1 Samuel 15 ended last week’s section with the Lord’s rejection of Saul as King. This week, chapter 16 opens the second half of 1 Samuel with the Lord’s anointing of David as King, a move that will provide a violent tension till the death of Saul and the end of the book.

From a storyline perspective this saga is bittersweet. On the one hand, civil unrest lingers on like a bad smell, fuelled by the aggressive debacle over leadership. There is, however, in David, some hope for a better future. He may be young and unlikely, but he has guts, resilience, and, most importantly, humility.

Once David is anointed by Samuel the narrative turns forcefully against Saul. He is shown to be brash, stubborn and liable to rage. His cowardice is also apparent at the battle with the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. With Saul unable to challenge their champion, Goliath, it is David, the youth who is the brave victor.

This contrast between Saul and David is the central theme of this rest of 1 Samuel. While Saul is the man ‘a head taller than any of the others’ (9:2), David, the boy, slays the giant. While Saul is fuelled by jealousy and rage (see chs.18-19), David exhibits mercy and compassion (Chs. 24 & 26). Two kings, each with a following, pursuing destiny in two contrasting ways: Saul with the sword and David with humble faith.

It is the ‘heart’, the motives, the deepest desires of David that set him apart as worthy to be king (according to 16:7). While the Israelite faith has hitherto been extra concerned with ‘outward appearance’ – e.g. detailed observation of the cultic rituals, geographical invasion of land, circumcision of males as a symbol of identity – the Lord’s rebuke to Samuel turns this on its head and makes inner appearance the primary issue.

Once again, do not underestimate the impact of this message in its day. To a people built on a physical religion that can be clearly evaluated in terms of ‘done’ or ‘not done’ this is a truly subversive idea. But it is a direction of thought, as we shall see, that will continue to recur through the prophetic literature of Israel. Thus through the great Prophet Samuel and the great King David, something of what is really important to Israel’s God pushes through to the fore, leaving space for a new brand of Israelite faith.

It is, of course, not just the 10th century BC that judged people on how things appear. All throughout history religious communities have made ritual observance (of whatever kind) a benchmark for inclusion, respect and trust. Indeed every community looks to its richest, most educated, best looking members. The problem, as 1 Samuel demonstrates, is not that one has high status, but that status is irrelevant; what counts is a good heart.

What does this mean for us? Jesus gives us a lot of pointers, this being a big theme of his. So it means that the humble ‘sinner’ is more righteous than the arrogant Pharisee. It means not trying to deal with the speck in someone else’s eye without removing the plank from your own. It means not making judgements about other people on the basis of how we perceive their actions, but instead taking the time to understand them. Because we might not agree with what they are doing, but their ‘heart’ might be in the right place. And that may ultimately be the more important thing.

In a battle for power, the like of which has been played out many times the world over, David chooses the humbler, gentler path and shows that strength is not found in size or force, but in trust and mercy. Way before Jesus was preaching about ‘turning the other cheek’ – the iconic symbol of non-violent resistance – David cut off his enemy’s hem, exposing him and weakening him without bloodshed or disrespect. We all face power-clashes. Some face them at macro-level, but for most of us they’re personal. Will we be like Saul or like David?

Suggestions for reflection:

1. Write down how you would like other people to see you. Then write down how you think they actually see you. Then write down how you really are. Where are there differences? What needs to change?

2. Think of someone you’re pretty sure you would disagree with on something important to you and ask them to tell you about their views. Don’t argue - just listen and see if you can sense the pursuit of truth in what they say. Reflect on what you can learn from their different perspective.

3. Question: How do you deal with conflict? Are you brash and forceful or gentle and gracious?