1 Samuel 16 (David Anointed King)
Saul was Israel’s first king. He was tall and strong. He looked like a good man for the job, but he failed:
- He didn’t obey God.
- He put his own selfish interests ahead of his people.
- He never led his people to better worship of God.
So God rejected Saul. He replaced him with a man who had a heart for God and godly desires—David.
David didn’t fit what people expected in a king. His own family didn’t even bother having him attend the feast with Samuel. But God, who cares about hearts, chose David and gave him power. David obeyed God and was like a shepherd to his people (2 Samuel 5:2). He led them in worship.
From this, we learn what qualities make a good leader of God’s people—but there’s more. We also learn about an even better King.
After David took the throne, God promised to make his offspring great. He said David’s son would be a powerful king with a kingdom that’d last forever (2 Samuel 7:13). Well, David’s son Solomon was an impressive king, but that kingdom didn’t last forever. God must have had someone even bigger in mind—Jesus.
The Bible calls Jesus the “Son of David.” He’s the best King of all—the one David was a preview of. No one has ever obeyed God as perfectly as Jesus did. No one has given himself for his people like Jesus, either, or been better at leading his people to whole-life worship.
Jesus is the King we all need. We must serve no one above him, and let nothing else rule our lives.
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