The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 62: The Anointing of David
A few miles south of Jerusalem, "the city of the great King,"
is Bethlehem, where David, the son of Jesse, was born more
than a thousand years before the infant Jesus was cradled in the
manger and worshiped by the Wise Men from the East. Centuries
before the advent of the Saviour, David, in the freshness of boyhood,
kept watch of his flocks as they grazed on the hills surrounding
Bethlehem. The simple shepherd boy sang the songs of
his own composing, and the music of his harp made a sweet
accompaniment to the melody of his fresh young voice. The Lord
had chosen David, and was preparing him, in his solitary life
with his flocks, for the work He designed to commit to his trust
in after years.
While David was thus living in the retirement of his humble
shepherd's life, the Lord God was speaking about him to the
prophet Samuel. "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long
wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning
over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee
to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided Me a king among
his sons. . . . Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to
sacrifice to the Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will
show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto Me
him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the
Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town
trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he
said, Peaceably." The elders accepted an invitation to the sacrifice,
and Samuel called also Jesse and his sons. The altar was
built and the sacrifice was ready. All the household of Jesse were
present, with the exception of David, the youngest son, who had
been left to guard the sheep, for it was not safe to leave the
flocks unprotected. [p. 638]
When the sacrifice was ended, and before partaking of the
offering feast, Samuel began his prophetic inspection of the
noble-appearing sons of Jesse. Eliab was the eldest, and more nearly
resembled Saul for stature and beauty than the others. His
comely features and finely developed form attracted the attention
of the prophet. As Samuel looked upon his princely bearing,
he thought, "This is indeed the man whom God has chosen as
successor to Saul," and he waited for the divine sanction that he
might anoint him. But Jehovah did not look upon the outward
appearance. Eliab did not fear the Lord. Had he been called to
the throne, he would have been a proud, exacting ruler. The
Lord's word to Samuel was, "Look not on his countenance, or
on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the
Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." No outward beauty
can recommend the soul to God. The wisdom and excellence
revealed in the character and deportment, express the true beauty
of the man; and it is the inner worth, the excellency of the
heart, that determines our acceptance with the Lord of hosts.
How deeply should we feel this truth in the judgment of
ourselves and others. We may learn from the mistake of Samuel
how vain is the estimation that rests on beauty of face or nobility
of stature. We may see how incapable is man's wisdom of understanding
the secrets of the heart or of comprehending the counsels
of God without special enlightenment from heaven. The
thoughts and ways of God in relation to His creatures are above
our finite minds; but we may be assured that His children will
be brought to fill the very place for which they are qualified, and
will be enabled to accomplish the very work committed to their
hands, if they will but submit their will to God, that His
beneficent plans may not be frustrated by the perversity of man.
Eliab passed from the inspection of Samuel, and the six
brothers who were in attendance at the service followed in succession
to be observed by the prophet; but the Lord did not
signify His choice of any one of them. With painful suspense
Samuel had looked upon the last of the young men; the prophet
was perplexed and bewildered. He inquired of Jesse, "Are here
all thy children?" The father answered, "There remaineth yet
the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep." Samuel directed
that he should be summoned, saying, "We will not sit
down till he come hither." [p. 641]
The lonely shepherd was startled by the unexpected call of
the messenger, who announced that the prophet had come to
Bethlehem and had sent for him. With surprise he questioned
why the prophet and judge of Israel should desire to see him;
but without delay he obeyed the call. "Now he was ruddy, and
withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to." As
Samuel beheld with pleasure the handsome, manly, modest shepherd
boy, the voice of the Lord spoke to the prophet, saying,
"Arise, anoint him: for this is he." David had proved himself
brave and faithful in the humble office of a shepherd, and now
God had chosen him to be captain of His people. "Then Samuel
took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of [from
among] his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon
David from that day forward." The prophet had accomplished
his appointed work, and with a relieved heart he returned to
Ramah.
Samuel had not made known his errand, even to the family
of Jesse, and the ceremony of anointing David had been
performed in secret. It was an intimation to the youth of the high
destiny awaiting him, that amid all the varied experiences and
perils of his coming years, this knowledge might inspire him to
be true to the purpose of God to be accomplished by his life.
The great honor conferred upon David did not serve to elate
him. Notwithstanding the high position which he was to occupy,
he quietly continued his employment, content to await the development
of the Lord's plans in His own time and way. As humble
and modest as before his anointing, the shepherd boy returned
to the hills and watched and guarded his flocks as tenderly as
ever. But with new inspiration he composed his melodies and
played upon his harp. Before him spread a landscape of rich and
varied beauty. The vines, with their clustering fruit, brightened
in the sunshine. The forest trees, with their green foliage, swayed
in the breeze. He beheld the sun flooding the heavens with light,
coming forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber and rejoicing as
a strong man to run a race. There were the bold summits of the
hills reaching toward the sky; in the faraway distance rose the
barren cliffs of the mountain wall of Moab; above all spread
the tender blue of the overarching heavens. And beyond was
God. He could not see Him, but His works were full of His
praise. The light of day, gilding forest and mountain, meadow
and stream, carried the mind up to behold the Father of lights, the [p. 642] Author of every good and perfect gift. Daily revelations of the
character and majesty of his Creator filled the young poet's heart
with adoration and rejoicing. In contemplation of God and His
works the faculties of David's mind and heart were developing
and strengthening for the work of his afterlife. He was daily
coming into a more intimate communion with God. His mind
was constantly penetrating into new depths for fresh themes to
inspire his song and to wake the music of his harp. The rich
melody of his voice poured out upon the air, echoed from the hills
as if responsive to the rejoicing of the angels' songs in heaven.
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Who can measure the results of those years of toil and wandering
among the lonely hills? The communion with nature and
with God, the care of his flocks, the perils and deliverances, the
griefs and joys, of his lowly lot, were not only to mold the character
of David and to influence his future life, but through the
psalms of Israel's sweet singer they were in all coming ages to
kindle love and faith in the hearts of God's people, bringing them
nearer to the ever-loving heart of Him in whom all His creatures
live.
David, in the beauty and vigor of his young manhood, was
preparing to take a high position with the noblest of the earth.
His talents, as precious gifts from God, were employed to extol the
glory of the divine Giver. His opportunities of contemplation and
meditation served to enrich him with that wisdom and piety that
made him beloved of God and angels. As he contemplated the
perfections of his Creator, clearer conceptions of God, opened
before his soul. Obscure themes were illuminated, difficulties were
made plain, perplexities were harmonized, and each ray of new
light called forth fresh bursts of rapture, and sweeter anthems
of devotion, to the glory of God and the Redeemer. The love
that moved him, the sorrows that beset him, the triumphs that
attended him, were all themes for his active thought; and as
he beheld the love of God in all the providences of his life, his
heart throbbed with more fervent adoration and gratitude, his
voice rang out in a richer melody, his harp was swept with more
exultant joy; and the shepherd boy proceeded from strength to
strength, from knowledge to knowledge; for the Spirit of the
Lord was upon him.
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"David and Goliath"
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