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wait more patiently for the voice of the Lord before we act. v. 7. "But the LORD said unto Sam uel.” Notice how each step is marked out by the phrase, “The LORD said,” (vs. 1, 2, 7, 12). Are* we always taking each step according to the word of the Lord? It is blessed to walk this way. It is our privilege also to go on knowing that the Lord will show us what we should do day by day, hour by hour, and moment by mo ment. Samuel was allowed no discretion whatever in the matter (v. 3). He was simply to listen to the voice of the Lord and anoint the one He named. It is well to notice in this connection that David was wholly God’s choice. We see this in the difference in the language about the anoint ing of David whdre we read the words, “Anoint unto me" (v. 3), and the language about the anointing of Saul, where we read, “Anoint him to be captain over my people.” “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have re fused him ‘ for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward ap pearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” God’s jiidginents differ very widely from man’s judgments; fine looks and a magnetic manner go a long ways with man, but they go no ways at all with God. Many a man who is very highly esteemed by this world is very lightly esteemed by God (Luke 16:15), and many a one who is “de spised and rejected of men” is “chosen of God and precious,”- It matters little how men see u s; it matters everything how God sees us, and there is just one thing that God looks at, that is the heart. A pure heart is the only thing that counts with Him, but that wins His highest favor (Matt. 5:8). Dress counts for nothing (1 Peter 3:3, 4) ; learning, worldly wisdom, culture, polish, power, all count for noth ing with God (1 Cor. 1:26-28); profession counts for nothing with God (Matt. 7:21); it is the heart and the heart only that God looks upon. What does He see in yours? ,v. 11. “And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There
remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither." David, like so many others whom God has called was attending faithfully to his humble work when God called him (cf. Matt. 25:23). God never calls into a larger work any one who thinks the work right at hand is too humble for him and too much beneath him. He always chooses for the larger work one who is faithful and makes himself con spicuously useful in the humbler work. Any way tending sheep was a fine preparation for being shepherd of the people. Evident ly, David was the very last of all his family 'whom Jesse would have picked out to be king. He was not even thought of suffi cient consequence to invite him to the feast at all, but God is always choosing the per sons and things that men despise to use as the mighty instruments of His own power. It must have startled David’s older broth ers and quite likely piqued them not a little when Samuel said, “We will not sit down until he come hither.” v. 12. "And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he." One by one the sons of Jesse had passed by until the seven had passed and Samuel waited pa tiently for God’s voice and when that voice did not speak, he had said to each of the seven, “Neither hath the LORD chosen this.” How sure Samuel was of God’s leading. At last the expected voice came, “Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” If Samuel had been like most of us, he would have given up the quest before the seven had passed by and certainly before David appeared. v. 13. “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward." David had been chosen for the kingship but was not qualified for the kingship until the Spirit actually came upon him. Neither are we qualified for the service to which God calls us,until we definitely receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). But
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