| I Samuel 16:1-13 "And A Child Shall Lead Them" |
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| Written by Rev. Denise Peckham | |
| Saturday, 24 June 2006 | |
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Webster’s dictionary defines a leader as someone who acts as a guide, a directing head or chief. And while that may be true for most of the world, we learn that it is not the obvious, external qualities that are considered when God is proclaiming who has the capacity to lead. You see God isn’t looking at the obvious, but at what is hidden in the depths of one’s heart. Before we get into this morning’s text, let me set before you how it is David came to be anointed. Saul was the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel. Although Israel had God as their king, they wanted to be like all the other nations and have a human king. And so it was that God gave Israel Saul. Saul was a man of great physical stature and a good mind. The book of I Samuel tells us that when Saul was anointed the spirit of God came upon him and he spoke under the influence of the Spirit. The inevitable eventually happened and Saul disobeyed God and listened to the people. Immediately God withdrew his favor from Saul and sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s boys. Jesse had eight boys and we know from this morning’s reading that David was the youngest. As a result of his status within the family, it was David’s job to take care of the families’ flocks. David was physically attractive and from the Biblical stories about him, more than capable of protecting the flocks he oversaw. He was also eager to prove himself and wanted to attempt things most people would have considered only for older, more experienced boys or young men. He was a fine musician and was actually summoned by Saul in the following verses to play the lyre so Saul’s anguish would be eased. David was also human, and most of us can identify with his shortcoming. David had no problem expressing his humanity, but he was also willing and able to recognize his shortcomings and sins and seek repentance. We come to learn that David had a heart after God’s own. As a parent I couldn’t help but wonder how awkward Jesse must have felt. While there was no competition named, after all God was doing the choosing, those seven older brothers certainly must have believed one of them would have received the blessing from God. Family order dictated the older son had dominion over the others; but God is not one to follow human social mores. So imagine everyone’s surprise, including Samuel’s, when God passed over them all! If we look at Scripture God often changed the social understanding of power within families. The stories of Cain and Abel and Jacob and Esau are both ancient stories of the younger child finding favor over the older. The balance of power in David’s anointing was being turned upside down, not only in the family system, but in the political system as well. In the day of the Davidic rule, children were considered no more than property, with little value except their economic worth. Children could work the fields, help around the house and learn a trade. They could fetch water and other needs as adults deemed necessary. And if the truth be told, girls had worth only in their ability to be married and bear children. And while we may be appalled at such an idea, there are children today who are mistreated, abused and neglected. As a society we say children are valuable, but yet by our unwillingness to make sure children receive adequate health care, nourishment and education, we fail to live out our beliefs. Perhaps this is best understood in a conversation with one of my young treasures this week in VBS. When I reminded one of the boys in my class to bring his crayons for our mission, he asked why and who were they for. I explained they would go to children whose parents couldn’t get them all the supplies they needed for school and we were helping them out by bringing in those crayons. He had a puzzled look on his face and later that day he asked me “Why can’t those kids’ parents buy them crayons?” I could have cried. I had to explain that there are some families that don’t have a lot of money and even though those parents work they still need someone to help them get the things they need. Though still puzzled the young boy responded with, “That’s sad.” And yes, it is sad. If they can’t afford the crayons, what else are those children going without? As I spent this past week with a group of five year olds I learned that being close to God and being a leader has nothing to do with stature, or age, or education. It has to do with a pure heart. I admit that there was a sense that the kids were repeating what they had learned; in daily reflection time Sara, Jenna and I asked the kids to share one good thing. We often heard one of the following: God loves me, God forgives me, God treasures me, God knows me. But is that so bad? While a 5 year old may not understand what it means to be forgiven, is it not enough to know at 5 that if and when you do something that hurts another, God will be there to say, “you are my child, whom I love, and whom I forgive.” How many of you at 55 will understand that even if you have experienced it? When Jesus proclaims that none of us can enter the kin-dom of God unless we become like little children, he is not saying that we must be ignorant or slow of mind and heart, what he is saying is you must trust me, love me and be obedient to me. When you hear my voice, it would be a good idea to follow. When it gets dark, I will be your light; when you are sad, I will be your joy; when you are confused, I will give you clarity; when you come to the fork in the road and you go the wrong way, I can bring you back. I learned these lessons – again – this week from a small group of 5 year olds who loved unconditionally, trusted with reckless abandon and had enough energy to light up the Metroplex for a very long time! I believe all of us this week caught a glimpse of the kin-dom of God in all of its fullness and glory. So are we done with the children? Of course not. David did not travel to Jerusalem immediately following his anointing. The next few years of David’s life were filled with experiences in which he would have to rely on God’s grace and seek God’s will for himself and the people around him. He would grow from a boy into a man who sought God in the daily events of his life. And even when his humanity got in the way, God’s love never failed him. We have the awesome privilege to experience God’s grace in our children and see to it that they have the experiences that allow them to rely on God and seek God’s will for themselves. Jesus said on the mount, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; I proclaim this morning - blessed are we who can see God through our children and follow them to the places God leads. |
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