QT 11/30/2022 1 Sam 16:1-14, Your heart is more important than your hair

1 Samuel 16:1 (ESV) —

1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”

…

1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV) —

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

…

1 Samuel 16:13–14 (ESV) —

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.

 

NOTE: The previous passage had said that God regretted (or grieved) over Saul's selection as King. It is okay to grieve, but there comes a time when we need to let go of our grieving and move on with life. Samuel was not letting go. Grieving is important, but so is living.

 

Verse 7 is a wonderful difference between how the world views people and how God views people. We spend too much time focusing on our outward appearances -- things that only go bad with time, whereas the inner spirit is something that can become more beautiful with time as we grow deeper in the Lord.

 

Verses 13-14 seem troubling, but God judging Saul for his disobedience should not surprise us. Saul could have chosen to seek after God, but he never takes any real step toward God. The evil spirit is more of Saul's choice by his actions than God's choice.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I spend more time on my appearance toward outsiders, or my heart toward God?
2. I stand before a mirror each morning, but do I stand before the mirror of God (James 1:22-25) every morning?

 

James 1:22–25 (ESV) — 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray we would take more concern with our heart than our hair. I pray our love for you with be portrayed in our words and actions. We need to make you the true priority in our life, not just lip-service as the priority.