The Dilemma with David’s Brother

The Dilemma with David’s Brother (I Samuel 16:5-7)

I Samuel 16:5-7, “And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto 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.”

David’s brothers were each circumcised: a mark of divine ownership. Yet not one of them would fight Goliath. Why not?

1. They allowed the fear of those around them to wear down their faith.
Fear is contagious. If you listen to it long enough, you’ll get infected. Now, you shouldn’t be isolated from the world, but you must be insulated against its negative influences. Listening to Goliath wore David’s brothers down. We must ask ourselves, “who are we listening to?” Get God’s advice on the matter and build your faith around it. Allow His Word to settle the issue.

2. They had no personal track record to fall back on.
There are no insignificant battles in life. The little battles shape us for the big battles, which shape our destiny. The lion he killed as a boy was big, the bear even bigger, and Goliath was the largest of them all. David was never intimidated by the giant. I Samuel 17:37, “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” Stand firm on your “God moments”. What you believe in a crisis will be determined by the experiences you’ve had with God in the past.

3. They had looks that impressed but not hearts that sought God.
So, He disqualified them saying, “But the LORD said unto 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” I Samuel 16:7. David’s spiritual core was formed while observing creation and having fellowship with his Creator (Psalm 42:1-2).

Every heart is under the searching eye of God. We tend to be impressed by outward credentials, such as good looks or talent. God is not impressed with such outward appearances; He looks at the heart. God gives Samuel His criteria for picking His man. The basic qualification of God for service is not physical appearance, but rather the heart that the Lord looks at. Man usually looks at the outward things, but the Lord looks at the heart of a person. The Lord judges a person by his heart and his heart alone. God was looking for a man of character, not compromise; courage, not cowardice; conviction, not convenience for the moment; consistency, not confusion and changing beliefs. A person’s reputation is important; however, our Lord is much more concerned about character than reputation. Reputation is what we project, what people think of us. It is what we can package, perform, promote, and pretend. Character is what God knows we are when no one is around. God's way of thinking is not the same as ours according to Isaiah 55:8-9. God has a point of view, and His point of view is different from the human point of view. He is not deceived by outward appearances. He sees a person's heart. We have limited experience, limited understanding, limited knowledge, and we make mistakes. But God is not limited as we are limited. If God has a point of view, that point of view will not be simply one more point of view among many others. His unlimited point of view will have an absolute authority.

Point to Ponder:
Today, God is still looking for a man or woman after His own heart today.

Question to Consider:
What does the Lord see when He looks at your heart?

PRAYER: Lord, give me the strength and boldness to always be courageous. When the giants of this life approach me, help me to lean on Your strength to overcome them. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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