David: Sovereign Choice of God (1 Samuel 16:1-13) :: By Donald Whitchard

Three thousand years ago, the LORD God chose a young man by the name of David to be the king of Israel. Out of all the sons of Jesse, God’s favor came to rest on David. He was the youngest son of Jesse, a poor farmer from the tiny hamlet of Bethlehem. David, on the surface, was a nobody from a family of nobodies. Yet, by the grace of God, he became the greatest king in the history of Israel, the ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is listed as one of the great heroes of the faith (Matthew 1:1; Hebrews 11:32).

Throughout his life, he received great promises and wondrous blessings from the hand of God. He is known as a man after God’s own heart, a testimony affirmed by God Himself (Acts 13:22). The life of David is one of achievement for the glory of God, and it is also a lesson in the consequences of disobedience against Him. A study of his life can teach us about these aspects and how to remain faithful and focused on God during both good and despondent times.

David is certainly no model of perfection – far from it. He failed and failed big, but he kept short accounts with the LORD. He sinned but was quick to confess and manifested genuine repentance. His life has much to teach us concerning obedience, faith, and worship. Therefore, as the LORD leads, I want to venture into the life of the man who had the LORD’s focus and within the depths of his heart.

We start with the incidents as recorded in the book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 16. Beginning with verse 1, we read where the LORD has told the prophet Samuel that He had rejected Saul as king of Israel due to his perpetual disobedience. Saul had been chosen as king because the people of Israel wanted to be like the nations around them (1 Samuel 8:1-5). Up to this point, God had ruled the nation, raising up judges as the leaders that Israel needed for that time. This process had worked from the time of Moses up to the days of the Judges. God warned them that elevating a man to the role of king would bring political corruption and trouble (1 Samuel 8:7-21).

When Saul was chosen to be the king, the people were elated. He was a fine physical specimen who stood head and shoulders above everyone else (1 Samuel 9:2). But his outward appearance did not reflect his inward character. The Bible says that Saul started well but soon grew egotistical, living for the praises of his subjects and tended to overstep his boundaries, disobeying the commandments of the LORD.

Saul’s behavior and reactions to correction proved to many in Israel the dangers of a human monarch, with God eventually rejecting Saul as the king of Israel. As a result of Saul’s rebellion, God chose a new king to rule over Israel. His choice would fall upon an unknown shepherd boy named David, who lived in what we would call the “backwater” of Israel, surrounded by obscurity and covered with anonymity.

All throughout Scripture, this is a characteristic God shows to us in that His ways are the best and that we are not to look on the outside in determining the destiny of an individual. It also shows that God holds every life as precious and having meaning, even in places where we think have no benefit or purpose.

The Bible says that God is Sovereign in the affairs of His creation. He has the final say in how and when things go. He has the final word in the lives and influences of people, whether for good or bad. He raises up the good and the bad rulers to show us the futility of trusting in ourselves alone and the consequences of ignoring His will in the directions of both our lives and the destinies of nations.

It is against this backdrop of rebellion and rejection that God begins the process of choosing Israel’s next king. He worked behind the scenes during those difficult times in Israel’s history to prepare the way for His plans to be fulfilled. Here, we see both His Sovereign Providence and Sovereign Planning in action. He told Samuel to fill his horn of oil and to go where he would find the next king. God had put everything into place at the right moment in history.

If you look back at David’s ancestry, God’s hand had been moving events and people into place. One of David’s ancestors was a woman named Rahab, known as a “harlot” (Joshua 2). She had been saved out of paganism and brought into the nation of Israel. She married a man named Salmon (Matthew 1:5) and became the mother of a man named Boaz (Ruth 4:20). Boaz would marry a Gentile girl also brought out of paganism. Her name was Ruth, and they became the great-grandparents of a boy who would be named David. None of this was mere coincidence or random chance, but instead, part of a perfect plan brought into existence by Almighty God.

Because the LORD God is Sovereign, there are no “accidents” in life. Everything that occurs is part of a larger plan. Things may catch us off guard or by surprise, but not so with God. He often works behind the scenes in ways that we cannot comprehend in order to accomplish His plans and purposes (Psalm 37:23; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 4:15-17). Thanks be to God for being in absolute control even if all we see with our limited vision is chaotic!

Because God is Sovereign, He is well able to bring all of His plans to pass. He never proposes a plan that He is not able to accomplish. With Him, there is never a waste of good ideas like we would propose yet not come to fruition. Whether God’s plans include raising up an obscure young shepherd to become Israel’s greatest king, or a plan to work out His will in your life and mine, He is well able to see it through (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20). God’s Sovereign choices extend to every area of life.

I am not smart enough to understand everything, but I am assured in Scripture that God is in the business of working out all things according to His will and bringing His eternal purposes to pass in time (Isaiah 46:10-11; Ephesians 1:11).

All of this comes into being as we witness the transformation of this boy David, not even considered worthy to stand before Samuel at first, yet called from the obscurity of a field to end up as not only Israel’s greatest and most beloved king, but who would be the One God chose to bear the seed of a dynasty that would last for all time with the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return of the Son of David, the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we continue in our look at the life of David, we also see God in action, forming both David’s character and the destiny of His chosen people. God’s choices are surprising, but then again, aren’t we often surprised by what He has done in saving us from our sins and making us into new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) when the rest of the world would write us off?

What does God see in you? You are not a fluke or an accident. Turn to Him today and be amazed at what He can do in your life (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

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5 Aug 2024

In the Midst of a Seriously Significant Spiritual Struggle

APOSTASY AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS

Pope Francis tells pro-LGBT conference: ‘I will be spiritually… with all of you, united in prayer.’ Also, he previously sent a support letter to Fr. Martin, expressing closeness with the priest’s pro-LGBT Outreach conference. Martin is a papally appointed member of Dicastery for Communications. In 2021, prior to Martin’s LGBT conference, Francis thanked him for his “ability to be close to people, with that closeness Jesus had and that reflects the closeness of God.” He described Martin’s LGBT advocacy as an imitation of the “style of God.”

Afraid to Bark. The “silence of the lambs” has placed our nation in its current position. The American Church has developed laryngitis when we’ve most needed to hear it roar. Has there ever been a more cowardly group of Christian ministers in America’s pulpits than today?

America’s colleges offering courses on witchcraft and divination, including Yale, Duke, & Georgetown.

Olympic surfer forced to remove Christ image from surfboard to avoid being disqualified.

Hindu extremists (about 150) storm India house church and beat the Christians.

Olympics take leap toward reality of one-world religion. Opening ceremony featured expressions of worship to the gods of this age and celebrated the false god of self. Romans 1:25 describes this generation well: “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

AND THE GODLESS GLOBALISTS’ AGENDA

Bill Gates proves he’s the one who’s a fool: “Planting trees is nonsense,” he said. He added, “What are we, idiots? Gates blames so-called human-caused “climate change.” He supports solar panels and heat pumps to lessen carbon emissions and doesn’t believe planting trees helps the world. Yet, the world would benefit from more trees, which release C02.

Denmark: Copenhagen nudges residents/tourists to accept social credit system. Its “CopenPay” system rewards tourists for using public transportation or cycling. It’s a climate change-based behavioral modification and social credit system.

ISLAM’S INCURSION

Toronto, Canada: Muslim Father & Son Linked to ISIS Arrested with Weapons & Past Terror Charges. The arrests reveal Islam’s threat to the West. Authorities fail to identify prior terrorism charges and obscure the true danger posed by jihad terror.

Jordanian migrant illegals who ‘tried to breach’ Quantico, Virginia, Marine base freed on bail. The site is home to the FBI Academy, FBI Laboratory, a Defense Intelligence Agency facility, and several major Marine Corps commands, including the unit that flies Marine One presidential helicopter.

Terrorist supporters: Muslim family flew Taliban flag outside their New York City home. (It was taken down after exposure.) Taliban is a brutal terrorist organization aiming to impose global Islamic law. They have international terrorism ties and significantly threaten human rights. Taliban intensely hates non-Muslims. Its flag states, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah’s messenger.” There’s very little coverage of this by left-wing media, yet it’s aggressively hunted down Trump’s Jewish supporters who condemned Islamic terrorist groups, often doxing these Jewish families.

Netherlands’ catastrophic failure: ignoring warnings on Islam & mosques: a dire lesson for America. The country has faced an onslaught of attacks and hardships due to mass immigration and Islamic influence. Warnings from Dutch conservatives are a wake-up call for those concerned about Islam’s dangerous influence in Western societies. America is heading down the same dangerous path.

Dozens killed in attack on Somalia beach hotel by al-Qaeda terrorists. 32 people killed; over 60 injured. al-Shabab still controls parts of Somalia and carries out attacks while extorting millions of pounds a year from residents and businesses in its quest to impose an Islamic state. This is the deadliest attack in Somalia since car bombs exploded near a busy market in 2022, killing at least 100 and injuring 300. In a separate attack Saturday, 7 people died after a passenger vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

AND HATRED OF JEWS AND ISRAEL

Jews have no future in France. For the past decade, Jews have fled France in alarming numbers, driven away by a terrifying surge in Jew-hatred linked to the massive influx of Islamic migrants.

PERVASIVE PERVERSION

14 arrested in human trafficking sting at Comic-Con event. 10 victims were rescued, including a child.

Harley-Davidson is latest all-American brand to face boycott over DEI Pride events for kids.

FDA team leader recommended approving “puberty blockers” for ‘trans’ identifying teens even while noting a recent study showed the drugs’ association with “increased risk in depression & suicidality.”

New York: Rochester Public Schools threatened with lawsuit over district’s transgender policy. According to that policy, if a child changes names or begins using a different bathroom, the school district will only alert parents if they specifically ask about it.

Trans athletes (bio males) make undeserved history at prestigious women’s cycling race. Biological males swept the board in a 1-2-3 finish.

Swiss court orders parents to hand over legal documents for daughter’s medical transition. The parents objected to the gender transition. Their daughter, now 16, said she wanted to become a boy at age 13. The parents refused to allow puberty blockers, but her school let her socially transition against their wishes. The parents haven’t seen their daughter for a year after a court ordered her placed in a government-funded youth shelter.

More debauchery at Olympics ceremony. The song “King” played as a lesbian wearing a crown was depicted as Jesus surrounded by men in drag. In a pre-recorded dance, a threesome – 2 men and a woman – frolicked the streets, pretending to kiss each other and ending up in a room, shutting the door, obviously insinuating they would engage in sex.

Paris Olympic Games to allow biological male boxers to fight women. Although the two boxers were stripped of their medals from last year’s World Championships in India after DNA tests proved they’re male, they’re allowed to fight women at the “woke” Paris Olympics.

Urge Hello products to cancel its inappropriate ad. A woman brushing her teeth blurts, “Holy (bleep)!” The voiceover states, “She means holy spit.” Though the word is bleeped out, foul language or its implication isn’t needed. And the word “Holy” should be set aside for God’s purpose (1 Peter 1:14-15).

AND THE ABORTION ABOMINATION

Police arrest man over brutal beating of pro-lifers outside Baltimore Planned Parenthood. The incident occurred over a year ago, but the perpetrator was recently arrested. Both victims sustained extensive injuries. Mr. Schaefer had cuts and scrapes all over, and a cut on his hand required special bandaging. Mr. Crosby sustained traumatic head and face injuries. He required several face surgeries.

INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND

13-year-old budding preacher who lived for the ‘Glory of God’ killed in setup for his camera. Matthiew Stavkovy was also well-known at his Washington church as a singer and musician. The camera transaction was arranged through OfferUP, an online mobile-first marketplace. Faysal Abdullahi, 18, is charged with first-degree murder and robbery for setting up the nefarious transaction that led to Matthiew’s murder. Two unidentified brothers, 16 & 19, have also been arrested.

Colorado HOA calls police on children’s lemonade stand. While the southern border remains wide open and crime sweeps through U.S. cities, one Colorado HOA is doing its part to protect the homeland: shutting down a lemonade stand set up by a group of local children!

LAST DAYS TRAITORS

Kamala Harris’s radical vision for America. She’s on record wanting to abolish ICE, let criminals like Boston Marathon bombers and rapists vote, ban fracking and offshore drilling, defund police, provide U.S. taxpayer-subsidized healthcare to illegals, and ban private health insurance. Since the Republicans’ exposure of her Leftist plans, she claims she’s changed her positions. Should anyone believe her? NO.

Shocking new revelations about Google: ‘They control billions of people.’ Google’s ‘autocomplete’ search function displays no results for ‘Trump assassination.’ Researcher Dr. Robert Epstein’s wife also died in a horrific accident soon after he was warned he’d soon be killed in some sort of accident.

Venezuela: Communist Tyrant Maduro announces construction of maximum-security detention centers – to be “reeducation centers.” He lost the election yet was declared the winner.

THEIR DELIBERATE BORDER DISORDER AND THE CONSEQUENCES

Over 120 Chinese illegal aliens caught at southern border in one day. Biden regime’s America. With the focus on the Presidential election, Americans must remember the border is still wide open.

DHS Warns Venezuelan Gang Threatening U.S. Police. Violent Tren de Aragua gang has the “green light” to attack/shoot police in Denver and other major cities. The gang infiltrated by posing as asylum seekers.

AND THEIR MOVE TOWARD AN ORWELLIAN SOCIETY

Democrats urge OpenAI to allow Gov’t access to foundation model before it goes public.5 are pressuring CEO Altman to allow Gov’t agencies pre-deployment testing, review, analysis, & assessment.

PLAGUE, PESTILENCE, AND PLANNED-DEMICS

Multi-state Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat. Two deaths and 28 illnesses requiring hospitalization across 12 states. Packaged deli meats have not been implicated.

San Francisco officials again urge face masks in indoor settings 4 years after the pandemic began.

ECONOMIC AND FOOD INSECURITY

Wall Street starting to freak out about economy’s horrendous state. Stocks fell sharply Friday. Much weaker-than-anticipated July jobs report ignited worries the economy could be falling into a recession.

AI might take your next Taco Bell drive-thru order as artificial intelligence expands. The chain has been experimenting with AI at over 100 locations in 13 states; plans to expand to hundreds more drive-thrus in the U.S. by end of the year.

Canada’s standard of living on track for worst decline in 40 years.

UK’s Labour Party’s policy could kill thousands of old people this winter. Its new Labour Gov’t will remove their life-saving winter fuel allowance. Starmer’s communist government is committed to Net Zero. It’s a plan to reduce the population – killing the elderly, the sick, and the truly poor.

Singapore approves 16 insect products for human food. Left-leaning Guardiandescribed it as “paving the way for plates to become wrigglier, leggier and more sustainable” and “a sign of things to come.”

WEATHER EVENTS

Brewing tropical storm forecast to intensify Aug. 3rd and head to Florida. A tropical cyclone aimed at Florida will be Tropical Storm Debby later on Aug. 3 and soon threaten parts of the state with flooding and heavy winds; over a foot of rain is possible in some areas.  Flash and urban flooding and isolated river flooding will be possible through Wednesday morning. It has potential to hit as a Cat 1 hurricane. Some areas could see up to 3 to 5 feet of storm surge. Floridians should be prepared for tornadoes, which are more dangerous at night. From there, Debby is forecast to track near the Southeast coast early next week, where it could intensify again assuming it remains over water. T​here’s an increasing possibility the system might slow down or stall near the Southeast coast, which could prolong impacts.

Yet another wave of violent floods in Vermont destroys homes, roads, and vehicles. Thunderstorms and torrential rain Tuesday led to boat rescues nearly 3 weeks after flooding from Hurricane Beryl.

Park Fire now 4th largest in California history; at least 542 structures destroyed as of early Friday,50 damaged. 318 are homes. Heat, erratic winds, and possible lightning could complicate the battle begun by arson. The Park Fire is among almost 100 large fires burning across the Western U.S.

Left-leaning Washington Post and other like sources claim 4 hottest days ever observed raise fears of a planet nearing tipping points. [Keep in mind: God controls weather, not man, as media on the left claim.]

Alberta, Canada: Since July 22, what became the area’s biggest fire in a century has caused a wave of destruction in the Canadian national park. Around a third of structures in Jasper have been destroyed.

Ethiopia: On July 21-22, two landslides buried two villages. 257 known dead, 12 injured in the deadliest landslides in Ethiopia’s history. Reports say final death toll could exceed 500.

India: landslides Tuesday killed 196; over 200 missing. Some 9,000 moved to relief camps as heavy rains continue. Hopes for finding more survivors have dimmed.

China: Death toll from bridge collapse from heavy rains rises to 38; 24 missing. Days of torrential rain were induced by Tropical Storm Gaemi after it came onshore at typhoon strength late last week.

Severe storm hits Latvia; record rainfall and extensive damage reported.

EARTHQUAKES

West Texas hit by over 100 earthquakes in a week. Four were 4.0 or higher; highest was 5.1, making it the 6th strongest in Texas history. Scurry County businesses and homes were damaged, and a state of disaster was declared. It’s unlikely a very strong quake will hit the area, but it can’t be ruled out. This area has seen a significant increase in earthquake activity since 2019.

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS

U.S. not prepared to fight one major war, but three are rapidly approaching. Our military is a “woke” joke. A congressional panel study concluded we’re not even ready to fight one major war.

Iran increases militia proxy groups’ attacks in Syria & Iraq against US forces.

Israel Eliminates 2 Terror Leaders In 24 Hours. Hezbollah’s military leader, Fuad Shukr, was eliminated in Lebanon. And Hamas leader Haniyeh’s neutralization in Iran threatens to push the region into full-scale war. A bomb was planted weeks before and detonated remotely when Haniyeh was a guest in a high-security facility. This couldn’t be done without locals’ help. Iran’s general public is against the regime.

Iran says it will conduct “special operations” to take revenge on Israel. Also Iran’s Ayatollah orders direct strike on Israel. As a dementia patient occupies the White House, World War III may be about to break out in the Middle East.

Serious preparation in Israel for Iranian retaliation: potential attack on several fronts. Assessments suggest the attack could come from multiple fronts simultaneously, coordinated by Iran with its proxies: Hezbollah, Houthis, and militias in Syria and Iraq. Timing isn’t certain but expected within the week after Haniyeh’s Aug 2 funeral. The U.S. is increasing its presence in the region.

Hezbollah retaliates hours after slain commander’s funeral: 60 rockets on Northern Israel, following Israel’s killing of Nasrallah’s right-hand military adviser Fuad Shukr, whose funeral was earlier in the day. (Israel blamed Shukr for the rocket that landed in a soccer field in Israel 3 days earlier, killing 12 children and teens, with dozens more wounded.)

Turkey’s Erdogan threatens to invade Israel. He said, “There is no reason why we cannot do this.” He’s had a long, rocky relationship with Israel and condemned Israel over its war in Gaza, offered Hamas firm support, and said God – actually Islam’s Allah, who is not God – would curse Netanyahu. Ezekiel 38/39 says Turkey, Iran, Russia, and others will attack Israel; it will end very badly for them.

THE COMING ANTICHRIST

Antichrist will be a deceiver who’ll rise to power and mimic Christ as a peacemaker but will set out to destroy all who oppose him.

Did opening ceremony for Paris Olympics foreshadow coming of Antichrist? Most anti-Christian opening ceremony ever! At one point, a winged white horse rode in front of the Eiffel Tower, ridden by a warrior in brilliant armor, reminding some of Revelation 6, its rider symbolizing Antichrist. Could it be, knowingly or unknowingly, ceremony organizers were foreshadowing Antichrist’s arrival? They’ll never admit it even if intended, nor will they admit mocking The Last Supper. Also, a giant golden bull head took part. Many connected it to the pagan golden calf in Exodus [or the false god Moloch. Leviticus 18:21 says Molech worship included infanticide, specifically murder of infants as a pagan sacrifice].

CONCLUSION

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting.”

We pray for the lost to turn to Christ. Time is short!