The Measure of a Man
What is the measure of a man?
If we take our cues from culture, we may miss the very man God would use!
When I consider the choice of David in 1 Samuel 16 I am struck by how many different people groups overlooked him as God's man. This speaks to us today. For who has not been rejected by one of these groups at some point or another? 1 Samuel 16 is the proof text that the only measurement that matters in our lives the one God gives.
Consider the groups:
First, David's own father Jesse disregards him as a potential choice to succeed Saul. Jesse leaves David out with the sheep. Now I have heard some say that this was because David was the son of Jesse but perhaps not the son of his brother's mother. That is pure speculation and the text says nothing of the sort. But for whatever reason, Jesse is not able to see God's potential in David and leaves him out of the selection process altogether.
Second, David's brothers reject him. This doesn't happen until the next chapter when Eliab chastized and accuses David of mismanagement, but it was already resident in the home. To have no brotherly support is a hard road. For when a family doesn't support you, it can leave you untethered.
Third, David's stature rejects him. Saul was tall - head and shoulders above the people. David is your average Jew - short. While David is handsome with what the text refers to as "beautiful eyes" there's nothing impressive or kingly about him. Who hasn't struggle with their appearance? If only I was taller or had certain features, perhaps I'd measure up! Right?
Fourth, and this is huge: Even the religious establishment rejected David. You see Samuel thinks all the other boys in Jesse's house are Kingly material. He would not have gotten past Eliab if the Lord let him make the call. And when David shows up, the Lord specifies twice to Samuel: “Arise, anoint him, for this is he” (Verse 12). Samuel is accustomed to the visual appearance of Saul. This leaves him stuck in the past so that he has trouble seeing what God could do in the next generation.
How often this is the case in the church. We see what's working now and we think "that's how it's to be done for perpetuity." But this is not the case. The voice/method/style of one generation seldom translates well far beyond them. There are the occasional Moody or Spurgeon but by and large, each generation will need its own voice, style and method of delivering God's purposes.
Even worse, sometimes the Church is not just stuck in the past, it can become emotionally connected to it. How many Christians only sing when certain 18th Century songs are played or Maranatha choruses are offered up? And how often the newer songs are critically derided by those same people? Or how many imagine only a certain kind of thunderous preacher is effective? Or perhaps only a softer shepherdly voice will do? We can get so stuck in what we previously experienced along our faith journey we can overlook what God is doing now.
The point 1 Samuel 16 is making is simple: God does not need certain methods from previous times to accomplish His purpose in our day and the days to come. He is not limited by whatever boxes we imagine should be around Him. In David, God found a heart softened to His voice and yielded to His spirit. In the end, that's all YOU need for God to use you.
So get over the rejection of whatever group has disregarded you. You don't need them to like you anyway. God can and will use the person whose heart is surrendered to Him no matter what anyone says.
1 Samuel 16:6–7 (ESV) When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 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.”
If we take our cues from culture, we may miss the very man God would use!
When I consider the choice of David in 1 Samuel 16 I am struck by how many different people groups overlooked him as God's man. This speaks to us today. For who has not been rejected by one of these groups at some point or another? 1 Samuel 16 is the proof text that the only measurement that matters in our lives the one God gives.
Consider the groups:
First, David's own father Jesse disregards him as a potential choice to succeed Saul. Jesse leaves David out with the sheep. Now I have heard some say that this was because David was the son of Jesse but perhaps not the son of his brother's mother. That is pure speculation and the text says nothing of the sort. But for whatever reason, Jesse is not able to see God's potential in David and leaves him out of the selection process altogether.
Second, David's brothers reject him. This doesn't happen until the next chapter when Eliab chastized and accuses David of mismanagement, but it was already resident in the home. To have no brotherly support is a hard road. For when a family doesn't support you, it can leave you untethered.
Third, David's stature rejects him. Saul was tall - head and shoulders above the people. David is your average Jew - short. While David is handsome with what the text refers to as "beautiful eyes" there's nothing impressive or kingly about him. Who hasn't struggle with their appearance? If only I was taller or had certain features, perhaps I'd measure up! Right?
Fourth, and this is huge: Even the religious establishment rejected David. You see Samuel thinks all the other boys in Jesse's house are Kingly material. He would not have gotten past Eliab if the Lord let him make the call. And when David shows up, the Lord specifies twice to Samuel: “Arise, anoint him, for this is he” (Verse 12). Samuel is accustomed to the visual appearance of Saul. This leaves him stuck in the past so that he has trouble seeing what God could do in the next generation.
How often this is the case in the church. We see what's working now and we think "that's how it's to be done for perpetuity." But this is not the case. The voice/method/style of one generation seldom translates well far beyond them. There are the occasional Moody or Spurgeon but by and large, each generation will need its own voice, style and method of delivering God's purposes.
Even worse, sometimes the Church is not just stuck in the past, it can become emotionally connected to it. How many Christians only sing when certain 18th Century songs are played or Maranatha choruses are offered up? And how often the newer songs are critically derided by those same people? Or how many imagine only a certain kind of thunderous preacher is effective? Or perhaps only a softer shepherdly voice will do? We can get so stuck in what we previously experienced along our faith journey we can overlook what God is doing now.
The point 1 Samuel 16 is making is simple: God does not need certain methods from previous times to accomplish His purpose in our day and the days to come. He is not limited by whatever boxes we imagine should be around Him. In David, God found a heart softened to His voice and yielded to His spirit. In the end, that's all YOU need for God to use you.
So get over the rejection of whatever group has disregarded you. You don't need them to like you anyway. God can and will use the person whose heart is surrendered to Him no matter what anyone says.
1 Samuel 16:6–7 (ESV) When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 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.”
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