The Heart – 1 Samuel 16:1-13

If ever there were a next king of Israel, Eliab was the man. He height, he had build—he had presence. Samuel said to himself, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before me.” First impressions were not going to serve Samuel well on this mission. Actually, he was going to go 0 for 7 in the discernment department. No doubt Samuel continued in prayerful thought, “Okay, Lord, what is wrong here?” What God spoke next to Samuel was both timeless and priceless:

 “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him… for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

I love it when I can find connections between the Old and New Testaments. This was one of those blessed mornings because Paul too understood matters of the heart:

 

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. 5:16-21

How often in our process of electing leaders, hiring people and choosing mates do we size the candidate up, look at their resume and say something to the effect, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before me. This is the one!” only to discover “anointed” was hardly the word. When I think of the society this kind of discernment has formed, I sigh. So then, how do we cooperate with God in the relational dimension of shaping society? Hang with me as we explore a new and different vision, make a proposal, and pray a prayer.

Because today’s passage has to do with the selection of an ancient king we may miss a modern parallel.

 Jesus was sacrificed, and with His blood He purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  And He has made them a kingdom (a royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth! (Revelation 5:10)

The Message Bible refers to those who have been cleansed by Christ’s blood as Priest-kings who will rule over the earth. When modern Christians stretch their imaginations, rarely in their self-image do they reach this far. They may conceive that their becoming new creations has saved them from hell and insured them a mansion in heaven, but John Q. Evangelical’s vision often falls tragically short of including what God had in mind when he made their new identity. This is no doubt a delight to the principalities and powers, the rulers and authorities that oppose God’s agenda on the earth.

 Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God), the people perish; but he who keeps the law of God, happy, fortunate, and enviable is he. (Prov. 29:18)

In the past few years I have come across new ideas (and salvaged existing ones) that have helped shape a vision I can live out of, one to which my heart has awakened and said, “Yes and amen!”  One of the contributing ideas is the following definition of a leader: anyone who takes responsibility for the potential in another person or process.

This idea is in perfect harmony with God’s intentions for His priest-king children whom He is endeavoring to shape into His image and unite into a communal statement to both His enemies and His friends throughout the cosmos.

As we live out the lives He has given us, we will learn to recognize and see each other, not by the flesh but rather by the potential of Christ within (the only hope of glory in the earth). We will not assess each other by the good or the bad of our pasts but rather by the unlimited potential within (which is Christ Himself), which is shaping the future kingdom of God. We will discover that Christ intended us to be a community of interconnected spirits who take ownership of each other’s potential above our own and thus fulfill the mandates of servant leadership and the two new commandments He gave to His new creations:

            The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these. (Mark 12:30)

David was a singular king under an old covenant inferior to our own. We are a community of priest-kings who, like David, have been anointed and are now citizens of God’s kingdom, governed by a new covenant. In Christ the horn of oil has been poured out on us in His Holy Spirit. One day, like David, we will collectively realize that the Spirit of the Lord has mightily come upon us, and we shall begin reigning in life.

 For if because of one man’s trespass death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive God’s overflowing grace and the free gift of righteousness—putting them into right standing with Himself, reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Father, may we see that Your horn of oil has been poured out upon us. Crystalize our identities as beloved new creation-children and priest-kings entrusted with each other’s well-being and the kingdom of God. As this world sees us loving each other in this way, may they see that we love You. Make your appeal through us. Anoint us with the credibility of new creations. Teach us to watch over our own hearts and each other’s so the springs of living water may overflow from us into the lives around us. May our ministry of reconciliation be effectual, demonstrating that any man who believes is reconciled to God through Christ. Let your priest kings arise and take dominion. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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