He Is Keeping the Sheep (1Samuel 16:1-13)

He Is Keeping the Sheep

 

1Samuel 16:1-13

 

In celebrating OOO’s ordination, I would like to think about one of the most dramatic events in the Bible, the anointing of King David.

 

As God regretted that he had made Saul king, he sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem. It was for anointing one of Jesse’s sons as new king of Israel. So Samuel went to Bethlehem with his horn full of oil. Jesse had eight sons, but God didn’t say which of the sons would be the future king. So Samuel invited all of them together with Jesse their father. And as soon as Samuel saw the first son Eliab, he was sure that this was the one chosen by God. But God said that he rejected him, and gave Samuel a guideline for this interview. “Do not consider appearance or height. The Lord looks at the heart.” One by one, Jesse’s sons passed in front of the prophet, but none of them was accepted by God.

 

Samuel wondered, “Are these all the sons you have?” Then, Jesse answered, “There is still the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” Samuel said firmly, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” This is the first appearance of David in the Bible, and at that time he was keeping the sheep.

 

We may think David was not invited because he was the youngest. But it was not. David couldn’t come to see Samuel because he couldn’t leave the sheep in the wilderness by themselves. He was a shepherd, a faithful shepherd, and he kept the sheep day and night, even on the day when Samuel was visiting the town, when all the people in the town were running to see the prophet, when all his brothers were invited to the special event, and when a new king of Israel would be chosen. The Bible gives us some hints about David’s faithfulness as a shepherd. When his father sent him on an errand a long way, the first thing he did was “asking another shepherd to take care of the flock” (1Samuel 17:20). Even when King Saul called him as his arm-bearer, David didn’t stop tending the flock (1Samuel 17:15). David was a faithful shepherd.

 

What made him a faithful shepherd? God said to Samuel, “The Lord looks at the heart.” I believe it is his heart that made him a good shepherd. What was in his heart? The sheep David was keeping was not his own. It was his father’s. 1Samuel 17:15 says, “David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” In 17:34 as well, David said to King Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep.” David’s faithfulness to the flock was actually his faithfulness to his father. He revered the father, and with this reverence he took care for the father’s sheep. In David’s heart were his father and the father’s sheep. In his heart was reverence to his father and love to the father’s sheep. This was also the case for David as king of Israel. 2Samuel 5:12 says, “David knew that the Lord has established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.” David didn’t become a king by himself and for himself. It was God who made him king, and it was for God’s people that he was made king. David knew this, so he revered God and loved God’s people. This was what David had in his heart. If we revere God in our heart and obey his command of love, God exalts us. If we are obsessed with my own desires, we fall with the desires. In shepherd David’s heart was his father and his father’s sheep. In king David’s heart was God and God’s people.

 

The word “pastor” is a Latin word meaning “shepherd,” and again, it was derived from the verb “pascere,” which means “feed” or “graze.” One of major tasks in sheep-keeping is feeding. The shepherd leads the flock to green pasture and fresh water. Another job is protecting the flock from wild animals, and comforting them in the valley of the shadow of death. For a pastor, the best resource for these jobs feeding, protecting, and comforting the flock is the Bible. The word of God is the best food for God’s sheep. And it is the mightiest defense against Satan’s deceptions and threats. So, I believe keeping the sheep is nothing but teaching and preaching the Bible, which is God’s word of truth and love for his sheep.

 

When Samuel anointed David with oil, the Spirit of the Lord came down upon David in power. When Samuel anointed David with oil, God anointed him with Holy Spirit. God’s calling doesn’t come without power. And the power of the Holy Spirit is everything for the anointed. Eliab was Jesse’s first son. His appearance and height were impressive, so impressive as to fascinate even Prophet Samuel. Eliab was distinguished. In contrast, David was merely a shepherd, nobody knew he was not there. But now as anointed by the Holy Spirit, he became the pastor of Israel. It’s the Holy Spirit that distinguished and empowered him, and nothing else.

 

The summary of my sermon is this: The pastor’s heart is not for his desires but for God and God’s flock. The pastor feeds, protects, and comforts the sheep with the Word of God, which is God’s truth and love. And the pastor is distinguished and empowered only by the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Lord anoints my friend OOO with the Holy Spirit to be David-like shepherd for his flock, and exalt him for his sheep!!!