1 Samuel 15:34-16:7
Samuel, then returned to Ramah, which means “height.” Saddened as he was, no doubt, by Saul’s failure, he did not allow himself to be overcome by it. Every true-hearted servant will always feel the failure and breakdown of everything in the hands of man, but we ought not to allow this to hinder us from “dwelling” in the heights of our blessings in Christ, and viewing His own there, in the purposes of God. His purposes in grace are not altered by man’s failure, and He will never fail in love and faithfulness to those whom He has redeemed at so great a cost.
Samuel did not come to see Saul again till the day of his death. It is solemn indeed when God’s Spirit ceases to strive with a man, as He did with Saul, but such a thing can take place even today, and it is final. It makes one tremble to think of it. As we think of those around us who seem to have closed their ears to the truth, we cannot but mourn as Samuel did for Saul here. Dear reader, if you are rejecting the gospel of the grace of God, beware lest God should give you up. We cannot treat the Word of God with indifference, and be guiltless. God says, “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7. And again, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3.
The Lord told Samuel that he must not allow his grief over king Saul to hinder his service to the Lord. We have to watch against this ourselves. When someone in whom we have placed a great deal of confidence breaks down, we are liable to get discouraged and feel like giving up, but this is wrong. God must allow us to see the end of all perfection (Psalm 119:96), and sooner or later we find out that “the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63). Happy for us if we take God’s Word about it, instead of being oveome when we learn it experimentally.
The Lord then sent Samuel to anoint another, even David, to be king over Israel in place of Saul. At first Samuel was afraid to do this lest king Saul should kill him, but the Lord told him to go and call the house of Jesse to a sacrifice, and then He would show him what to do. We are always slow to walk in the path of faith, for there are difficulties in it which we never encounter in the path of nature. The anointing of Saul as king, of which we have read previously, was entirely different to what we have here. There was no sacrifice when Saul was anointed, but a “choice young man and a goodly,” head and shoulders above the rest of the people, put in a position of honor before others. Because of this no doubt, when Samuel went to choose another in Saul’s place, he looked for another “Saul”—another man of impressive appearance and great stature. After he had called the house of Jesse to the sacrifice, Eliab the oldest son came before Samuel. Samuel was pleased with him because of his appearence and height, and thought “surely the LORD’S anointed is before Him.” But the Lord said to 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.” This was a needed word to Samuel, and indeed for us, for we are often taken up with a man’s appeance and stature, only to find him a disappointment. Let us never forget that the Lord looks upon the heart, and He knows the hearts of all men.
ML 09/12/1954