Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 16
God had told Samuel to appoint one of Jesse’s sons to be Israel’s next king. However, God had not yet shown Samuel which of those sons God had chosen.
When Jesse introduced his sons to Samuel, he first introduced his oldest son, Eliab.
Eliab impressed Samuel greatly. It seems that Eliab was both strong and tall. Samuel’s first thought was that such an impressive young man would be a good king. However, Samuel was wrong.
God explained the reason to Samuel. When people choose a leader, they often select an impressive man or a powerful man. They make the decision by what they can see. However, such leaders often disappoint. Perhaps they lose their strength, or perhaps they use it in a cruel or evil manner. Perhaps they only seemed to be capable, but really they were weak.
God, on the other hand, sees what people cannot see. He knows what is in a person’s heart: that person’s true thoughts and attitudes. So when God chooses a leader, that person may not seem impressive. However, God knows the real intentions and desires of the person whom he is choosing. He then gives that person the skills that he will need for the task.
God had not chosen Eliab. He had not chosen Abinadab (Jesse’s second son) or Shammah (his third son) either. In fact, God had not chosen any of the 7 sons that Jesse introduced to him.
Next part: Jesse’s youngest son (1 Samuel 16:11)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.