“Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.”
~ 1 Samuel 16:14
Hi James and Ellen,
What do you hope to be doing when you get as old as your dad? What do you think that God will have you doing when you get as old as your dad? Do you want to know now what you will be doing when you get as old as your dad? Your grandpaa when he was your age never thought that when he got to the age that your dad is now that he would be a missionary. Your grandpaa went to first grade in the corner schoolhouse that was a little over a mile from the farmhouse where your grandpaa lived when he was a kid. Your grandpaa went from second grade through eighth grade at the Christian School that your grandpaa’s dad and ma helped to build in Volga, South Dakota. Your grandpaa went four years to Volga’s high school. Your grandmaa went to north Wilmington, Delaware area schools. Your grandmaa went for four years to a well-known high school – P.S. DuPont, that is also in the north Wilmington area. Your grandmaa and grandpaa did not grow up thinking about being or planning to become missionaries. David did not grow up thinking about being or planning to become a king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. David grew up doing what his dad asked him to do just as your grandpaa grew up doing what his dad asked him to do. Samuel was a very well-known prophet. Samuel lived in Ramah. Samuel interacted with God. Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. Samuel had become very disappointed with how Saul was comporting himself as king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. Samuel had become frightened of Saul. Samuel in 1 Samuel 16 recounts what took place the day when he anointed David to be the second king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. David was miles away caring for his dad’s sheep when God told Samuel that it was time for him to anoint the next guy who would take on once Saul was dead ruling over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids in the role of being their king.
To anoint in the context of Samuel anointing Saul and David to be kings over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids had Samuel sprinkling oil on the heads of the two guys – consecrating them. After Samuel anointed Saul to be king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids, Samuel was not pleased about having to anoint another guy but . . . God told Samuel to go to Bethlehem – to Jesse’s house, and he would find a guy there who He wanted him to anoint as the next king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. Bethlehem is five miles or so south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is about another five miles south of Ramah – which was where Samuel was living. The road that Samuel had to take to get from Ramah to Bethlehem passed through Gibeah. Gibeah was where Saul was living. Samuel was worried that Saul would find out that he was going to anoint another guy as king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. Saul had reason to worry. Samuel wrote in verse 14, “Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.” Samuel seems to have forgotten that God has even the evil spirits under His control. God insisted that Samuel make the ten mile or so hike to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. After seven of Jesse’s eight sons passed in front of Samuel – with God telling Samuel each time that that son was not the guy who He wanted as king to reign over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids, David – Jesse’s youngest son, was left to pass in front of Samuel. One of David’s chores in his family was to be the family shepherd. David cared for his dad’s sheep. When Samuel finally saw David, Samuel saw a nice looking young dude with a ruddy complexion – probably from spending most of young life outdoors. Samuel – in front of David’s dad and David’s bros, anointed David to be the next king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kid. David went in a very short time from just shepherding a flock of dumb sheep to having to think about being a king. Your grandmaa and grandpaa went in a very short time from enjoying just living in Aberdeen, South Dakota to having to think about being missionaries. God controls the life track of every guy, gal and kid who is living on planet Earth.
David after he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king over the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids did not immediately become king over God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids. Your grandmaa and grandpaa did not begin being missionaries immediately after God called your grandmaa and grandpaa to be missionaries. The life tracks that God has you on now and the life tracks that God has had, is having and will have every guy, gal and kid walk out, are life preparation tracks. God is constantly teaching you and you are constantly learning from your life experiences classrooms – classrooms that help you to do what God has asked or will ask or call you to do. Your grandpaa has learned that God wants your grandpaa to live his life one day or one step at a time. Your grandpaa has learned – when your grandpaa has seen an open opportunity door that God wants your grandpaa to go through that opportunity door. Your grandpaa knows that he will lose blessing rewards if he does not go through an opportunity door that your grandpaa knows that God has opened for him to go through. An opportunity door came open for David when Saul became tormented by an evil spirit who God had sent to harass Saul. Saul enjoyed the sound of a harp played. Word had gotten out by this time that David was really good at playing the harp so . . . David was also known as being a very brave kid who spoke well. Are you sensing from your time already in your life experiences classrooms that God is opening up opportunity doors for you to serve Him? Your grandpaa is hoping that you are.
1 Samuel 16 (297)