But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
It can be easy to get caught up in appearance and status in this fallen, sinful world. If we are not careful, comparison can get the best of us, and we can rush to judgment instead of love and acceptance. Rather than viewing people how God sees them, we start judging them through a lens that the world has created. Unfortunately, this lens that we see through is often tainted by our own perceptions, bias, and past history. The truth is, God created every person on earth, and as their Creator, He sees them as invaluable. Over and over, God confirms the value of people in Scripture.
In 1 Samuel 16, God told the prophet, Samuel, that it was time for a new king to be anointed in Israel. He instructed him to go to the house of a man named Jesse because one of his sons would be the next king of Israel (verse 1). Samuel obeyed God and went to Jesse's house to meet Jesse's sons. When Samuel saw Jesse's son Eliab, he was certain that this man would be Israel's next king. God knew what he was thinking and said to him, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (verse 7). After Samuel evaluated Eliab, he evaluated seven more of Jesse's sons. Time after time, God made it clear that none of the seven sons were to be the next king of Israel. It turns out that there was another son, the runt of the family.
In the world's eyes, family birth order was more important than anything else. Therefore, the oldest child was often given more of the inheritance and leadership opportunities in the family. The idea of all seven children of Jesse being passed over would naturally raise eyebrows. Whether it was their stature, position in the family, or more, anyone watching this lineup of sons would have chosen one of these sons over the man God chose as future king. With God, however, it was different. You see, God is not very concerned about outward appearances, positions, or accolades. He is much more concerned with the heart. In fact, Jesus Himself called people who looked good on the outside but were "dirty" on the inside "whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity" (Matthew 23:27). He did not mince words about how He feels about people who only look good on the outside.
In a world that is quick to judge people by their appearance, their social or financial status, or the positions they hold, God calls His people to think differently. He calls us to see hearts over appearance or status. This, my friends, changes everything.
Moving Toward Action
Who have you found yourself unfairly judging? What made you judge them unfairly? Was it their appearance, attitude, lack of a particular skill, or something else? First, reflect on what made you judge them unfairly. Next, take some time to confess this to God. Tell Him you are sorry for viewing that person as anything different than a beloved, valuable child of God. Then, make a plan to reach out to that person this week to encourage them this week, reminding them that God loves them and that He has great plans for them.
Read 1 Samuel 16:1-10 (NLT)
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
“Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”
So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”
“Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.
When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”
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