When Samuel sees Jesse's eldest son he thinks he must be the one. He is evidently very impressive in appearance. "When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord.'" (1 Samuel 16:6) Outwardly Eliab looks almost as kingly as Saul, who we were told was the tallest and handsomest man in Israel. But inwardly Eliab doesn't have what the Lord is looking for in a king.
"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" (1 Samuel 16:7) The Lord knows things about people that we don't know. We can be fooled by looks or charm or smooth words but the Lord knows each person's heart. That's why it's so important to consult Him when making decisions about close associations, such as in friendships, dating relationships, marriage, business partnerships, or in cases where we're responsible for hiring employees or appointing volunteers for church work. People may be able to deceive us sometimes but they can't deceive the Lord. If He tells us something is wrong, we better listen to Him. I've ignored that inner warning a few times in my life and ended up heartily regretting it.
Samuel must have told Jesse the reason for his presence in Bethlehem. Jesse seems to know that one of his sons is about to be anointed king. After Samuel informs him Eliab is not the one, Jesse brings each of his other sons before Samuel, according to their birth order. "Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, 'The Lord has not chosen this one either.' Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, 'Nor has the Lord chosen this one.' Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, 'The Lord has not chosen these.' So he asked Jesse, 'Are these all the sons you have?'" (1 Samuel 16:8-11a) Samuel is perplexed. He knows the Lord told him that one of Jesse's sons would be the next king of Israel. As commanded by the Lord, he went down to Bethlehem and called Jesse and his sons to the feast but now all seven of them have passed before him and have been rejected by the Lord. Something is wrong here. Someone must be missing. When Samuel invited all of Jesse's sons he meant all of Jesse's sons but these can't be all of them because the Lord has said no about every one of them.
It turns out that Jesse has one more son but he thought the young man of such little importance that he didn't bother calling him to the feast when Samuel requested the attendance of all of his sons. "'There is still the youngest,' Jesse answered. 'He is tending the sheep.'" (1 Samuel 16:11a) Jesse thought it so unlikely that the Lord would choose his youngest son to be king that he didn't even inform him of the feast. He left him in the fields with the sheep, which was a servant's job in households that could afford servants. In a family without servants (or without enough servants to spare one to watch the sheep) the youngest teen or pre-teen son was assigned the menial and often boring job of watching the flock. When Jesse says, "There is still the youngest. He is tending the sheep," I think he says it in a dismissive tone as if they shouldn't bother calling for him. Jesse thinks the next king of Israel is already present and that there's no way the Lord would call the young shepherd to lead the nation. But the years David has spent as a shepherd are part of what qualifies him to lead the nation. The many dull and lonely hours with no one but sheep around him are what have helped him develop a close relationship with the Lord. This is why the Lord said in 1 Samuel 13:14 that the king who would succeed Saul would be a man with a heart like the Lord's. David won't be perfect, of course. In fact, he'll mess up in some shocking ways. But he loves the Lord and he loves the Lord's people Israel. The Lord can do great things through a king like that.
Samuel insists on calling David to the feast even though Jesse is quite dismissive of the young man. "Samuel said, 'Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.'" (1 Samuel 16:11b) Jesse is probably thinking to himself, "This is a waste of time. There's no way the Lord wants David anointed as king. The future king is already in the room and this elderly prophet has misunderstood what the Lord is saying to him. Samuel is very old now and perhaps not as sharp as he used to be. But to humor the poor fellow I'll have David brought in and then he'll see that he isn't the one. Then it will become clear to him which of my other sons the Lord actually has in mind."
I don't know what it was about David that made his father (and his brothers too, as we'll see later in the book) think so little of him. It may just be because he's the youngest. The youngest child of a family is often not tasked with very much responsibility or allowed to do much thinking for themselves. Jesse and his older sons may not have seen anything especially impressive about David but the Lord has already been training him for a long time to assume the throne of Israel. David has been learning how to lead and manage stubborn sheep, which will help him to lead and manage stubborn humans. He's used to being the person of lowest rank in his household, which has fostered a humble spirit in him. He has given him a servant's heart because instead of being served he's used to serving his family and watching over the animals that belong to his family. He has a tender heart, like the Lord's, and will care deeply about his fellow citizens. This is in sharp contrast to Saul to who cares more about himself than about anyone else. David will be led by the Lord, not by his own emotions like Saul. This will enable David to be a stable and thoughtful leader, unlike Saul who will become more and more unstable as we progress through the book.
"So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features." (1 Samuel 16:12a) David is a nice-looking, physically fit young man but not the handsomest man in all Israel like Saul. He's not extra tall like Saul either. If David were placed in a group of other young men his age, I don't know that he'd have stood out in the crowd. I think it's likely no one would notice him more than those around him but the Lord has noticed him: the Lord has noticed his heart.
When David is summoned from the sheep pasture to stand before Samuel, I am sure he is as surprised as anyone else to learn that the Lord is going to promote him to such a high position of leadership. He's never been allowed to be in charge of anything other than the sheep, which are "few" according to what his brothers will later say. But the Lord knows what He's doing. He knows the type of life training David has already had and He knows David's potential. David's family may have their doubts about what the Lord is doing but the Lord never makes mistakes. As soon as David comes into the room, the Lord reveals to Samuel that this is the next king of Israel. Samuel doesn't question the Lord's choice. He trusts it. "Then the Lord said, 'Rise and anoint him; this is the one.' So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah." (1 Samuel 16:12b-13)
David already had a relationship with the Lord but the Lord gives him extra grace and strength and encouragement now that his destiny has been revealed to him. David needs this extra boost because the idea of leading the nation must have been an overwhelming prospect for a teenage boy, especially for a teenage boy whose own family doesn't believe he's cut out for the job. The Lord gives him the assurance no one in his home is giving him, which may be part of the motivation for David making this statement many years later, "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." (Psalm 27:10) In other words, "If no one but the Lord believes in me, that is enough. If no one but the Lord supports me, that is all I need."
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