Looking at Things God’s Way

In this study we are going to look at things the way God looks at them. In First Samuel we have a story about Samuel, the prophet of God. God had told him to go and anoint the next king of Israel. He was to go to the household of Jesse and ask Jesse to call in all his boys. Samuel went as God commanded, and Jesse called in his sons, but he only called seven of them. Samuel looked at the oldest son named Eliab and thought that surely he was the one God wanted. In First Samuel 16:7 it says, ‘But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.’

God rejected Eliab because He could see his heart. God knew he would not make a good king for Israel. Samuel went on down the line, looking at each of the sons. Each of the young men looked like fine, strong, brilliant young men on the outside but God rejected each one. Finally, Samuel asked Jesse if he had another son, and there was another one. David was out taking care of the sheep. He was called in, and the moment he walked in God spoke to Samuel and said, ‘That’s the one. Anoint him.’ God’s explanation of the whole thing is right there in verse seven. God sees different than we do. God doesn’t look on the outward appearance. He looks on the heart. He knows what a person is truly like.

When you and I look at people, we make judgment calls. We make decisions about those people, based on the way they look, the way they dress, outward things we are able to observe about them or the things we hear them say. But we don’t really know what goes on inside of another person’s heart. The Bible tells us that when God looks at people, God doesn’t judge by outward appearance. God judges by what is on the inside. God knows the truth of the matter.

I don’t know why God rejected the first seven sons of Jesse. For some reason, those men were unfit for the job of being a king. But God knew that David was just the man. He was the one that God had chosen. David was just the man to accomplish the job God wanted done.

As we go through this study, we will be looking at things from God’s point of view. How does God see things? How does that affect our lives as people? That will be the foundation of everything we will talk about.