Seeing with God's Eyes
Today we continue to follow the story of Samuel, a transitional leader in Israel’s history tucked in between the tribal judges and the kings. He’s a prophet of sorts – tuned into God, recognized by his community for his relationship with God. Throughout the text of 1 Samuel he listens to the people and listens to God, acting on God’s behalf and following God’s lead.
In our text for today, Samuel listens closely to God as he anoints Israel’s second king, a young shepherd boy named David. He does this while the current king, Saul, is still on the throne, making his action at God’s direction treasonous.
Up to this point in the text of 1 Samuel, the people of Israel have clamored for leadership that is different – leadership that feels more tangible, more visible, more in line with their neighbor’s lives, more worldly perhaps, than is their covenant agreement that they will love God, live with God’s commandments, and occupy the promised land.
Driven by the worldly ways of economics and politics, the Israelites demand a King.
In response, with some misgiving, Samuel anoints Saul at God’s urging as the first King of Israel. But even as he does it, he offers this warning to the people:
“These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots, 12 and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. 15 He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and the best of your cattle[b] and donkeys and put them to his work. 17 He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And on that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.”
Right after this declaration, right after the Israelites insist that the want a king in spite of the warning, Samuel anoints Saul…and Saul almost immediately proves himself to be exactly the kind of King that Samuel had described.
Remember last week when I said that Humans are always busy “Human-ing?”
Ultimately, perhaps predictably, the availability of power and authority overwhelms Saul and he becomes less a man depending on God, seeking God’s strength.
With Israel deeply endangered by Saul’s tainted leadership, Samuel begins negotiating with God about a renewal of the covenant.
Because Saul sees Samuel’s prophetic voice among the Israelites and sees his interaction with God as a challenge to his leadership, Saul feels threatened.
In the chapter that precedes our reading for today, Samuel openly condemns Saul for failing to follow God’s commands about warfare with the Amelikites. Saul has disregarded God’s commands to destroy everything, and instead he has taken for his kingdom valuable spoils of war, gathering material gain at the expense of being loyal to God’s direction.
It is the last straw for God in Saul’s kingship. God expresses his regret for choosing Saul. Something different has to happen.
And so…our reading for today begins with Samuel heading to Ramah while Saul heads off to his home in Gibeah.
God sends Samuel to Bethlehem, a backwater town, to the home of a shepherding family, where Samuel is told he’ll find and anoint a new king and leader. God even provides Samuel with the alibi for being in Bethlehem should Saul challenge Samuel’s movement – God directs him to take a cow with him for sacrifice with Jesse.
As Samuel examines Jesse’s firstborn son, who in the social structures of that day would have been “the chosen,” God advises Samuel this way:
“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not SEE as mortals SEE; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
One by one the brothers, down the birth order, are paraded past Samuel. And time and again, Samuel says that the LORD has not chosen this one or this one or this one. Is there another?
Jesse confesses that his youngest son is still in the pastures with the sheep. But in what upside-down logic would the youngest in any family be “the chosen one?” It’s just not the way things were done in the society at the time.
When David arrives, it turns out that he’s handsome like his brothers too. Other than birth order, David isn’t obviously lacking, but he is the youngest. The last.
The LORD instructs Samuel to anoint him as King.
THIS IS THE ONE. Not the eldest, not the largest, not the strongest.
The LORD does not see as the world sees. This young boy is the one.
The Hebrew word translated “SEE” is different than the word that is translated throughout this passage as “LOOK.” Seeing is somehow deeper, more soulful, more profound. SEE here is an act of deep knowing and recognition. And this is a theme spread throughout the Samuel story. God SEES differently than we see. God has SEEN this ruddy boy David and SEEs Israel’s King. GOD SEES his heart. God chooses this one.
Now…it is likely that you know a lot more of David’s story, right?
Like…he’s not purely obedient.
He doesn’t always make the best choices.
His personal life, at points, is a hot mess.
He really fails God and the people.
Humans keep failing.
And yet…
David is part of Jesus’ human lineage.
Because God keeps doing a new thing.
As I have been working with the texts and am working ahead on what is coming at us in the lectionary, I am paying close attention to how God keeps showing up and working with what is happening in order to stay in relationship with God’s chosen people.
While we humans are human-ing, God speaks, nudges, responds, changes course, tries new things. God keeps showing up with new ways of relating to the people of God. People keep demanding something different, something more like the neighbors, something easier or seemingly more powerful. God stays in the conversation.
We are entering into a season of lectionary readings where people called as prophets – that is people who are uniquely connected to God and called to speak into the lives of the people – will be the focus of how we learn about God’s relationship to the people.
Samuel is an early prophet – and he’s put in some tough situations:
He critiques the people because in their hunger for a king’s power and authority, they seem to have rejected God. They want someone who acts with power and might but who is also more like them – a King.
And when Saul fails as King, God asks Samuel to anoint David. Now that the people have a king and all of the power trappings of that, God’s action through Samuel can be seen as treason. That’s risky for Samuel. Also, he’s not really a fan of the idea of kingship. He longs for folks to put their faith in God. But he does what God asks.
Prophets are often in the position of looking on humans as we do our human things, shaking their heads in sorrow or their fists in rage, offering warnings.
And often we act as if they are crazy. Misguided. Idealists.
Don’t we long for earthly power today?
Don’t we often judge value by power, wealth, and accomplishment?
I think the answer to all of that is yes, of course.
And I look at these texts and see that God keeps showing up and doing a new thing.
We can count on God’s action among us today.
And we have to pay attention.
We have to listen for the prophets among us and heed their warnings, watch for their guidance.
We have to acknowledge where we have been misguided.
We have to let go of our insistence on power and control.
I want to end today with a portion of Psalm 51 – a portion of it already sung in today’s anthem. This psalm is attributed to David – a psalm that admits guilt, pleas for mercy and calls on God’s compassion.
From Psalm 51
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right[a] spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing[b] spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
May it be so.
Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment