1 Samuel 16:1

THE ANOINTING OF DAVID TO BE THE NEW KING OF ISRAEL

"This chapter is the natural continuation of the last one."[1] Time marches on regardless of the readiness or unreadiness of men; and the rejection of Saul as king of Israel in the last chapter required that a successor be chosen. "It was God's purpose that David should be anointed at this time as Saul's successor and as the ancestor and type of God's Christ. It was not God's purpose that Samuel should stir up a war by setting up David as Saul's rival. Therefore, secrecy was a necessary part of this transaction."[2]

PREPARATIONS FOR THE ANOINTING OF DAVID

"The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve eve over Saul, seeing 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 for myself a king among his sons." And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, `I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me him whom I name to you." Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said,, "Do you come peaceably"? And he said, "peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice."

"I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite" (1 Samuel 16:1). Jesse's genealogy is given in Ruth 4:18-22 all the way back to Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Thus, David was the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth.

The first king of Israel was from Gibeah in Benjamin, but the second was from Bethlehem in Judah. In the foreknowledge of God, Christ was to be born in Bethlehem; and it was most appropriate that the great O.T. type of Christ should also have been born in Bethlehem, although no mention of that specific detail is made here. "Bethlehem is the modern Beit Lahm about six miles south-southwest of Jerusalem."[3]

"How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." (1 Samuel 16:2). In the light of this text, it is unnecessary to speculate on why Samuel was reluctant to go to Bethlehem to anoint Saul's successor. He tells us here that he was afraid Saul would kill him. This also reflects back on Samuel's accompanying Saul to worship after refusing at first to do so (1 Samuel 15:31) where the same reason probably influenced Samuel's action in that incident.

"Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord" (1 Samuel 16:2) This was God's requirement that the mission be conducted secretly. This was neither duplicity nor falsehood, but discretion and concealment, both of which are honorable.

"You shall anoint for me him whom I name to you" (1 Samuel 16:3). Many have been impressed with the skill of the author here in the concealment of David's name until the very last.

"The elders came trembling, and said, `Do you come peaceably'?" (1 Samuel 16:4). The most reasonable explanation of this is that of Willis, "They came trembling because it could be assumed that anyone supporting Samuel against Saul would incur Saul's wrath."[4] What Saul later did to the priests at Nob fits this conclusion exactly (1 Samuel 22:11-19).