1 Sam
17:55-58 (ESV) As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said
to Abner, the commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is this
youth?" And Abner said, "As your soul lives, O king, I do not
know." 56 And the king said, "Inquire whose son the boy is." 57
And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner
took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his
hand. 58 And Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And
David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the
Bethlehemite."
NOTE: It could be
that Saul only knew David as a musician, recommended by a servant. So, the
question of parentage in a land where tribe mattered much would not be unusual.
Saul saw the young man's courage and assumed, as many do today, that the
courage was a result of his up-bringing or status in society. Saul always
viewed things from the human perspective. It's not clear how far Saul dug into
David's background or if he knew, at least at this stage, that David was only a
shepherd. It is natural to view a person's background as an indication of his
worth or ability. Although, I think it is becoming less and less an effective
measure today. And, history has always shown counter-examples. What makes a person
different is the person inside. Additionally, David's faith made him different
as well. God was a priority in his life. He found contentment in his
relationship and he enjoyed God. David was very different from everyone around
him, and parentage would have little to do with his sold-out life to God. And
yet we expect godly parents to produce godly adults. It happens and it doesn't
happen, but it is not because of parentage. It is a choice that individuals
make as free-will beings. When it comes to spirituality, we choose our course
of life, not our parents.
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