Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (1 Sam. 16:7)

                After the Lord rejected Saul; as king over Israel because of his disobedience, the Lord instructed Samuel to go to the house of a man named Jesse in Bethlehem.  Jesse had 8 sons and the Lord told Samuel he would show him which one of those sons he was to anoint as the next king over Israel.  When Samuel arrived, Jesse sent his oldest son (Eliab) to stand before Samuel.  As the oldest, he must’ve been impressive and Samuel was convinced that he would be Israel’s next king.

                The Lord let Samuel know that Jesse’s oldest son would not be the next king, and he gave Samuel a very important lesson – “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  After God instructed Samuel, Jesse’s next 6 sons came to stand before him, but in each case the Lord did not select any of them to be king.  That left just one son – the youngest – whom Jesse did not even bother to call in from the pasture.  Samuel said they would not eat until the youngest was called in.

                A ruddy, handsome young man came walking up to the prophet.  God let Samuel know that the ruddy, young shepherd boy standing in front of him would be Israel’s next king.  That young man was David.  When others looked at him they simply saw a shepherd, but looking into his soul God saw a king.  That’s a great lesson for us.  We’re so tempted to judge a book by its cover, but we need to start seeing people as God sees them.  Let’s look beyond the surface and to the heart of those around us.