lad, and had more than a decade in which to prepare for his arduous tasks as leader of the twelve tribes.

Chosen as a youth, David enjoyed the opportunity of a period of training and testing before he assumed the responsibilities of high office. Where David’s character failed in meeting the divine standards, changes could thus be made before his coronation. God deals similarly with every individual whom He invites to be a member of His kingdom, and particularly with those whom he calls to positions of responsibility. All unconsciously man is tested by the common events of life until finally God can say, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Matt. 25:23). Thus far David had shown himself to possess youthful vigor, a loving, gentle spirit, and fearlessness born of confidence in divine power. He was uncorrupted by the world, a meditative soul growing up in the quiet seclusion of the hills of Bethlehem. There, herding the sheep like Moses in Midian, he acquired a sense of responsibility and developed qualities of leadership that were to carry him through life.

13. Horn. Heb. qeren, the “horn” of a bull, goat, or ram. The English word cornucopia is from qeren through the Latin cornu.

Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is no respecter of persons. He gave Saul a new heart and pointed out the pitfalls ahead of him. Yet Saul quickly rejected divine guidance. Now God proposed to guide David as He had tried in vain to guide Saul. As with many of the world’s great leaders, David grew up amid humble surroundings, quietly developing a sterling character under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who one day would qualify him fully for the part he was to play in the great controversy between good and evil. God’s Spirit “came upon David” at the time of his anointing, even as the Divine Spirit came upon Christ at His baptism (see on Matt. 3:16).

14. Spirit of the Lord departed. Saul had rejected the Spirit of God—committed the unpardonable sin—and there was nothing more God could do for him (see on ch. 15:35). It was not that the Spirit of Jehovah withdrew from Saul arbitrarily; but rather that Saul rebelled against His guidance, and deliberately withdrew himself from the influence of the Spirit. This must be understood in harmony with Ps. 139:7 and with the fundamental principle of free choice. If God through His Holy Spirit forced Himself upon Saul contrary to his desires, God would be making of the king a mere machine.

From the Lord. The Scriptures sometimes represent God as doing that which He does not specifically prevent. In giving Satan an opportunity to demonstrate his principles, God, in effect, would limit His own power. Of course, there were limits beyond which Satan could not go (see Job 1:12; 2:6), but within his limited sphere he did have divine permission to act. Thus, although his acts are contrary to the divine will, he can do nothing except what God permits him to do, and whatever he and his evil spirits may do, is done with God’s permission. Therefore when God withdrew His own Spirit from Saul (see on 1 Sam. 16:13, 14), Satan was free to have his way.

Troubled him. Josephus describes the malady thus: “As for Saul, some strange and demoniacal disorders came upon him, and brought upon him such suffocations as were ready to choke him” (Antiquities vi. 8. 2). Evidently a severe melancholia developed as he brooded over the prophet’s announcement that he had forfeited the crown to a man “better” than he was (ch. 15:28). Intermittent possession by the evil spirit led Saul to feel and act something like a demented man.

15. An evil spirit from God. See on v. 14 for an equivalent expression.

16. An harp. Better, “a lyre.” Saul was advised to seek relief through musical therapy. The sound of David’s lyre and his chanting of lofty hymns afforded Saul temporary release from the evil spirit that haunted him. As Saul listened to David’s music his wicked feelings of self-pity and jealousy left him for a time, only to return with double power as time went on. With his continued rejection of God’s guidance, he became like the man in Christ’s parable of demon possession (Luke 11:24–26), where “the last state” of such a soul proves to be far “worse than the first.”

17. Provide me. No means that offered hope of release from the evil spirit that tormented Saul was to be overlooked.

18. Son of Jesse. Apparently David’s reputation as a musician and a man of bravery, sound judgment, and tact was already established before his appearance at court and his victory over Goliath. David was probably a youth on the verge of manhood, for a little later, at the time of his encounter with Goliath, he is described both as a “boy,” Heb. naФar (“young man,” ch. 17:58), and as a “young man,” Heb. Фelem (“stripling,” v. 56).

Lord is with him. Though it was not generally known that David had been anointed king, nothing could hide the fact that the Holy Spirit, who had taken control of his life in a special way at the time of his anointing (see on v. 13), was successfully preparing him for the important tasks that lay ahead.

20. An ass. Jesse’s gift was intended to express good will with respect to the king’s desire for the services of David at court. Failure to send a gift would no doubt be interpreted as an expression of ill will, and would therefore prejudice David’s success at court.

21. Stood before him. This statement refers, not to David’s posture in the presence of Saul, but to the fact that David “entered his service” (RSV; see Gen. 41:46; Dan. 1:19). In the providence of God, David was thus brought into a situation where he would have contact with the leading men of the nation—who might thus learn to appreciate his talents—and with the affairs of government. Saul was probably permitted to remain on the throne until the seeds of evil in his life should produce their certain harvest, and until David’s preliminary training was complete.

Loved him greatly. Even Saul came to honor and respect the naturally attractive personality of David, and to esteem in him those qualities implanted there by the Holy Spirit. Saul recognized the obvious superiority of this promising young man, tacitly admitting the wisdom of God’s choice of a successor to the throne.

Armourbearer. Appointment to this position brought David into the closest possible relationship to the king and made him personally responsible for the king’s safety. It is possible that this statement is made in anticipation of David’s role at court after the victory over Goliath (see ch. 18:2, 5).

22. Let David. After a probationary period at court Saul makes what was at first intended to be nothing more than a temporary appointment, a permanent commission.

He hath found favour. See on v. 21. God looked on David’s heart and was satisfied that David would prove to be the kind of man He could use in His service (see v. 7). Looking only on the outward appearance and actions, which were in some degree mirrored in David’s heart, Saul came to the same conclusion (see Prov. 23:7).

23. Saul was refreshed. Literally, “Saul breathed.” The word ruach means “to breathe,” “to blow,” especially with the nostrils. The use of this verb implies a strong, forced exhalation of breath such as often accompanies relaxation after a period of tension, followed by normal breathing. The fits of demon possession Saul suffered were apparently accompanied by physical and nervous tenseness.

Ellen G. White comments

1–23PP 637–644

1–4PP 637

6, 7 Ed 266; PP 638

7     COL 72; CT 43, 44; PP 323; SC 39; TM 173; 1T 320; 2T 11, 34, 72, 418, 633; 3T 201, 244, 301; 5T 31, 333, 625, 658; 6T 197; 7T 88, 282; 8T 146

8–11PP 638

10   Ed 266

11–13MH 148; PP 592

12   CT 44; 6T 197

12, 13  PP 641

18   PP 644; 741

16–23PP 643