For this Advent series, the names of Jesus are taken from the hymn “O come O come Emmanuel”. In this study, well look at Jesus, the “root of Jesse”. The significance of this might be lost on many of us, and 1 Sam
16:1-13 shows us the root of Jesse, whose name is David. This is kind of like the origin story of David, thus if we don’t understand David, we will not be amaze or impressed when Jesus is repeatedly called “Son of
David”. Let's spend time looking at the Root of Jesse, David, and see the relationship between kings and Christmas.
(A) Why Christmas matters: The problem with kings (1 Sam 16:1-5)
In 1 Sam 16:1, the Lord speaks to Samuel. It is helpful to understand what Samuel is doing. The prophet Samuel who speaks for God is grieving over Saul (1 Sam 16:1a, c.f. 1 Sam 15:35). God asked how long he will grieve over Saul who has been rejected by God as the king of Israel. What is the function of the king and why does the prophet grieve that God has rejected the king? There is a particular theocratic relationship between God, the king and His people. The king is accountable to God as to how he should rule. He is accountable to God in his political, military, economic decisions. When the king guarded the people and ensured their security, it represented that they had favour with God. Thus, the rejection of Saul is akin to a “constitutional crisis”.
Therefore, Samuel is grieving that God has rejected this king. What does this mean for the people then? This must have been what Samuel was worried about. Does this mean that God has also rejected His people? What is at stake is the fate of the people! And we need to remember what God’s mission for His people was. They were to be a blessing for the nation, to fulfill God’s promises.
We might find this hard to relate to, because we don’t think like Samuel. We don’t really care who leads God’s people or what God’s will is, or whether God’s people live it. Today, we don’t care about who God’s king is. Does it bother you that God’s people have no leader? Clearly it bothered Samuel, enough for him to grieve, and the Lord had to tell him He has a plan. We should be grieving over God’s people and God’s purposes. Don't miss out on how the Creator God also cared about Samuel in his grieving. God cares when we grieve, and He also told
Samuel what He’s going to do. God has not given up on His people!
God goes on to give Samuel specific instructions to anoint a new king with oil (1 Sam 16:1b). Samuel was worried that Saul would hear of it and kill him (1 Sam 16:2a), because this is a threatening political gesture. It will massively undermine the power of the existing king. Realise also that this anointing is not a private affair and everyone will also know! The elders of the city were worried when Samuel appeared (1 Sam 16:4).
This passage shows us that whenever God chooses a king, it disrupts the existing regimes. That is the message of Christmas. Christmas is about the inauguration of a new king. A new king has come, and He, by his very presence, will disrupt the existing systems. There can only be one king. In the Christmas story, 3 wise men came from the east, and they came looking for the king. They came to the manger, and bring 3 gifts. Myrrh for the sacrifice, frankincense for prayer, and gold for a king. They first approached the Roman appointed ruler and Herod launched the slaughter of the innocents. Do you know this happened? There was a king that was born, and his very birth threatened the empire. This world does what it always does — to stamp him out, reacting out of fear.
Christmas is about kings, and whose kingdom is here, and what it means. While we sing wonderful songs of peace, it’s not really peace at all. A new king is in town, and you and I cannot persist in being king.
(B) Why people misunderstand Christmas: The appearance of a king (1 Sam 16:6-10)
Samuel met and consecrated Jesse and his sons (1 Sam 16:5) and first met Eliab, Jesse's firstborn. Samuel looked at Eliab and did what you and I do all the time. He looked with his eyes, and comes to a reasonable conclusion that this impressive man is "surely" the Lord's anointed (1 Sam 16:6). But, God told Samuel that he is making choices out of the limitations of his knowing. Samuel thought Eliab was suitable because of his appearance and height (1 Sam 16:7). God told Samuel that the Lord sees things that Samuel cannot see (1 Sam 16:7b). What does it mean that “the Lord looks on the heart”? It’s not personality, a physical heart, or moral perfection. The heart here is tied to desire, therefore, the Lord evaluates based on what a man desires.
Eliab was rejected, and then, a parade of sons pass by (1 Sam 16:8-10). Parades are significant in the Bible (e.g. Gen 2 meant to show Adam that he was lacking Eve). Each son coming forth was meant to teach Samuel something. With each son, Samuel was being taught again and again that God really evaluated based on a different set of criteria from man. He is a God that works through surprising ways.
(C) What Christmas shows: The king God chooses (1 Sam 16:11-13 c.f. Isa 11:1-5)
By the end, seven sons had passed before Samuel and none of them were selected (1 Sam 16:10). David was left out, because he was the youngest and smallest and was tending the sheep (1 Sam 16:11). They waited for him and the Bible described David as “ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome” (1 Sam 16:12). Why are we being told this? These were probably not positive characteristics. In fact, he was left out by his father, maybe because he didn’t think he was much help or too young The king never appears in the way we expect him!
You see, for most of us, when we think of a coming king, we expect him to come in glory and power, and the full stature of the king. We expect him to come to guard the people. Yet in the Christmas story, we the king wrapped in swaddling cloths in a manger. What kind of a king comes ruddy, with beautiful eyes and was handsome, not really very powerful. In the same way, we expect God to show up in our lives in a certain way, but He never does in the way and form we expect to. That’s what makes Him sovereign. The appearance of the king is troubling to us, because we expect Him to conform to our expectations. And He never does. This can translate into a million ways for us beyond this passage, beyond the Christmas story, into our lives today. How do you expect God to work in your life? Does it seem like He is not? Perhaps He is, just not in the way you expect Him to!
When David appeared, the Lord told Samuel to "anoint him, for this is he" (1 Sam 16:12b). Samuel obeyed and "anointed him in the midst of his brothers", in full view of everyone (1 Sam 16:13a). The people would have seen this, and smelt the beauty represented by the oil. The people would have marveled at God’s choice, choosing the unlikely, unpredictable things of this world to do great things. What kind of a God is this?
This is a God who chose a king who is also a shepherd. What better king than the one who knows how to take care of the sheep, who knows how to count each sheep and who knows how to chase away the wild animals to defend his flock. No wonder in Isa 11, the prophet picks up on this. The stump will still bear a shoot, and from the roots, a branch will come forth and bear fruit (Isa 11:1). When death seems set, life will spring first. When things seem small and insignificant, God’s glory shall burst forth. And only the Spirit of God can make it happen
(Isa 11:2). The Spirit will bring knowledge and wisdom (know what needs to be done), counsel (practical) and might (power to get things done), fear of the Lord.
What leader is like this? What man is so filled with the Spirit of God, so much so that He will love God and honor and reverence Him (Isa 11:3)? He will have a deep sense of awe! He will also judge like God, looking at the heart (Isa 11:4a) and will judge with righteousness! The wise men recognised the majesty of this king but yet were shown a baby in a manger. This frail and small baby was God’s gift and solution to all the problems of the world. What a shock! What do we do? We do what the wise men and shepherds did — bow down and worship! When we do that, we acknowledge the king God has chosen. He doesn’t have power or glory that we will want to behold Him. He did one thing in His life — live to die. This was all God ever wanted, and He lived in complete obedience to God’s plan and purpose.
At Advent, we look back at the first coming of the king, in the surprising form of a baby. But today, Advent isn't just about nostalgia. It calls us to look forward to the return of the King. However, the next time He comes, He will not come as a baby, but as King of this world. All will bow when He returns as rightful King, in the power, majesty and glory that is due Him! And until that day, we wait and sing with all Christians throughout the years, O come O come Emmanuel.