God Chooses a Young Shepherd
(1 Samuel 16:1-13)
The prophet Samuel was very sad. He had been God's messenger to King Saul, but Saul had disobeyed God. Now God told Samuel that He had chosen a new king for Israel. God said to Samuel, "Fill your horn with oil and go to Bethlehem. I have chosen a king from among the sons of Jesse." But Samuel was afraid. He said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!" So God gave Samuel a plan. Samuel was to take a young cow and say he had come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. This was a true and good thing to do, but it also kept Samuel safe.
Samuel did exactly what God commanded. He went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the town came out to meet him. They were trembling and asked, "Do you come in peace?" Samuel said, "Yes, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me." He invited Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice. One by one, Jesse's sons came before Samuel. The first son was Eliab, and Samuel looked at him and thought, "Surely this is the man God has chosen." Eliab was tall and looked like a king. But God said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his height. I have rejected him. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Then Jesse presented his next son, Abinadab. Samuel said, "The Lord has not chosen this one." Next came Shammah. Samuel said, "The Lord has not chosen this one either." One by one, seven of Jesse's sons walked before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." Then Samuel asked, "Are all your sons here?" Jesse said, "There is still the youngest, but he is out keeping the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him right now. We will not sit down until he comes here."
So they sent for the youngest son. His name was David. He had a healthy, handsome appearance and beautiful eyes. When David arrived, the Lord said to Samuel, "Arise and anoint him, for this is the one." So Samuel took his horn of oil and poured it on David's head in front of all his brothers. From that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. The shepherd boy was chosen to be the next king of Israel. Samuel then returned to his home in Ramah. God had seen David's heart, and He had a great plan for his life.
A Curious Question
Samuel looked at all the tall, strong sons of Jesse and thought he knew which one God would choose. Why did God look past the tall brothers to choose a young shepherd boy instead?
Jesus Connection
This story points forward to Jesus, the true King. People looked for a king with power and a mighty army. But God sent a humble King, born in the same town of Bethlehem, who came to serve, not to be served. Just as David was a shepherd boy chosen to lead Israel, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. David was anointed with oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism. David's anointing as king was a picture of Jesus, the promised Messiah or "Anointed One" (Luke 3:21-22).
Discussion Questions
- God told Samuel not to look at a person's outside appearance. What does it mean that God looks at the heart instead?
- Jesse didn't even think to call David in from the fields. How do you think David felt when his brothers were all called to the sacrifice, but he was left out with the sheep?
- Why do you think God chose a young shepherd boy to be the next king of Israel?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
- Take a heart check. When you look at other people, do you focus on their clothes, their looks, or how popular they are? Ask God to help you see people the way He sees them.
- Pay attention to your thoughts. What do you think about all day? What is important to you? Those things show what is in your heart. Spend time thinking about what God says is good and true.
- Trust God's plan for you. David was the youngest and doing a simple job. But God had a huge plan for him. You might feel small or forgotten sometimes, but God sees you and has a plan for your life too.
Memorize God's Word
1 Samuel 16:7: "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature... For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
- Do not look cup your hand over your eyes like you are looking into the distance.
- on his appearance or on the height of his stature stand up tall and puff out your chest, then point to your own face.
- For the Lord sees not as man sees point up to God in heaven, then point to yourself and shake your head 'no'.
- man looks on the outward appearance use both hands to frame your face.
- but the Lord looks on the heart place both hands over your heart.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank you that you do not look at our outside appearance. Thank you that you look at our hearts. Help us to care about the things you care about. Please show us how to see other people the way you see them. We want to have hearts that love you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Craft or Activity
Shepherd's Staff and Heart
Kids will make a shepherd's staff out of a paper towel roll and a "heart" to remind them that God looks at our hearts.
Materials Checklist:
How to Make the Shepherd's Staff and Heart:- Color the paper towel roll brown to look like a wooden staff.
- Cut out a large red or pink heart shape from construction paper.
- Write or glue the Bible verse strip onto the heart.
- Tape or glue the heart to the top of the paper towel roll staff.
- When you hold up your staff, remember that David was a shepherd, and the heart reminds us that God looks at our hearts.
Effective Teaching Techniques
For Younger Children: Focus on the visual of the story. Use pictures of David, his brothers, and the horn of oil. Emphasize the lesson that God sees what we cannot see. Tell them that the "heart" means our thoughts and feelings.
For Older Kids: Discuss the pressure of outward appearances and how they see it in school and social media. Challenge them to think about what God might see if He looked at their hearts right now. Ask them what they spend most of their time thinking about.
Classroom Management: For the craft, have a volunteer pre-color the paper towel rolls to save time. Have wipes ready for clean-up. Use a "staff" as a quiet signal, raising it in the air when you need everyone's attention.
Prep Shortcut: Before class, cut all the paper towel rolls to the same length and cut out the hearts so kids can focus on the memory verse and application.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why didn't Samuel choose one of David's older brothers?
- Samuel thought the oldest brother, Eliab, looked like a king, but God told Samuel not to look at outward appearance because the Lord looks at the heart.
- Where was David when Samuel came to anoint the new king?
- David was the youngest son and wasn't even invited to the sacrifice at first. He was out in the fields keeping his father's sheep.
- What happened when Samuel anointed David?
- Samuel poured oil on David's head in front of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.