Two Masters, Two Paths, Two Destinies

Romans 6:16-23

What contaminates a person the most?  We might think of some terrible diseases that we need to be careful of.  We all remember just a few years ago when we were all extra careful to not become infected with covid.  There are some contaminants that people will even dress up in biohazard suits in order to keep themselves safe from contamination.  It is wise to keep oneself safe from such danger.  And of course we shouldn’t ignore just the regular, everyday germs and dirt.  However there is one contaminant that many people tend to forget that is actually more dangerous to everyone.  It has the power to bring death to all it touches, and that is sin.  It can sometimes bring physical death, and unless protected by the Blood of Jesus, it will always bring spiritual death.  Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul teaches in his letter to the Romans today.

As we open our Scripture we need to know that every person serves a master.  It doesn’t matter what station one has in life, from the most powerful leader in the world down to a homeless person on the street, we all serve a master.  The question is not whether you serve, but whom.  Paul used the metaphor of slavery, not to endorse the institution, but because it clearly showed absolute ownership and obedience.  In the spiritual realm there are only two masters: sin, which will lead to death, or obedience to God, which leads to righteousness and life.

Paul begins this portion of Scripture by teaching us that we are the slave to whomever we obey in life (vs. 16).  If we choose to obey and follow sin in our life, then we are sin’s slave.  Obedience to sin will lead to death, not just physical death, but ultimately spiritual death and separation from God.  Obedience to God and His Word will lead to righteousness and ultimately eternal life.  Whomever we obey reveals our spiritual master.

The Apostle then reminds the believers in Rome that they were once the slaves of sin, but since the day that they decided to obey God’s Word, they were delivered from that bondage (vs. 17).  This is written in the past tense, as that was their old identity.  But now they have obeyed God from the heart, and are no longer under the slavery to sin.  They have been set free, just like when a slave is set free (vs 18).  When they gave their heart to Jesus, He brought them out of the bondage of sin, and they now belong to Him. Biblical freedom does not mean autonomy.  We are not now free to live any way that we want.  It is liberation from the wrong master and joyful submission to the right one. We are now the servants of righteousness.

Paul continues to use the slavery metaphor to help us understand the seriousness of whom we are obeying.  Before we were saved we yielded ourselves to uncleanness and lawlessness, in other words, all manner of sinful behavior (vs. 19).  Sin has a snowball effect - one sin will lead to another, and then more and more.  However, once we became a believer, we gave ourselves to Jesus, and we should yield ourselves to righteousness.

Curiosity often leads us to the edge of danger.  Sin is like that, too.  We are drawn to the edge, lose our balance, and fall in, destroying family, reputation, and career.  We think that we can flirt with temptation, but few ever win.  We know an action is wrong, and yet we toy with it.  We are drawn into deeper and darker perversions.  As a slave to sin, one doesn’t obey or follow Jesus and His righteousness (vs. 20).  What kind of fruit does a slave of sin have?  They only have shame and things that lead to death (vs. 21).

Once we give ourselves to the Lord Jesus, we are set free from our slavery to sin.  Our “ownership” has now changed (vs. 22).  We do not belong any more to Satan’s kingdom of darkness.  We are now servants of God, and as we yield ourselves to Him, we will bring forth holy fruit which will end with everlasting life.  This is the exact opposite of the life of a slave to sin.

As Paul closes this segment of Scripture, we see that sin pays a salary.  People enter into all sorts of various sins, thinking that it will bring happiness, money, fame, and pleasure.  However, that is not the salary it pays.  As Paul says, the wages of sin is death (vs. 23).  Often enough it is physical death in this life, and always it is spiritual death in the next.  As we finish this verse, though, we see that God gives us a gift, and that is eternal life.  It is a gift.  We cannot earn it, and we don’t deserve it.  It is a gift that God gives us when we accept the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior.

As we close, we see that there is no neutrality in the Christian life.  Everyone serves a master.  The unbeliever serves sin, but the Christian serves God.  Who are you obeying?  Your daily choices reveal your allegiance.  When one chooses to follow Jesus, their salvation should produce a new pattern of obedience to Him.  We aren’t perfect, but we should be heading in a new direction, with a new heart that leads to new desires and new fruit.  God has freed us from sin’s power and dominion over us, and we should yield ourselves to righteousness.  Remember, sin always leads to death, every time.  Every path of sin ends in destruction.  However God gives us a gift of eternal life.  Sin pays wages, but God gives gifts.

The Annunciation

Luke 1:26-38

Today I am departing from my usual practice of looking at a psalm early in the week.  Instead, since this Wednesday is March 25th, and that date is the Feast of the Annunciation, I thought we would look at the Scripture associated with that holy day.  The Annunciation is a very important event in the salvation of mankind, so let’s take a closer look at this.

The word “annunciation” comes from the Latin word “annunciatio”, which means announcing or announcement.  This is what occurred when the angel Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary and announced to her that she had found favor with God, and would bear His Son.  Gabriel is one of the three archangels, and was frequently the one who brought important messages from God to mankind.  His presence signals a major moment in redemptive history.  He was sent by God to the Virgin Mary who resided in Nazareth (vs. 26-27).  Mary was a young woman who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David.

The angel Gabriel greeted Mary with the statement that she was highly favored by the Lord, and that she was blessed among women (vs. 28-29).  She was a recipient of God’s grace, and chosen for a unique role.  Mary was troubled by this statement.  She was not afraid, but was wondering what this type of greeting was.

Gabriel proceeded to tell Mary that she would conceive and bear a Son, and that this Child would be the Son of God.  He continued by describing His eternal throne and reign (vs. 30-33).  The archangel gave five truths about this Child that Mary would bear.  First was that His Name would be Jesus, which means God saves.  This identified His mission, that He is the Savior.  Next was that He would be great, not just great among men, but is inherently great.  This child would be the Son of the Highest, a clear declaration of His deity.  He is the eternal King who will be given the throne of His father David (Isaiah 9:6-7).  This is a literal, future, and earthly kingdom.  Finally, His reign is eternal.  It is Davidic, Messianic, and eternal.

Mary then asked the angel a question, as to how this would happen since she was a virgin (vs. 34).  Unlike Zachariah (Luke 1:18-20), Mary did not doubt God’s words to her.  She just asked how she would conceive since she was a virgin.  Zachariah didn’t believe God could do it.  Mary trusted that He could, but wondered if there was something she should do.  She asked in faith, seeking understanding.

Gabriel then explained this miracle (vs. 35-37).  This act would be creative, not sexual.  The same God who created life in Genesis 1 would now create life in Mary’s womb.  Jesus would be fully God, fully man, and without sin.  The Virgin Birth is essential because it avoids Adam’s sin nature (Romans 5:12).  The Savior needed to be sinless in order to be the sacrifice for sin.  The Virgin Birth also fulfilled prophecy (Isaiah 7:14), and it established His divine sonship.

Those who cast doubt on the truth of God’s Word, the Bible, will often doubt the Virgin Birth, and the fact that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus.  However, if Mary was not a virgin, then she would have been a liar about what she said happened.  She would have been unfaithful to Joseph.  Then Jesus would have been illegitimate with no divine nature.  He would have been a crazy man who claimed to be the Son of God.  We cannot accept Jesus without believing in the Virgin Birth.  Apart from the Virgin Birth, Jesus would have been just another man, and unworthy of anyone’s faith.

The angel Gabriel gave Mary a little boost for her faith, by telling her about Elizabeth (vs 36-37).  This was a confirmation, not because she doubted, but because it would strengthen her faith.  By visiting her relative she could strengthen her faith, and also have a safe place to stay till her parents and Joseph would accept her news.

Mary then accepted this news and gave her consent (vs. 38).  By doing so she forever changed her life.  Being found pregnant before marriage was much, much more serious at this time than it is today.  Betrothals or engagements were as binding as marriage, and any unfaithfulness could bring the penalty of being stoned.  When Mary accepted this from God, she knew the cost, but trusted God anyway.  She accepted the shame, the misunderstanding, the social rejection.  She also accepted the weight of raising the Messiah.  Mary yielded herself to God completely, and trusted Him.  She yielded to God’s will without conditions and trusted His Word above her own understanding.

As we close, we can look at the Blessed Virgin Mary as one of the greatest examples and models of faith and trust in God.  Can we respond to God’s Word with her spirit of submission?  “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”  That is the heart posture of a mature believer.  The Blessed Virgin Mary’s humility is a model for all who serve the Lord.  Also, do we trust God’s power when His promises seem impossible?  God delights to work where human ability ends. 

The Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-14

A valley filled with hundreds of bones.  Seeing that you might think that you are watching some horror movie.  And then these bones rise up and start attaching themselves together, making a skeleton.  Now that is scary!  But that’s not all.  Then muscles, and body organs, and then skin and hair start to come on them. However, this multitude of bodies are still dead. Although they are standing there, there is no life in them.  Again, this sounds like something from a very scary movie, something to give one nightmares.  Instead, this is something that the Lord showed the prophet Ezekiel, and it had a very important meaning.  Let’s look at today’s Old Testament Scripture and see what this is all about.

The exact dates of Ezekiel’s birth and death are not known, though it is believed that he was born around 623 BC and died sometime shortly after 571 BC.  He was a major prophet during the years of the Babylonian captivity.  The Lord gave Ezekiel many visions which are recorded in his book of prophecy in the Bible, and today we will look at when He brought the prophet to the valley of dry bones, and what this signifies.

At this point in history, the Jewish people had gone into exile in Babylon, their capital city Jerusalem had fallen, and their Temple had been destroyed.  The people felt discouraged, even hopeless.  In the midst of this, the Lord brought them a message, not only for encouragement, but also to show at a future day there will be a national restoration.  Just as God will resurrect the dry bones He showed Ezekiel into a living army, one day He will restore Israel, both physically and spiritually.

As our Scripture passage opens, the Lord brought Ezekiel to a valley filled with very dry bones (vs. 1-2).  The fact that these bones were “very dry” emphasizes that they have been dead for a long time.  That is a picture of hopelessness.  There is absolutely no hope of life in these bones.  They are way past any human help.  That, though, is just the type of condition that the Lord often likes to work with, a humanly impossible situation where His power will be unmistakable.

God asked Ezekiel one question to test his faith - can these bones live? (vs. 3).  Ezekiel knew that if the Lord wanted, He could do anything, so Ezekiel responded that He (God) knows.  Ezekiel didn’t know how God would work, but he knew who God was, that He could do anything He desired.  The Lord then told Ezekiel to preach to these bones, to tell them His Word.  He promised that as the prophet did so, breath would come into them, along with muscles, flesh, and skin (vs. 4-6).  He would bring life to these bones.  The Word of God is the instrument through which God brings life, even to the dead.

Ezekiel obeyed the Lord and spoke His Word to the bones (vs. 7-8).  As he prophesied, the bones started to rattle.  Then they moved together, assembling themselves together into a skeleton.  Muscle, body organs, and skin came upon these bones.  However there was no breath in these bodies.  They were not alive.

This had a spiritual meaning, that the people of Israel would be regathered together.  This regathering would first be a physical regathering, but they would not be restored spiritually.  The people would return to their land after about seventy years of captivity, however most of the people only gave lip-service to God. They did not give Him their heart.  Then after 70 AD, following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Jewish people were scattered all over the world.  In 1948 Israel became a nation again, but as most of the Jewish people have never accepted Jesus as their Messiah, there is no spiritual life in them.  They are like the skeleton with skin on it, but no breath of life within.

The Lord proceeded to tell the prophet Ezekiel to speak His Word again, telling breath to come into these bodies, which the prophet did (vs. 9-10).  The Spirit of the Lord came into the bodies, bringing spiritual life to them.  Spiritual life is not produced by human effort, but by the sovereign work of the Spirit of God.  Those bones are the people of Israel (vs. 11).  God proceeded to give a promise to His people.  There would be a physical restoration to the land, and also there would be a spiritual regeneration (vs. 12-14).  Though they have been physically restored to the land God promised Abraham, there has been no spiritual life.  They are like the standing, but dead bodies.  Jesus brought the New Covenant, and when He returns they will see Him whom they have pierced, leading to national mourning and repentance, where they will be spiritually reborn (Zechariah 12:10).

This message from Ezekiel is a picture of national resurrection, both physically and spiritually.  Life came when Ezekiel preached.  God’s Word, the Bible, is His chosen instrument of revival.  It is His Word that brings us spiritual life, and will bring Israel spiritual life.  Israel’s future spiritual restoration is literal.  God’s covenants with Israel, and with us, are unconditional.  No program, effort, or emotion can produce spiritual life.  Only the Holy Spirit can.  There is no situation, person, or nation who is beyond God’s power to restore.  Ezekiel preached to bones.  We are told to bring God’s Word to spiritually dead hearts, and God gives spiritual life.  God has promised to keep His covenant with Israel, and He will also keep all of His promises to us.

I Was Blind, But Now I See

John 9:1-41

Today’s Scripture gives the account of a significant miracle of Jesus, one only recorded in the Gospel of John.  With most of the miracle healings that Jesus performed, the people were healed and went on their way, perhaps giving God thanks, perhaps not.  Their lives were changed, but we hear nothing more about them.  However, with this healing we learn much more.  We learn some background information, and we especially hear about how the religious authorities reacted, and the lesson that Jesus desired to teach through this event. This was like a living parable, where Jesus wanted us to learn some important truths.  Let’s take a look.

One day Jesus and His disciples encountered a man who was known to have been born blind.  Many people in that day believed that suffering and illness was directly tied to a specific sin, and the disciples wanted to know who had sinned in this case, since he was born blind (vs. 1-3).  Jesus let them, and us, know that some suffering exists so that God’s works may be displayed.  The man’s blindness was not a result of sin, and it was not meaningless.  It had a divine purpose, which would shortly be evident.  Jesus then made a bit of clay and put it on the man’s eyes, and told him to go to the pool and wash.  He did so, and returned with his blindness healed (vs. 6-7).  The Light of the world gave sight to the blind, bringing light into his life.

This miracle was undeniable.  This was a man who was born blind, and even today with modern surgery it is extremely rare for sight to be given to someone born blind.  He was changed so dramatically that people hardly recognized him (vs. 8-12).  This gives us a picture of salvation - when Jesus spiritually opens a person’s eyes, and they accept Him as Savior, the transformation is unmistakable.

As our Scripture continues, we see that the Pharisees began to get involved.  They had heard about this miracle, and wanted to question everyone, the man healed, his parents, and any who had witnessed the healing (vs. 13-34).  They especially fixated on the fact that this healing was done on the Sabbath, just as they had done on numerous other occasions.  They felt that no one who did anything on the Sabbath could possibly be a man of God.  However the man who was healed, not only had his physical vision healed, but was gaining spiritual vision, as well.  When first interrogated by the Pharisees he called Jesus a prophet (vs. 17).   They next interrogated the man’s parents, questioning whether he was actually born blind and how this was done.  The Pharisees struck fear into everyone, including these parents, because of their opposition to Jesus (vs. 18-23).

The Pharisees then turned back to the man healed, and told him that Jesus must be a sinner because He healed on the Sabbath.  This man used logic and common sense with the Pharisees.  How could a “sinner” heal anyone, much less a man born blind?  As they argued and threatened him, he gave a simple but powerful testimony: “One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  After exposing the Pharisees illogic with courage, they cast this man out of the synagogue.  That was more than just forbidding him to attend worship services, it was a very strict form of shunning, banning anyone from employing him or socializing with him.  He would be an outcast in the neighborhood.  This confirmed the Pharisees own spiritual blindness.

After hearing what happened, Jesus sought the man out, bringing him to the point of personal faith (vs. 35-38).  This second encounter of Jesus with this man is the climax of the whole event.  First Jesus brought him physical sight, now He brought him spiritual sight and saving faith, resulting in the man worshiping Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  The Pharisees had rejected Jesus, but this humble man received Him.  Loyalty to Jesus may cost us earthly acceptance, but He never abandons His own.

Our Scripture concludes with Jesus pronouncing judgment (vs. 39-41).  He explains the spiritual meaning of this miracle - those who admit their blindness receive sight, while those who claim that they see remain blind.  We are born spiritually blind, and only Jesus can give us spiritual sight.  This is the heart of the Gospel - Jesus Christ saves the humble but resists the proud.  We are never told this man’s name or anything else of what happened to him, and it is quite possible that he spent the rest of his life telling people what Jesus did for him, and that He was the Messiah.

In closing, we need to trust God’s purposes in any suffering or hardship we may face.  Our trials may be the stage on which God will display His glory, as He did with this man.  Like this man, we need to boldly testify of Jesus Christ.  We don’t need a theological degree to say that we know that Jesus changed us.  Finally, just as this man did, we must stand firm, even when rejected by others. If following Christ costs you relationships or acceptance, He Himself will draw near.

Walk as Children of Light

Ephesians 5:8-14

Do you prefer to be in the light or in the dark?  I think that most people, most of the time, would prefer to be in the light.  It’s true that we like a darkened room to sleep in, and like darkness for stargazing, but generally we prefer to be in the light.  That is why one of the first things I do every morning is open up the window shades to let the light in.  How about in our spiritual lives?  Do you want to be in spiritual light or prefer to remain in spiritual darkness?  In our Scripture today, St. Paul instructs believers that as children of the light we need to be walking in the light.  Let’s take a look to see what that entails.

The Book of Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Ephesus.  In this passage of Scripture he contrasts between the Christian’s new life in Christ and the old life of sin, highlighting in particular the believer’s identity as light in the Lord, and our responsibility to live in a way that exposes the darkness of sin.

As Paul begins this portion of his epistle, which was written to believers, he did not say that we were currently in darkness, but that we were darkness before we were saved (vs. 8).  The unbeliever’s very nature is sinful (Romans 5:12).  Our union with Jesus makes us light in the Lord.  Paul instructs us to walk as children of light because that is what we are.  Our lifestyle ought to reflect our new nature.

The Bible often speaks about producing fruit for the Lord.  Fruit is the outward evidence of our inward spiritual life.  Paul speaks here of three qualities or “fruit” that a Christian walking in the light should exhibit (vs. 9).  Goodness is showing moral excellence, generosity, and Christlike kindness.  Living a righteous life is conforming our life to God’s standards, and showing the fruit of truth is being honest, living with integrity, and having doctrinal purity.  Light will produce visible fruit.  If there is no fruit, there is reason to question whether one actually has a saving relationship with Jesus, and the light is actually present.

As a child of God, our aim in life should not be seeking what is acceptable to ourselves, but instead seeking what is acceptable to the Lord Jesus (vs. 10).  This requires our getting into the Scriptures to know what the will of God is (Romans 12:2).  When we approach any decision, we should ask whether it pleases the Lord Jesus.  What the world thinks about sinful behavior should not sway us.  All that matters is what God thinks, and He has made His views very clear in the Bible.  If we trivialize our sins, it shows that we don’t understand how holy and just God is.

Next we come to a verse that some people don’t really care for.  In verse 11 the Lord instructs His children to have no fellowship with those in darkness.  “No fellowship” means no participation, no partnership, and no approval.  Those who have not accepted Jesus as Savior are unfruitful, they produce nothing of eternal value.  We must expose and confront the sin with truth and holiness.  This separation from sin is not optional.  God has commanded this.  Silence in the face of sin is not being neutral as some might prefer to do, instead it is compromising with sin.

Those who live in darkness, prefer it that way, as sin thrives in secrecy and darkness (vs. 12).  Some sins are so vile that believers should not dwell on them or sensationalize them.  As Christians we should avoid entertainment that normalizes or glorifies sin, as within a short while we become desensitized to evil.  Things that were once expressly forbidden to be shown or said on TV are now a normal and daily occurrence.  We should keep our mind under guard.

If we are controlled by lust, hate, or other evil traits we are actually choosing to live off of the garbage of the world.  As believers, we have the Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit.  We have no excuse for groveling in the dirt of sin when the power of God is at our disposal.  When we live holy lives, sin is exposed because light exposes what darkness hides (vs. 13).  The Gospel is a light that exposes sin and offers salvation.

Paul closes this portion of Scripture with what some have believed to be an ancient Christian hymn (vs. 14).  We are urged to get out of our spiritual lethargy and drowsiness, and live out the resurrection life.  Jesus gives us light, not just to bring salvation, but also to guide our daily life.

As we close we should remember that the fruit of living in the light versus living in the dark is clear.  Are we pursuing to bear fruit for the Lord, and desiring to find out what pleases Him?  As those who are children of light, we should have nothing to do with those whose lives are in darkness. No participation, no association, and no approval or implied endorsement.  When we are saved, it matters what we do.  It matters to God what His children do!

Secure in our Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-3

Feeling secure is a state of being that most of us would desire.  We like to know that our safety is secure, along with our health.  We would like a secure job, and to know that our relationships with family and friends is also secure.  However, in this world today very little is secure.  In many places people don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods.  All too frequently jobs aren’t secure.  Our health fails and relationships crumble.  Where can we find the security that we crave?  Our Scripture today gives us a picture of the security we can have if we look in the right place.

This week’s psalm is probably the most favorite one in the Bible, and one of the most familiar passages in all the Bible, as well.  Hundreds of full-length sermons could, and probably have been written on this Scripture, so with limited space and time, I am focusing just on the first 2 ½ verses.

Psalm 23 was written by King David.  For a number of years before he became king, he was fleeing for his life from King Saul.  His life was in danger, and he had to frequently hide out in some very rugged areas.  Later as king, there were some times when he had to flee, such as when his son Absalom attempted a coup.  These times certainly were not the picture of security.  During those years he might have thought back to the days when he watched over his father’s flock of sheep.  When the sheep have a good and caring shepherd, they don’t have to worry about food or safety. When he was a shepherd, he made sure that the sheep were in plentiful fields, and he kept them safe from predatory animals.  Wouldn’t you want someone to watch over and care for you in life?

As we read our selected verses, we see that David looked for a shepherd to care and provide for him throughout his life. Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God, was the Shepherd that David wanted and needed, one who personally guided him.  David knew that he would not be in need of anything because of the shepherding care of the Lord.  Shepherds look after their sheep in every way.

This is a very personal psalm, as the Lord isn’t just “a shepherd”, or even “our shepherd”, but He is “my shepherd” (vs. 1).  This foreshadows the Lord Jesus who calls Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), as He cares for each of His children individually. Jesus tells how a shepherd not only protects the sheep under his care, but will gladly lay down their life for their safety (John 10:12-16).  Just as a shepherd knows his sheep, and the sheep know their shepherd and his voice, so Jesus knows us, His children, and we can know His Voice by studying His Word, the Bible, and through prayer.

When David claimed that with the Lord as his Shepherd, “I shall not want”, that is not a promise of living in luxury, but of having sufficiency for our needs (vs. 1).  When the Shepherd leads, the sheep lack nothing essential for God’s will in their lives.  It does not mean that we get everything that we want, but it means that the Lord can and will provide everything that we need.  Thus, no uncertainty should ever frighten us.

David continued in his psalm by stating that the Good Shepherd will make His sheep to lie down in green pastures (vs. 2).  Sheep only lie down when they are free from fear, and from friction with other sheep.  Also when they are free from pests, and are well-fed.  God gives us rest because He removes what would keep us anxious, hungry, or troubled.  His shepherd’s staff has two purposes.  First it is used as a weapon of protection against predatory animals.  The shepherd goes first, and the sheep safely follow.  Second, the crook in the staff is used to gently guide the wandering sheep back to safety.  Jesus does the same for us.  When we are closely following Him, He keeps us safe from Satan’s attacks, and when we start to go astray, the Holy Spirit will guide us back.

Still waters are places of rest, quietness, and refreshment.  We can find that when we get spiritual nourishment through the Bible, God’s Word.  We won’t find rest in the world’s entertainment, but our Shepherd will give us true soul-rest.

Finally, as this look at the opening verses of Psalm 23 comes to a close, David told us that Yahweh, our Good Shepherd, restores our soul (vs. 3a).  He restores it first and foremost when we come to Him for salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Then He continues to restore it with ongoing spiritual renewal when we are weary, wounded, or prone to wander.  He not only forgives us, but He restores us.

When we are desiring security in our life, we need look no further than to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd.  His care is never lacking, providing for us spiritually and physically.  Are you a part of His flock today?  If so, we can lay down in His fields, content from all anxiety or worry.  If not, turn to Jesus and call upon Him as your Savior.  Then you, too, can be one of the sheep in His flock.

The God Who Sees the Heart

I Samuel 16:1-13

When I was a child I used to enjoy watching beauty contests on TV, such as the Miss America contest and the Miss Universe contest.  I loved to see those beautiful young women, especially in their evening gowns.  However, as I grew older, I came to see that not all beautiful people, men or women, are beautiful on the inside, where it counts.  One can be the most beautiful woman in the world, or as handsome as a movie star, but have the nastiest personality around.  They can sometimes be mean and hurtful people, abusive to their family, whereas someone who is homely and not much to look at, can sometimes have the nicest personality, and be the best friend or spouse one could want.  In our Scripture for today we will look at the problem of judging by outward appearances.

Earlier in the book of I Samuel, we read about how the nation of Israel wanted a king so that they could be like other nations.  Saul, who was tall and handsome, was chosen.  However, despite his being extremely good looking, his character was lacking, and he was disobedient to the Lord.  The prophet Samuel, who had spent many years trying to mentor King Saul, and encouraging him to be obedient and follow the Lord, was grieving that God had now rejected him as king (vs. 1).  Instead, God sent Samuel to anoint someone whom He had chosen.  The people had chosen before, someone who looked good on the throne, but was a loser.  This time God would make the decision.

The Lord sent Samuel to the town of Bethlehem where the family of Jesse lived.  It was from his family, one of his numerous sons, that the next king would come from.  The prophet was afraid to go through with this task, as Saul had grown to be a very jealous and suspicious king, and would likely kill Samuel if he knew what he was up to (vs. 2-3).  The Lord told him to answer, if asked, that he was there to offer a sacrifice.  God never asks His servants to act foolishly.  He provides wisdom for obedience.

Samuel’s arrival caused fear (vs. 4-5).  He was God’s prophet, and his presence often meant judgment.  A holy life and faithful ministry can create a weighty reputation.  Samuel’s integrity was known by the people.  When he arrived at Jesse’s house, he told Jesse to gather all of his sons together for the sacrifice.  Jesse gathered all but his youngest son, David, leaving him behind in the fields with the sheep.

When the oldest son, Eliab, was presented Samuel thought that this one was surely the man that God would pick, as he was a very handsome young man.  However, God warned Samuel to not judge on outward appearances.  That was what had been the problem with Saul.  God said that He had refused Eliab, as rather than looking at outward appearances, He looks at a person’s heart (vs. 7).  When we go to judge or critique a  person we must not judge externals, like wealth, popularity, looks, or position.  Eliab did not have a loving or charitable heart, as we see later when David was sent to bring provisions to his brother in the army camp.  Eliab acted nastily to David for no reason (I Samuel 17:28).

God checks our heart and our motives.  Wrong motives will not please Him.  We can fool men, who look at the outward demonstrations.  God knows the truth of what’s in our heart.  Our heart attitude should be to please God, not ourselves, and to give Him pleasure.  He is pleased when our motives and hearts are selfless instead of selfish.  God’s choices are based on His perfect knowledge, not human criteria.  Outward qualifications, such as appearance, charisma, or stature, are not what He values.  God sees the heart, our character, humility, faith, and obedience.  We need to learn to evaluate others by spiritual character, not worldly metrics.

When Samuel got to the end of the line and knew that God hadn’t chosen any of them, he questioned Jesse whether these were all of his sons, as he had asked for (vs 8-11).  Why had Jesse neglected to bring David to the sacrifice and feast?  We don’t really know why his father slighted him.  However the one that Jesse didn’t even consider was the one God had chosen.  The one that the family had forgotten, God declared was His chosen, the one Samuel was to anoint (vs. 12).  God’s calling is sovereign and unmistakable.

Samuel anointed David in the presence of his father and brothers, and the Holy Spirit came upon him from that day forward (vs. 13).  David’s anointing foreshadowed Jesus Christ, the ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah.  When God calls us, He equips us.  His Spirit empowers His servants for their appointed work.

God chooses whom He wills, and it is often contrary to human expectations.  Where we value how pretty or handsome someone is, or their witty comments, their bank account, or university degrees, God values humility, faith, obedience, and integrity.  We should be like that, as well, looking for someone with a heart that pleases God, someone who is faithful to His Word, the Bible.  God often works through unexpected people.