The gaze of God and the gaze of man. Why are they often so unlike each other? The answer is simple: man looks at the face, while God looks at the heart. Everything appears clear: God looks at the inward, at the soul; man looks at the outward, at bodily beauty. Or not at beauty, but at what makes a person great in human eyes. But if one thinks about it, everything turns out not to be so simple...
The gaze of God and the gaze of man. Why are they often so unlike each other? The answer is simple: man looks at the face, while God looks at the heart. Everything appears clear: God looks at the inward, at the soul; man looks at the outward, at bodily beauty. Or not at beauty, but at what makes a person great in human eyes. But if one thinks about it, everything turns out not to be so simple. After all, a person's face too is from God. One can object: the face is not from God, the heart is from God. A person makes his own face; it reflects and expresses his essence, his life, what he is before God and people. But with the heart too not everything is simple. In the language of the Bible, the heart is the spiritual "I" of a person, his final depth, where the breath of life breathed into man by God at creation dwells. Yet, according to the Savior's word, it is precisely from the heart that evil thoughts and intentions proceed. The heart too can be different, and what it will be depends on the person. Nor are there sinless people in the world; David was no exception. Both face and heart are not only God's gift, but also the result of the spiritual efforts of their possessor, the fruits of his spiritual life.
So what is the difference? It is in the dynamic of the process. A person's spiritual life is one; it is a single spiritual process. Precisely a process, a flow, what philosophers of the modern era sometimes called existence. A process in which one choice made in one or another situation is replaced by another, one decision follows another. Where the thin and complex fabric of relationships is woven, binding a person with God and with other people, a fabric that constitutes the basis of spiritual life. A fabric that is never static, that is always in dynamic motion, always changing its infinitely complex pattern. Even its possessor cannot always track these changes; after the fall we know ourselves far less well than it appears to us.
And only God sees it all, with all its patterns, those that were and those that will be: for Him there is no past and future such as we see them here. For Him our past and our future are one eternal present. And He sees our whole spiritual life as a whole and in all its fullness. And our heart to its full depth.
With the face everything is different: it reflects and expresses only our spiritual state at one concrete moment in time. One can also judge a person by it in all the fullness of his spiritual life, but only at that concrete moment. The face is always in the present; only in the given instant is it alive. The face that was there a second ago is no longer a face, but only its outline, its contour, a mask. The face that will be there a second later is also not yet a face, but the misty outlines of its future image. But God is not interested in one of the many moments of human life. He judges a person's fitness for His work by the whole of his life. That is why He looks not at the face, but at the heart. This is not difficult for Him: for Him all hearts are open.
16 Samuel is appointed to anoint one of the sons of Jesse king, Sa1 16:1-5.
The elder sons are passed by, and David anointed, Sa1 16:6-13.
Saul growing melancholy is eased by David's music, Sa1 16:14-23.
16:1 Mourn - And pray for his restitution, which the following words imply he did. Oil - Which was used in the inauguration of kings. But here it is used in the designation of a king; for David was not actually made king by it, but still remained a subject. And the reason of this anticipation was the comfort of Samuel, and other good men, against their fears in case of Saul's death, and the assurance of David's title, which otherwise would have been doubtful. I have provided - This phrase is very emphatical, and implies the difference between this and the former king. Saul was a king of the people's providing, he was the product of their sinful desires: but this is a king of my own providing, to fulfil all my will, and to serve my glory.
16:4 Trembled - Because it was strange and unexpected to them, this being but an obscure town, and remote from Samuel, and therefore they justly thought there was some extraordinary reason for it.Peaceable - The Hebrew phrase, comest thou in peace, is as much as to say (in our phrase) is all well?
16:5 He sanctified - It seems evident that there was something peculiar in Jesse's invitation. For first, both he and his sons were invited, whereas the others were only invited for their own persons. Secondly, the different phrase here used, that he sanctified these, when he only bade the other sanctify themselves; argues a singular care of Samuel in their sanctification. Which makes it probable, that the rest were only to join with them in the act of sacrificing; but these, and only these, were invited to feast upon the remainders of the sacrifices.
16:6 Before him - That is, in this place where God is now present.For it is observable, that not only the sacrifice is said to be offered, but even the feast upon the remainders of it is said, to be eaten before the Lord, Deu 12:7, that is, before or near his altar, where God was present in a special manner. This I take to be the person I am sent to anoint: wherein yet be was mistaken, as other prophets sometimes were, when they hastily spake their own thoughts, before they had consulted God.
16:10 Seven - There are but seven named, Ch1 2:13-15, because one of them was either born of a concubine: or, died immediately after this time.
16:11 Keepeth sheep - And consequently is the most unfit of all my sons for that high employment. Either therefore he did not understand David's wisdom and valour, or he judged him unfit, by reason of his mean education.And God so ordered it by his providence, that David's choice might plainly appear to be God's work, and not Samuel's, or Jesse's.David signifies beloved: a fit name for so eminent a type of the Beloved Son. It is supposed, David was now about twenty years old.If so, his troubles by Saul lasted near ten years: for he was thirty years old when Saul died. Samuel having done this went to Ramah.He retired to die in peace, since his eyes had seen the salvation, even the sceptre brought into the tribe of Judah.
16:13 Anointed him - David's brethren saw David's unction, yet did not understand, that he was anointed to the kingdom; but were only told by Samuel, that he was anointed to some great service, which hereafter they should know. Thus Jesse only, and David, understood the whole business, and his brethren were able to attest to that act of Samuel's anointing him, which, with other collateral evidences, was abundantly sufficient to prove David's right to the kingdom, if need should be.The spirit, etc, - That is, he was immediately endowed with extraordinary gifts of God's Spirit, as strength, and courage, and wisdom, and other excellent qualities which fitted him for, and put him upon noble attempts.