1 Samuel 15-17 / April 11 (Day 102)

Chapter 15
Saul was supposed to kill everything, but when Samuel asked about the sheep and oxen that were kept alive Saul says, “The people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God” (1 Sam. 15:15). There is always a “reason” for sin, but it is never a good one. In Chapter 13, Saul felt compelled to sacrifice because the people began to scatter from him; here in chapter 15, Saul didn’t want to keep back the people from taking what they wanted. He finally admits to sin but says in 1 Samuel 15:30, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel.” When King David sinned he wasn’t concerned about his honor, but instead he humbled himself and received mercy from the LORD.

Chapter 16
To the people, Saul looked like what a king should look like; even Samuel was swayed by what he saw when he looked at Eliab, Jesse’s son.  He said in 1 Samuel 16:6, "Surely the LORD's anointed is before Him!" In verse 7 the LORD responds, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Just like they didn’t expect David to become the LORD’s anointed King, so most didn’t expect Jesus of Nazareth to be God’s Anointed. People looked at Jesus on the outside and rejected him as King, but those looking for truth knew who He was. Peter said, "You are the Christ, the son of the living God" (Matt 16:16).

InterestingThe first battle recorded by David was with his harp; evil spirits had to depart when David played.

Chapter 17
How does a young man, with only a sling shot, kill a large warrior who has a sword and shield? It was by faith in God. David trusted that the same God who delivered him from bear and lion would deliver him from this Philistine who had no covenant with the Living God. David’s faith inspired him to proclaim to Goliath that he would take off his head, and then David ran toward Goliath. That’s faith; it believes, it confesses and it moves into action!