David - episode 1

In the last episode we told how King Saul disobeyed the Lord’s command, not utterly exterminating Amalek, keeping alive their king and the best of their cattle. We are in chapter 15 and following of the first Book of Samuel. «Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel; and the LORD sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until you have destroyed them.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but took the spoils, and did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?” Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”». Not listening to God’s voice is as idolatry (the text cites witchcraft and the teraphim, various domestic idols). Saul protests and despairs, but the Lord does not change his mind. Even Prophet Samuel is sad and the Lord tells him: «How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons». To avoid Saul’s wrath Samuel hides his true intention, saying he came to Bethlehem for a sacrifice. «He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him. For man does not see as God sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your children here?” He said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for he is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily on David from that day forward».

 

 

As He did with the great patriarchs and unlike what He did with Saul (who was a man of extraordinary beauty and height), the Lord chooses the apparently less suited person to reign over Israel. David in fact is only a red-haired kid, still looking feminine for his young age. Even the prophet is not allowed to see the reasons for that election: Samuel’s perception is the same of the other present people. Only God can look into the heart.

The situation that emerges is quite tense. Saul formally continues to reign; it seems that Samuel has not reported to the people that God rejected the king, or that David is the new anointed sovereign. The facts will show everyone what was the Lord’s choice, unleashing Saul’s uncontrollable and murderous jealousy against the newcomer. We will tell it in the next post; for now, we only mark the first task that the young David does at the king’s court. He is an “exorcist” through the music (the Tradition attributes to David the authorship of most of the Book of Psalms, hymns to God composed to be sung). «Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. [...] David came to Saul, and stood before him. He loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer. Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight.” It happened, when the spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him».