Sermon 57: 1 Samuel 16:1-2

1. And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and come, that I may send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king from among his sons.’ 2. And Samuel said: ‘How shall I go? For Saul will hear and kill me.’ And the Lord said: ‘You shall take a calf from the herd in your hand and shall say: I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

We have not yet come to the end of Saul's reign, and yet we see here that God has provided a successor for his people, although he was not yet about to send him into possession of the kingdom. And we saw above that for the same reason Saul was not raised to the royal seat immediately after he had been designated king by God through Samuel, but for some time remained in that abject and humble condition in which he had lived as a private man in his father's house, and had cultivated the ground as a herdsman and farmer. The same we are taught happened in this place to David. For not at the very first time did his anointing produce its effect; but God wished to indicate to his faithful servant Samuel that he had not therefore, because he had rejected Saul, cast off all care for his people, nor consigned them to oblivion, and that the condition of the church would not therefore be worse on that account. And this is the meaning of those words, that the God of Israel would not lie, nor would he be led by repentance. Whatever changes and alterations of things therefore happen, let us know that God so moderates their outcome that he always remembers and has mercy on his own; and that those who place their trust in him are never frustrated in their hope, because God is not vain and lying like men, but his truth abides for ever, and although heaven may be mixed with earth and all things turned upside down, he always appears unharmed. Therefore it must be noted by us that in this anointing of David, God revealed that, although Saul was stripped of office and driven from the kingdom, yet his promised grace, so long awaited, was by no means abolished — namely, that a head would be set over the people, who would represent the divine majesty and contribute to the salvation of all, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But since each detail cannot be explained one by one at this moment, let us follow the order which the text shows. First we see Samuel rebuked by God for ceaselessly mourning Saul. But this mourning, as we taught yesterday, flowed from singular virtue. For Samuel, since he was a man, and such are the manners of men, could have envied Saul his royal dignity; but, as appears, he did not look to himself, nor had he any care for himself, but rather pursued the interests and benefit of the entire people. Therefore, fearing lest some confusion fall upon the kingdom with Saul removed, he wept and lamented — which surely was a good and holy zeal, and without doubt approved by God; but the excess in it is blameworthy, in that he did not put a limit to his weeping. Yet someone may rightly say that Samuel sinned, although he mourned Saul's rejection with not immoderate grief, in that he ought to have acquiesced without contradiction and simply in the divine decree about Saul's rejection, and not only acquiesced in God's will, but also rejoiced in the same — just as we ought to bless the Lord's name in all his works. Therefore Samuel, weeping and mourning, seems somehow to wish to resist and contradict God, and to be unable to be cast down and humbled to such an extent that he might approve what God had done and consent to him. This is first diametrically opposed to Christian faith; then it must be the most miserable condition of that man who cannot submit to mortal authority of God, nor approve what has seemed good to him, nor acknowledge and accept his decree as good and just. Behold how at first sight Samuel might seem to have offended God by mourning. But here it must be observed that men can sometimes be carried away by passions which are not indeed contrary and opposed to God's will, but yet not entirely consenting. The course of our life supplies frequent enough examples. For instance, if anyone has a wife, or children, or parents, for whom he wishes a longer life, he is impelled by natural affection to this feeling and discharges his duty, and therefore that right and natural affection is laudable. But yet it will seem otherwise to God, and he will wish to bereave him of either parent, wife, or children ...by whose loss — whether of wife or children — he can in no way rejoice, as if it had happened by his own choice; but rather he is increased with various cares and troubles, and will not abstain from tears and complaints. I ask therefore whether he is to be condemned because of his tears and cares. Not at all. For, as I said, although not all human affections are consenting to the divine will, they are not on that account contrary or opposed to it. And surely, provided there is some measure of tears and mourning and impatience does not enter, those who mourn for adverse things sent upon them by God show their obedience more than many who indeed seem to commit themselves wholly to God's will and willingly carry out his commands, but whose mind and disposition is evil. For example: if anyone removes his wife, children, parent, or some other relative by administering poison, it is certain that he is executing God's decree, in whose hand is placed the life of all men, which they can neither retain nor prolong even for a moment without God. But it is also certain that the same man directly resists and contradicts God's will, insofar as God has revealed his will and prescribed his duty to each. Therefore from these things it appears that men can indeed be moved and affected with sorrow by the afflictions sent by God, and yet not on that account resist his will — because those affections are natural, and it cannot be otherwise than that nature, the leader, vehemently affects them in such cases. But this is the work, this the labor — to set bounds to such affections, to bridle them, acknowledging that this must be the conclusion of all afflictions and sorrows: that we render the obedience due to God, and apply ourselves more and more to the glory and amplification of his name, and conform ourselves to his will without resistance. Moreover, as for what we said — that Samuel's mourning could seem contrary to faith — it must be observed that we are sometimes so blind in these temporal matters that we cannot perceive God's counsels, which yet he himself has revealed to us. For example, Samuel had heard the Lord's sentence about Saul being stripped of office and cast down from his royal dignity; but yet he cannot perceive at first sight how this should happen. In these difficulties, however, Samuel retains the general faith of those things that God had decreed about Saul: hence his tears, hence that perpetual mourning — so much so that he undertakes nothing rashly here, as fanatical men are accustomed to grow indignant unless God administers all things according to their will. But Samuel, acknowledging Saul to have been anointed by God's command, cannot suddenly cast aside and consign to oblivion the reverence he owed to his lord and king. From which it appears that he did not willingly depart from God's word, but yet did not sufficiently observe in this particular case what God demanded from him — namely, that he acknowledge that God wished to take from Saul the kingdom which he had given him, because he had not obeyed his voice and could succor desperate matters; and therefore Samuel could not discern this; and therefore we will say that his mourning and tears did not flow from unbelief, but from ignorance of those things which the Lord here had specifically decreed. Although he himself had said above that the Strong One of Israel cannot lie nor be led by repentance, yet, because he was a man, he is as if prevented by certain clouds and dense darkness from seeing the bright light. And therefore we cannot condemn his mourning as repugnant to God's will or as foreign to the foundations of faith. Indeed it becomes manifest to us here with what virtue and greatness of soul, with what constancy the prophets discharged the office. For although they were moved by the most tender affections, the Spirit of God impelled and governed Samuel to the duty committed to him. Nor however did this prevent him from showing mercy toward Saul as was fitting, weeping and mourning his stripping of office and abrogation. The same must be thought about all the other prophets, whose disposition was the same. For when they inveigh against wicked men and reprove them for their sins and pursue them with threats, you might say they were impelled by some fury rather than by a human spirit, and had consigned to oblivion that they were born men, and did not recognize those whom they addressed as their brothers and kinsmen — so great is their vehemence in rebuking men, that when they pronounce God's judgments in his name, they no longer seem to be men. And yet they also grieved over the lot even of those whom they reproved, and were most solicitous; and therefore greatly affected when they saw God's vengeance about to fall upon them, which they tried to avert with tears. Thus we have heard Jeremiah groaning vehemently and lying in perpetual mourning on account of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, wishing his eyes to become a perennial fountain of tears flowing day and night. For what kind of vow is this — that the eyes might become a fountain of tears — except that he thus testifies he cannot be satisfied with weeping and bewailing the wretched state of the people, which he desires to redeem with his own death? And yet what else would you say the prophets breathe but fires and thunderbolts, whenever they thunder God's sentence against the people with such great ardor? Who would not consider that they had cast off all sense of humanity? Therefore from these things let us learn that the faithful often struggle with many difficulties which seem contrary to faith, but which yet agree well with it; and therefore we must be so moved with God's zeal and concern that, even though we may seem to have put off all human affection, we are nevertheless inclined to mercy, and prepared to redeem the lives of perishing wretches even with our own blood.

This then was Samuel's disposition. For when he hewed Agag the king in pieces, he did not act out of cruelty, but he employed that severity which his office required, since God had so willed it. And yet he had pity on him and was inclined to human affections. Let us therefore each apply this doctrine, that we hate sins, and when necessity demands it correct them severely; and yet be well affected toward persons, and mourn for the wretched men who throw themselves into ultimate destruction. Therefore judges, if they condemn any to death, ought not to be led by anger or cruelty, nor put off all humanity; but yet they ought to be governed by zeal for God's glory, and overcome every natural affection in order to discharge their office; and on the other hand, to have mercy on those they condemn to death and to seek their good — which, although these affections seem very contradictory, beautifully agree if that measure which God prescribes us in his word is preserved. Therefore we must take care so to moderate our affections that they may be subjected to God's will, and nothing in them appear excessive; and let Samuel be the example of that moderation, which, although he did not preserve in every respect, yet always submitted himself to God's will. But if we see so excellent a prophet experiencing something human, what do we think will happen to us, who are far from that perfection of dedicating ourselves wholly to God so that we have no other goal set before us than that his name be glorified? Surely Samuel does not weep for Saul for the sake of any gain — to whom he had willingly yielded — nor because he wished to return into favor with him, or hoped for his riches, or trusted in his strength. He has no regard for himself, but looks only to the interests and tranquillity of the people's state. Then, considering such great and horrible vengeance of God upon him whom he had not so long ago raised to royal dignity, he is now suddenly cast down and stripped of office, he is vehemently moved by the destruction of so signal a divine work. Just as one might grieve to see exquisitely engraved vessels broken — so that the more outstanding the vessel was, the more vehement the grief. But Samuel here was looking upon a vessel made by the invisible hand of God himself, more than broken and diminished. By which event, while he is moved, he reveals his pious and holy affection, which is wholly directed toward the glorification of the divine name and the defense of the church. But yet he does this not without sin — not at all as if that affection were vicious, but because he exceeds measure and indulges his mourning too much. From this we are admonished to take all care that, although we are led by the best zeal, we do not nevertheless sin in excess, but contain ourselves within the limits of this thought: namely, that God's will must be done, and whatever he does we must consider pleasing, and that in the midst of mourning and sadness we must rejoice and be glad in the Lord. For although we may be zealous for his glory, yet it cannot be that we are not greatly moved and affected by our afflictions; but yet these affections must be overcome, and in our very sadness we must rejoice, that we may render to God the sacrifice of obedience that we owe him. Surely this is a doctrine worthy that we should diligently meditate on it. For since men always make pleasures for themselves and flatter themselves, they think things go well with them if, following the hypocrisy of other men, they pretend something right under some external appearance, and proclaim righteousness and integrity in words, while meanwhile they let themselves be carried away by their affections — such as hatred, envy, anger, and similar things — which seem able to be excused because they bear forth a good intention. Surely not every good intention can excuse us, but we must be suspect to ourselves; since although we may have a good end in our counsels, we may yet incline to this side or that, and not be able to keep the measure that is fitting. Therefore the more inclined the slip is, the more care must be given that we do not transgress the bounds, nor allow ourselves to be carried away by immoderate affections — when we hear Samuel here being reproved by God's own mouth.

Let us next weigh the words that follow, in which when God says ‘because I have rejected him,’ he reproves Samuel's inconsiderate mourning over Saul. It was indeed permissible for Samuel to weep over Saul's downfall, but he ought to have set bounds to it and restrained his affection. So we ought to moderate our affections that, although they are good, they should not exceed measure but contain themselves within the bounds of the divine will. For what and how great obstinacy would it be to maintain stubbornly something contrary to God's will? For example: if we see the wretched church oppressed by many persecutions, if we see the wicked threatening nothing but swords and fires, celebrating triumphs and as it were with loose reins being borne cruelly against the children of God — surely we ought not to be hard, iron, inhuman, but rather vehemently affected by those evils; for we would not desire to rise up to God in prayers unless we were vehemently affected by such great evils. But yet a measure must be applied to tears, that we may testify our obedience, which ought to precede all our affections; and we should employ that prophetic word: ‘The zeal of your house consumes me.’ Therefore the desolation of the church ought so to affect us that, although otherwise everything goes well for us in our soul, if the church is desolate, by its ruins ...we should be moved, and mourn its affliction. Yet let us know that this affection, good in itself, must be restrained by some bridle, lest by our excess we seem to wish to resist God. For if we have indulged our affections too much, it is certain that what was good in itself will gradually be corrupted, and the evil will gain strength, and the devil — whose deceits in oppressing us when off our guard are well known — will at last impel us so far as not to fear to resist God himself and to feel obstinately against him. Indeed experience itself confirms this. For do we not see frequent complaints of men of this sort? He who is afflicted complains of an excessively long affliction, and bursts forth into such voices as: ‘When at last will there be an end of evils? When will some solace be given for sorrow?’ Hence it happens that, carried away by his affections and overcome by impatience, he even acts contemptuously against God himself: ‘Will God never have mercy on his own? Will he always be deaf to the prayers of his own?’ At length indignation and bitterness of mind will follow these depraved thoughts; just as we see the most excellent wine, if it boils over, at last turning sour. The same is the reason of our affections, since from too much care and intemperance arises arrogance, and from there murmuring and indignation against God; so that we scarcely abstain from complaints — which, although they do not proceed all the way to blasphemy, yet greatly provoke God against us, and depart much from the obedience that is owed to God. Therefore let us learn so to moderate our affections that we willingly submit to God's will and depend wholly on his providence; and if any threats are brandished, so that various dangers seem to be feared, let us know that God can meet them all, and let us rest in his promises and implore his help. Therefore we may indeed solicit God with prayers; but yet our affections must be restrained, lest they be carried beyond bounds, but be confined as captives. To this end we must look at the examples of even the most holy men. We see David, while he was in the midst of his enemies and contemners of God, by whom he seemed about to be torn and devoured at any moment, fluctuating in some manner and wailing as if in despair. Do we not also see the prophet of old, as it were disputing with God, and complaining as if he had forgotten his promises, when he saw such great confusion of all things in the people? Surely by these examples we ought to be moved all the more, the more they have happened to holier men, that in all things, both joyful and prosperous and sad and adverse, we may be held by this bridle — namely the thought of the divine will, which we should desire above all things and quietly rest in; and therefore, if God's will has been made known to us, that we may acknowledge it as good and just, and hold it pleasing.

Next follows: God commands Samuel to fill his horn with oil and to anoint another man, chosen by him, in place of Saul as king; but he excepted that, if this should reach Saul's ears, he would be killed by him; the Lord answered that he should come under the pretext of performing a sacrifice into the house of Jesse, and there anoint as king the one whom he should designate. Surely there was no simulation here, no falsehood: although God willed that his prophet be safe under the pretext of the sacrifice, the sacrifice was actually performed, by the occasion of which the prophet was protected from coming into danger, until the time of full revelation should be at hand. Hereafter David's anointing will be declared in detail, and how, although he was the youngest of his brothers, he was made their head; and from being a despised and lowly shepherd, raised from the dung of cattle to royal dignity; and the last in the entire paternal house, yet preferred to all the nobles of the kingdom and the people. Now let us consider Samuel's mission, the purpose of which was that the kingdom long ago promised by God to the fathers should be established and made firm. For although God in the law had forbidden the people, when they had entered the land which Jehovah their God was giving them and possessed it and dwelt there, to say: 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' God had nevertheless promised that kingdom to his people as the highest good and singular perfection — not only for temporary peace and tranquillity, but also for eternal salvation. For not in vain had Jacob long ago predicted that the scepter would not be taken from Judah, nor the leader from his thigh, until Shiloh come — that is, he who was to be sent, the author of happiness and abundance of all things. Indeed at the beginning of this book we heard Hannah's prophecy, who in prophetic spirit predicted concerning her son that her son would be anointed before the Lord. And yet he was not raised to royal dignity; but Hannah was looking back to the promises long ago made. Indeed that kingdom is contained among those things which Moses also long ago preached concerning the people: 'You will be to me a priestly kingdom' — that is, a people consecrated to God as a kind of sacred kingdom. Samuel therefore is now sent by the Lord to set up that kingdom, of which the promise had been made through Jacob and which had long been awaited. Furthermore, that king was to be a type and image of our Lord Jesus Christ who was to come one day. The people therefore had indeed promises about a king; but they had been too precipitate in demanding a king, and therefore guilty of obstinacy before the Lord, in that they had not waited for the opportune time but importunely demanded that a king be given them, and had anticipated God's decree — by which haste and rashness they had drawn God's vengeance upon themselves, had he not had mercy on them out of his pure benevolence. Therefore Saul's kingdom was not according to God's institution; and therefore in him had to be fulfilled what the Lord says in Matthew 15: 'Every plant which the Father has not what he has planted will be uprooted. These words, I confess, are properly to be understood of eternal life, namely that all who have not been rooted in the Lord himself are to be cast out from the church; yet they may also be applied to any temporal benefits, and particularly accommodated to the kingdom of Saul. For the kingdom of Saul, which God ratified for a time, being solicited by the importunate demands of the people and in a certain way overcome, was nevertheless not long-lasting, because it was not legitimate nor in agreement with the divine will. But far different will be this kingdom of David, which was not extorted by the importunate voices of a people dissatisfied with their condition, as that of Saul was, and therefore not long-lasting; but firm and stable, established by the Lord himself, of which there will be a longer narration hereafter in this whole book and the following ones. Therefore in this place the difference between the kingdom of David and of Saul must be observed: that this kingdom of David was erected by the decree and will of God alone, not by any importunate voices of the people, but God spontaneously and of his own accord calling David and designating him king. For it was necessary that the figure agree with the truth and the divine will, and that, as in a mirror, the conformity of those things which were said about David with those which were fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ and in his kingdom erected for our salvation might be seen. For if men had anticipated the counsel of God and, recognizing how much they needed God's help, had entreated him to assist them in this way, they would be called the authors of our salvation, and consequently so great a good would not flow from the mere and free goodness of God. But it was necessary that God's decree be fulfilled in its own time; just as Isaiah, speaking of the truth of this figure, says that God looked all around and saw there was no man, and was astonished that there was no intercessor; therefore his own arm brought salvation to him, and his righteousness upheld him. By which words he demonstrates that the salvation of the church was not sought by human prudence or industry, and that men cannot anticipate God's counsel, or give him an occasion for doing good to them or conferring salvation; but that God armed himself with his own arm and upheld himself with his righteousness — that is, he did not seek the ground of our salvation outside himself, nor did he need to borrow help from elsewhere.

These things therefore are to be observed in this journey of Samuel to anoint David, without any intercession of men. And certainly it is true that the world would have perished a hundred thousand times sooner than the evil that had crept in would have been corrected. For at that time no one appeared so zealous for the glory and honor of God and for the salvation of the church as Samuel. But did Samuel seek any means by which God, with the wicked kingdom removed, might be more honored? On the contrary, he seems rather to resist God's counsel. What is this, that so conspicuous a light among men, so excellent a prophet, who also represented the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, should rather hinder and in a way impede the salvation of the people which he ought to have procured and promoted with all his might? And indeed he does this not from deliberate malice and stubbornness, but from inconsiderate zeal. And yet if God had admitted Samuel's lamentations and groans, the salvation of the church would have lain prostrate. Was it not therefore necessary, when Samuel was impeding the procurement of the world's salvation, that God alone should work and stretch out his arm to promote it? Therefore let us acknowledge, whenever we think about our salvation, that God was not incited by men to procure salvation for them, nor did he find in them any material or occasion by which he might be moved to mercy; but from his mere goodness he armed his own arm and was upheld by his righteousness. Moreover, if judgment be made from the outward appearance of this anointing of David, such great weakness of the work will appear that sense and human reason would say that everything done here was mere trifles and some sort of play rather than a serious matter. For God sends his prophet to the son of a rustic farmer, a youth still and a shepherd. But where does he find him? Certainly not in a palace nor in some royal house, but in the stables, as the prophet sings in Psalm 78: He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds. Yet God made the election valid. But when commanded, does Samuel immediately execute the Lord's mandate? No, for he fears for himself on account of Saul, and is afraid that if the matter should come to Saul's attention, he would put him to death. For was it likely that Saul, peaceably ruling over his subjects in quiet, if any report were brought to him about another being anointed king by Samuel, would seek his life? Then again, is David anointed to be immediately inaugurated and to rule? By no means; but all these things are done in secret counsels, so that nothing of them comes to anyone's ears, but are contained within the private walls of Jesse. Therefore, as I said, all this seems to be playful and plainly ridiculous — certainly if only these beginnings are looked at. But God is accustomed to perfect his works in such a way that, although at first glance they present nothing magnificent or great, yet that single saying — that the weakness of God is far superior to all human strength — sufficiently declares that God will always bring his counsels to a happy and desired end. Thus Paul, speaking of the condition of the church, says that God chose the weak things of this world to confound all that is lofty; which we shall pursue more fully elsewhere in its place, but of which we are here given a clear example in this whole matter of the election and anointing of David as king, which, if judged from its beginnings, seemed to be an impediment to him. whose fruit was also long hidden. At first you would call David's inauguration a ridiculous joke, since immediately after his anointing he returns to the sheepfolds, while his brothers meanwhile go off to war, as we shall hear hereafter, and Saul still retains his dignity. Therefore let us learn not to judge divine works from what first appears, but let us know that God wills to take from us every occasion for glory and arrogance when he accomplishes his work by such feeble means, and let us magnify his power, believing those things which our senses cannot comprehend. For if God were to stretch out his arm from the very beginning and shake heaven and earth, and move all the elements to demonstrate his glory, what place would there be for faith, when all, even against their will, would necessarily be astonished at such wonderful works of God? But faith is that by which things hoped for stand firm, and which demonstrates things not seen. Therefore when God works in weakness, and the beginnings of his works are contemptible, he nevertheless brings them to an admirable end, so that it is necessary to confess that they surpass all human strength. In which matter we have ample ground for exercising our faith. For thus that admirable providence of God, which profane men despise, most clearly reveals itself to us, in which we rest, hoping that he will fulfill what our minds cannot attain. And by this means our faith is made conspicuous, and God is glorified in his works. For this reason we see that God from every age has illustrated his power by obscure means, as if it shone only in heaven and not on earth, so that the faithful might learn to wait patiently for what experience could not teach. But especially this doctrine must be applied to the matter of our salvation and to the author of our salvation, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we see first emptied before he was raised to glory. For although he was born of a royal line, it is sufficiently clear from the prophet's writings that no mark of royal dignity remained in that house, since the faithful are referred back to Jesse, the father of David, who had lived as a private man and worked his ancestral fields with his own oxen. Therefore one should not inquire whether he was born of noble stock, provided it is established that he descended from that small family of David and the rustic house of a lowly shepherd. And indeed we know that Christ came into this world having assumed the form of a servant, in a wretched and ignoble state, and born as it were outside the fellowship of men in a stable, and relegated as it were to the beasts, so that the truth might correspond to the figure. Therefore as we read this history, we must meditate on the saying of Isaiah, that a shoot would spring from the stump of Jesse. For when he says 'shoot,' he denotes something lowly and contemptible in the judgment of men; and indeed he says it would sprout as a shoot from a cut-down stump, of which no traces had appeared before. And he specifically mentions Jesse, to denote a desolate and lowly house, from whose roots this shoot, gradually growing, would develop into a great tree whose height and magnitude would far surpass the cedars of Lebanon. Moreover, what happened in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ must also be applied to our own times, in which we see that in certain places the beginnings of the church restored and renewed are so small and so feeble that wicked men freely despise and mock them, so that the faithful might justly seem ready to lose heart, unless a different hope than what meets the eye sustained them. But we ought rather to be stirred up all the more, and to flee to God with constant prayers, so that we may resist all temptations and assaults that would otherwise harm us. Therefore, although the weakness of the beginnings is such, let us not doubt that God will perfect his work. Let us cast off all fear, since we shall experience a happy outcome. Meanwhile, however, let us possess our souls in silence and patience, and by faith overcome whatever obstacles, knowing that the works of God are far more excellent than the works of men. We have seen in our age the beginnings of the purified gospel, and who would have thought that in so short a time such great progress would be made? Indeed in so short an interval we see the doctrine of the gospel purified in many places, so that it is necessary to acknowledge it as entirely a divine work. And yet such is the state of the churches in most places that the wicked spew out their poison and hope to shortly inflict the final plague and restore the former confusion, since the church, when it seems to have made some progress, goes backward again. Therefore all the more must this doctrine be fixed in our minds and practiced, so that looking upon the anointing done at God's command and knowing that we have been adopted by God into a royal priesthood, we may not doubt that he will protect it against any assaults. Thus the prophet in Psalm 2 complains that kings and princes and peoples have conspired in shared counsels against him, but God, he says, has anointed his king who will administer his kingdom. By which words the Lord promises that all the efforts of all men against his church will be vain and futile. Therefore let us rest in the Lord, since our Lord Jesus Christ has been chosen as the head and commander of his people, to crush and break all the rebellious and contumacious. And let us so think of his power and might that, not terrified by the weakness of the church that meets our eyes, we may never recoil from him, but be firmly persuaded that God will bring his work to its perfection.

Now then, come, etc.

1. The Lord said to Samuel: 'How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing that I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for Myself from among his sons.' 2. Samuel said: 'How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me.' The Lord said: 'Take a heifer with you and say: I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'

We have not yet reached the end of Saul's reign, and yet we see here that God has already provided a successor for His people — even though that successor was not yet being sent into possession of the kingdom. We noted earlier that for the same reason Saul was not placed on the throne immediately after God had designated him king through Samuel. For a time he remained in the same humble, obscure condition he had known as a private man in his father's house, working the land as a herdsman and farmer. The same thing, we are told, happened to David. His anointing did not take immediate effect. But God wished to signal to His faithful servant Samuel that, just because He had rejected Saul, He had not abandoned His care for His people or forgotten them — and that the condition of the church would not therefore be worse off. This is the meaning of those words: the God of Israel does not lie and is not moved to change His mind. Whatever changes and upheavals occur, let us know that God so governs their outcome that He always remembers and has mercy on His own. Those who place their trust in Him are never disappointed in their hope — for God is not empty and changeable like men. His truth endures forever. Even if heaven and earth were mixed together and everything turned upside down, He always stands firm. We must therefore take careful note that in David's anointing, God revealed this: although Saul had been stripped of office and driven from the kingdom, the promised grace so long awaited had by no means been cancelled — namely, that a head would be set over the people who would represent God's majesty and serve the salvation of all, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Since we cannot explain every detail one by one at this moment, let us follow the order the text presents. First we see God rebuking Samuel for mourning Saul without end. But as we showed yesterday, this mourning sprang from a genuinely noble disposition. Samuel was a man, and as is natural for men, he could have envied Saul his royal dignity. But it is clear he was not thinking of himself at all and had no concern for his own interests — he was concerned about the welfare of the entire people. Fearing that some disorder would fall upon the kingdom with Saul removed, he wept and mourned. This was a good and holy zeal, undoubtedly approved by God — but the excess in it was blameworthy, in that he could not put any limit to his weeping. Yet someone might rightly say that Samuel sinned in this — even though his grief over Saul's rejection was not excessive in itself — because he should have submitted without argument to God's simple decree about Saul's rejection. Not only submitted, but rejoiced in it — just as we ought to bless the Lord's name in all His works. In his weeping and mourning, Samuel seems in some way to be resisting and contradicting God — unable to bring himself to a point of such full submission that he could approve of what God had done and consent to it. This is directly contrary to Christian faith. And it must be the most miserable condition of any person who cannot submit to God's sovereign authority, approve of what has seemed good to Him, and acknowledge and accept His decree as good and just. At first glance, then, Samuel might seem to have offended God by mourning. But here we must observe that people can sometimes be carried along by passions that are not exactly contrary to God's will — and yet not fully consenting to it either. Daily life supplies plenty of examples. If someone has a spouse, children, or parents for whom they desire long life, they are drawn by natural love to that desire, and in fulfilling it they are carrying out a proper duty — and so that right and natural affection is praiseworthy. But God may will otherwise. He may choose to take from them a parent, a spouse, or a child. The person who loses them cannot simply rejoice in that loss as if it were their own choice — they are burdened with various cares and sorrows and will not be able to hold back tears and grief. Are they to be condemned for those tears and cares? Not at all. As I said: while not every human emotion is perfectly in line with God's will, that does not mean such emotions are contrary or opposed to it. Provided there is some measure of grief and impatience does not take over — those who mourn under the adversities God sends upon them often show more genuine obedience than many who appear to commit themselves wholly to God's will and carry out His commands willingly, but whose inward disposition is wrong. Consider: if someone removes a spouse, child, parent, or relative by administering poison, it is true that they are in some sense carrying out God's decree — for the life of every person is in God's hand, and no one can retain or extend life for even a moment without God. But it is also certain that the same person is directly resisting and contradicting God's will — since God has revealed His will and prescribed each person's duty. From this it appears that people can be genuinely moved and affected with sorrow by the afflictions God sends upon them, and yet not on that account be resisting His will — because those emotions are natural, and nature necessarily draws them powerfully in such cases. But this is the task, this is the labor — to set limits on such emotions, to restrain them, acknowledging that this must be the conclusion of all afflictions and sorrows: that we render God the obedience He is owed, give ourselves more and more to the glory and exaltation of His name, and conform ourselves to His will without resistance. As for the observation that Samuel's mourning could seem contrary to faith — we must note that we are sometimes so blind in temporal matters that we cannot perceive God's counsels, even those He has already revealed to us. Samuel had heard the Lord's sentence: Saul would be stripped of office and cast down from royal dignity. But he could not yet see how this would come about. In the midst of this uncertainty, Samuel retained a general faith in what God had decreed regarding Saul — hence his tears, hence that prolonged mourning — yet he did not rush rashly into any action, as fanatical people do when they grow furious unless God works everything according to their preference. Samuel, having seen Saul anointed by God's command, could not simply cast aside and forget the reverence he owed to his lord and king. From this it appears that Samuel did not willingly depart from God's Word — yet he did not fully grasp in this particular case what God required of him. He should have acknowledged that God intended to take back the kingdom He had given Saul, because Saul had not obeyed His voice. But Samuel could not clearly see this yet — and therefore we must say his mourning and tears did not flow from unbelief, but from not yet fully understanding what the Lord had specifically decreed in this particular case. Although he himself had declared above that the Eternal One of Israel cannot lie or change His mind — still, being a man, he was as if obscured by certain clouds and dense darkness from fully seeing the bright light. Therefore we cannot condemn his mourning as contrary to God's will or as contrary to the foundations of faith. In fact, what becomes visible here is the remarkable virtue, greatness of soul, and constancy with which the prophets carried out their office. Though moved by the most tender compassion, the Spirit of God drove and directed Samuel in the duty committed to him — while this did not prevent him from showing proper mercy toward Saul, weeping and mourning his loss of office. The same must be said of all the other prophets, who were similarly constituted. When they inveigh against the wicked, rebuke them for their sins, and pursue them with warnings — one might think they were driven by some fierce fury rather than by any human spirit, as if they had forgotten they were human beings and did not recognize those they addressed as brothers and kinsmen. Such is their intensity when pronouncing God's judgments in His name that they no longer seem to be mere men. And yet they grieved over the lot even of those they rebuked, were deeply solicitous for them — and were greatly moved when they saw God's judgment about to fall upon them, which they tried to hold back with their tears. We have heard Jeremiah groaning deeply and lying in perpetual mourning over the impending destruction of Jerusalem, wishing that his eyes could become a perennial fountain of tears flowing day and night. What is this wish — that his eyes might become a fountain of tears — but his way of saying he could not weep enough for the wretched condition of the people, whose redemption he would willingly have purchased with his own life? And yet what else would you say the prophets breathe but fire and thunder when they proclaim God's sentence against the people with such intensity? Who would not think they had cast off all human feeling? From all of this let us learn that the faithful often struggle with many tensions that appear contrary to faith but in fact agree with it well. Let us therefore be so moved by zeal for God and concern for others that — even when we may seem to have set aside all human feeling — we are still inclined toward mercy and prepared to redeem the lives of perishing wretches even at the cost of our own.

This, then, was Samuel's character. When he hewed Agag in pieces, he did not act out of cruelty — he used the severity his office required, because God had so commanded. And yet he had compassion on the man and was moved by human feeling. Let each of us apply this teaching: to hate sins, and to correct them severely when necessity demands — and yet to remain well-disposed toward persons, and to mourn for the wretched people who are throwing themselves into final destruction. Judges who condemn anyone to death ought not to be driven by anger or cruelty, nor should they cast off all human feeling. Yet they must be governed by zeal for God's glory and overcome their natural compassion in order to carry out their office — while at the same time having mercy on those they condemn and seeking their good. Though these two dispositions seem contradictory, they agree beautifully when the measure God prescribes in His Word is preserved. We must therefore take care to govern our emotions so that they remain subject to God's will, with nothing excessive in them. Let Samuel be the example of that moderation — even if he did not preserve it in every respect, he always ultimately submitted himself to God's will. But if so excellent a prophet experienced something this human, what do we think will happen to us — who are far from that perfection of giving ourselves wholly to God, making His glory our only aim? Samuel did not weep for Saul out of any personal gain — he had willingly stepped aside for Saul. He did not weep hoping to regain Saul's favor, or coveting his wealth, or trusting in his power. He had no thought for himself. He looked only to the interests and peace of the people. And then, when he considered this tremendous and terrible judgment of God upon the man whom he had not long before raised to royal dignity — now suddenly cast down and stripped of office — he was deeply shaken by the ruin of so remarkable a work of God. Just as one might grieve to see a beautifully engraved vessel broken — and the more outstanding the vessel, the sharper the grief. But Samuel was looking upon a vessel fashioned by the invisible hand of God Himself, shattered and diminished beyond repair. In being moved by this, he revealed a holy and pious disposition — one directed entirely toward the glorification of God's name and the protection of the church. But he did this not entirely without sin — not because the affection itself was wrong, but because he exceeded measure and indulged his mourning too much. From this we are warned to take all care that, even when led by the best zeal, we do not sin through excess — that we hold ourselves within the bounds of this thought: God's will must be done, and whatever He does must be received as right and good. In the midst of mourning and sadness, we must still rejoice and be glad in the Lord. Though we may burn with zeal for His glory, it is impossible not to be greatly moved and affected by our afflictions — but those emotions must be overcome. In the very midst of sadness we must rejoice, so that we may offer to God the sacrifice of obedience we owe Him. This is a teaching worthy of diligent meditation. Since people always seek pleasure and flatter themselves, they think things are going well if they follow the hypocrisy of others — pretending righteousness with some outward show, proclaiming integrity in words, while allowing themselves to be swept along by their emotions — hatred, envy, anger, and similar things — all of which seem excusable because they appear to spring from a good intention. But not every good intention excuses us. We must be suspicious of ourselves. Even when our ultimate aim is right, we can still lean too far one direction or another and fail to keep the proper measure. All the more reason, then, to take careful stock — lest we overstep the bounds and allow ourselves to be swept away by immoderate passions — especially when we hear Samuel here being rebuked by God's own mouth.

Let us weigh the words that follow. When God says 'because I have rejected him,' He is rebuking Samuel's unreflective mourning over Saul. It was appropriate for Samuel to grieve over Saul's downfall — but he should have set limits to it and reined in his feelings. We must govern our emotions so that even when they are good, they do not go beyond measure but stay within the bounds of God's will. What enormous stubbornness it would be to persist in something contrary to God's will. For example: if we see the church oppressed by many persecutions — if we see the wicked threatening nothing but swords and fire, celebrating triumphs and with full cruelty bearing down on God's children — we should not be hard, iron-hearted, and inhuman. We ought to be deeply moved by such evils. We would never be driven to rise up to God in prayer unless we were profoundly affected by such distress. But a measure must be placed on tears, so that we give testimony of the obedience that must precede all our emotions — and we should use that prophetic word: 'Zeal for Your house consumes me.' The desolation of the church ought to affect us so that, even when our own souls are otherwise at peace, the ruin of the church moves us to mourn its affliction. Yet let us know that even this good affection must be held in check, lest by excess we appear to resist God. If we have indulged our emotions too much, what was good in itself will gradually be corrupted — the evil will gain strength, and the devil — whose crafty ways of oppressing us when we are off guard are well known — will at last drive us to the point of fearing neither God nor His judgments, and holding stubbornly against Him. Experience itself confirms this. Do we not frequently hear complaints of this kind? A person suffering a long affliction cries out: 'When will there finally be an end to this? When will some comfort be given for this sorrow?' Swept along by their emotions and overcome by impatience, they then begin to speak with contempt against God Himself: 'Will God never have mercy on His own? Will He always be deaf to their prayers?' From these distorted thoughts come indignation and bitterness of heart — just as the finest wine, if it ferments too long, eventually turns to vinegar. This is what happens to our emotions as well: from too much anxiety and lack of self-control comes arrogance, and from arrogance comes murmuring and resentment against God. We can barely hold back complaints — which, even if they do not reach the level of outright blasphemy, greatly provoke God against us and fall far short of the obedience we owe Him. Let us therefore learn to govern our emotions so that we willingly submit to God's will and depend wholly on His providence. If threats arise and various dangers seem to loom, let us know that God can meet all of them. Let us rest in His promises and cry out to Him for help. We may indeed press God with earnest prayers — but our emotions must be restrained so that they are not carried beyond bounds, kept as though under guard. To this end let us look at the examples of even the holiest men. We see David, in the midst of his enemies and mockers of God — by whom he seemed about to be torn apart at any moment — fluctuating in some respects and crying out as if in despair. Do we not also see the prophet of old seemingly arguing with God and complaining as if God had forgotten His promises, when he saw such chaos all around him? These examples ought to move us all the more — the holier the man to whom they occurred. In all circumstances, whether joyful and prosperous or sad and adverse, let us be held by this one rein: the thought of God's will. Let us desire it above all things and quietly rest in it. When God's will has been made known to us, let us acknowledge it as good and just and receive it as pleasing.

Next, God commands Samuel to fill his horn with oil and anoint another man in Saul's place — the one God has chosen as king. Samuel fears that if this reaches Saul's ears, Saul will kill him. The Lord tells him to come to Jesse's house under the pretext of offering a sacrifice, and there anoint as king the one God designates. There was no deception or falsehood in this. God wanted His prophet to be safe under the cover of the sacrifice — and the sacrifice was genuinely performed. That occasion shielded the prophet from danger until the time for full disclosure arrived. David's anointing will be described in detail later: how, though the youngest of his brothers, he was made their head — lifted from being a despised and lowly shepherd, raised from tending cattle to royal dignity, the last in his whole father's house yet preferred above all the nobles of the kingdom and all the people. Now let us consider the purpose of Samuel's mission: to establish and confirm the kingdom that God had long ago promised to the fathers. In the law, God had forbidden the people — once they entered and settled the land He was giving them — to say: 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations around me.' And yet God had promised that kingdom to His people as the highest good and unique perfection — not only for temporal peace and security, but for eternal salvation. It was not without reason that Jacob had long ago predicted that the scepter would not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh came — that is, the One who was to be sent, the author of happiness and the fullness of all good things. At the very beginning of this book we heard Hannah's prophecy. Speaking in prophetic spirit, she predicted that her son would be anointed before the Lord. And yet Samuel was never raised to royal dignity. Hannah was looking back to the promises made long before. That kingdom is also part of what Moses proclaimed to the people: 'You shall be to Me a priestly kingdom' — a people consecrated to God as a kind of sacred realm. Samuel is therefore now sent by the Lord to establish that kingdom, the promise of which had come through Jacob and had been long awaited. Moreover, that king was to be a type and image of our Lord Jesus Christ, who would come in the fullness of time. The people had indeed received promises about a king. But they had been too hasty in demanding one. They were guilty of stubbornness before the Lord — they did not wait for the right time, but impatiently demanded a king and rushed ahead of God's decree. By that rashness they would have drawn God's wrath upon themselves, had He not shown them mercy from His own pure goodness. For this reason, Saul's kingdom was not according to God's own institution. In him was fulfilled what the Lord says in Matthew 15: 'Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.' Those words, I acknowledge, properly refer to eternal life — that all who are not rooted in the Lord Himself will be cast out from the church. Yet they may also be applied to temporal blessings, and are particularly fitting for the kingdom of Saul. Saul's kingdom was ratified by God for a time — God yielding in some sense to the people's persistent demands. But it was not lasting, because it was not legitimate and did not align with God's true will. David's kingdom will be entirely different. It was not wrung from God by the impatient cries of a discontented people, as Saul's had been. It is firm and stable, established by the Lord Himself — and its full story will be told throughout this book and the ones that follow. We must therefore recognize the key difference between the two kingdoms: David's kingdom arose from God's own decree and will alone — not from any pressure from the people — but from God freely and spontaneously calling David and designating him king. It was necessary that the image correspond to the reality, and that — as in a mirror — the agreement between what was said of David and what was fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His kingdom established for our salvation could be clearly seen. If men had anticipated God's counsel — if they had recognized their need and prompted Him to act — they would be called the authors of our salvation. That great good would no longer flow from God's pure and free goodness alone. But God's decree had to be fulfilled in His own time. Isaiah, speaking of the reality behind this figure, says that God looked all around and saw there was no man — and was astonished that there was no one to intercede. Therefore His own arm brought salvation, and His righteousness upheld Him. By these words Isaiah shows that the salvation of the church was not achieved by human wisdom or effort. Men cannot anticipate God's counsel, or give Him occasion to do good, or contribute to their own salvation. God armed Himself with His own arm and upheld Himself with His own righteousness — that is, He did not seek the basis of our salvation outside Himself, nor did He need to borrow help from anywhere else.

These things must be carefully noted in Samuel's journey to anoint David — this mission launched entirely without human intercession. Certainly the world would have perished a hundred thousand times over before its own corruption would have been corrected by human effort. At that time, no one appeared more zealous for God's glory and the salvation of the church than Samuel. But did Samuel seek any way to bring about God's greater honor by removing the corrupt kingdom? On the contrary, he seemed to resist God's counsel. How remarkable it is that so distinguished a light among men — so excellent a prophet, one who even represented the person of our Lord Jesus Christ — should hinder and in some way impede the very salvation of the people he should have been promoting with every ounce of his strength. And he did this not out of deliberate malice or stubbornness, but from unchecked zeal. Yet if God had given in to Samuel's lamentations and groans, the salvation of the church would have collapsed. Was it not therefore necessary — when Samuel was standing in the way of the world's salvation — that God alone should act and stretch out His arm to accomplish it? So let us acknowledge, whenever we think about our salvation, that God was not prompted by men to provide it. He did not find in us any material or occasion that moved Him to mercy. From His pure goodness alone He armed His own arm and upheld Himself with His righteousness. Moreover, if we judge David's anointing by outward appearances, the whole event looks so weak and insignificant that common sense and human reasoning would call it trivial play rather than a serious matter. God sends His prophet to the son of a simple farmer — a young shepherd boy. Where does He find him? Not in a palace or any royal house, but in the sheepfolds, as the psalmist sings in Psalm 78: 'He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds.' And yet God made that election stand. But when commanded, did Samuel immediately carry out the Lord's mandate? No — he fears for his life because of Saul, afraid that if the matter came to Saul's attention, Saul would have him killed. Was it not reasonable to fear that Saul — sitting peacefully on his throne — would seek Samuel's life if he heard that another had been anointed king? And once David is anointed, is he immediately installed and made to reign? Not at all. Everything is done in secret, with nothing reaching any outside ears — the whole affair confined within the private walls of Jesse's house. As I said, all of this appears absurd and nearly ridiculous — at least if you look only at the beginnings. But God habitually perfects His works in just this way: what appears at first glance to be neither magnificent nor great ultimately proves the truth of that saying — that the weakness of God is far greater than all human strength. God always brings His counsels to a good and desired end. Paul, speaking of the condition of the church, says that God chose the weak things of the world to shame what is strong. We will explore that more fully elsewhere, but here we are given a clear example of it in this whole matter of David's election and anointing as king. Judged only by its beginnings, it seemed more like an obstacle than a foundation — and its fruit remained hidden for a long time. At first, David's inauguration would look like a ridiculous joke: immediately after his anointing he returns to the sheepfolds, his brothers go off to war, and Saul still holds his throne. Let us therefore learn not to judge God's works by what first appears. Let us understand that God intends to strip us of every occasion for pride and self-glory when He accomplishes His work through such feeble means — and let us magnify His power, trusting what our senses cannot grasp. If God stretched out His arm from the very beginning and shook heaven and earth, moving all creation to display His glory, what room would there be for faith? Everyone, even against their will, would be forced to marvel at such spectacular works. But faith is what makes things hoped for stand firm, and what demonstrates things not yet seen. So when God works in weakness, and the beginnings of His works appear contemptible, He nonetheless brings them to a remarkable end — so that one must confess they surpass all human strength. In this we have rich material for exercising our faith. For in this way God's remarkable providence — which worldly people despise — reveals itself most clearly to us. We rest in it, trusting that He will fulfill what our minds cannot yet reach. By this means our faith becomes visible, and God is glorified in His works. For this reason we see that God in every age has displayed His power through obscure and humble means — as if His glory shone only in heaven and not on earth — so that the faithful might learn to wait patiently for what experience alone cannot teach. But this teaching applies above all to the matter of our salvation and to its author, our Lord Jesus Christ — whom we see first emptied before He was raised to glory. Though He was born of a royal line, the prophets make clear that no mark of royal dignity remained in that house. The faithful are pointed back to Jesse, David's father — a private man who worked his ancestral fields with his own oxen. One should not ask whether He came from noble stock, as long as it is established that He descended from that small family of David, from the humble house of a lowly shepherd. We know that Christ came into this world in the form of a servant — in a wretched and obscure condition, born as if outside the fellowship of men, in a stable, placed as it were among animals — so that the reality might correspond to the figure that foreshadowed it. As we read this history, we must meditate on Isaiah's word that a shoot would spring from the stump of Jesse. When Isaiah says 'shoot,' he points to something lowly and contemptible in human eyes. He says it would sprout like a shoot from a cut-down stump — with no visible trace remaining beforehand. He specifically mentions Jesse to point to a desolate and lowly house. Yet from those roots this shoot, growing gradually, would develop into a great tree whose height and spread would far surpass the cedars of Lebanon. What happened in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ must also be applied to our own time. In many places we see the beginnings of the restored and renewed church so small and feeble that wicked people freely despise and mock them. The faithful could justly seem on the verge of losing heart, unless a hope beyond what the eye can see sustained them. But we ought instead to be stirred up all the more — to flee to God with unceasing prayer, so that we may stand against every temptation and assault that would otherwise bring us down. Therefore, however feeble the beginnings may be, let us not doubt that God will complete His work. Let us cast off all fear, since we shall experience a good outcome. In the meantime, let us hold our souls in quiet and patience. By faith let us overcome every obstacle, knowing that the works of God far exceed the works of men. We have seen in our own age the beginnings of the purified gospel — and who would have thought that such great progress could be made in so short a time? In so brief an interval we see gospel doctrine purified in many places, so that it must be acknowledged as entirely a work of God. And yet in most places the state of the churches is such that wicked people pour out their poison and hope to soon deliver the final blow and restore the old confusion — since the church, just when it seems to have made some progress, appears to fall back again. All the more, then, must this teaching be fixed in our minds and put into practice. Looking upon the anointing carried out at God's command and knowing that we have been adopted by God into a royal priesthood, let us not doubt that He will protect it against every assault. The psalmist in Psalm 2 complains that kings, rulers, and peoples have conspired together against God — but God, he says, has anointed His king who will administer His kingdom. By these words the Lord promises that all the efforts of all men against His church will be empty and futile. So let us rest in the Lord, since our Lord Jesus Christ has been chosen as the head and commander of His people — to crush and break down all the rebellious and defiant. Let us think so highly of His power and might that — not shaken by the visible weakness of the church — we never recoil from Him, but remain firmly persuaded that God will bring His work to its completion.

Now then, come, etc.