Hey, Carpool Crew. Welcome back to Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible. I'm Pastor Justin and I'm so glad you're here today. Whether you're riding in the car or heading somewhere with your family or just listening at home, thanks for joining us for the final episode in our series about Samuel. Over the past few episodes, we've watched Samuel grow from the boy who heard God's voice in the middle of the night into one of the most important leaders in Israel ever. He was a prophet. He was a judge. He was the man who anointed Israel's first king. But as we saw in the last episode, King Saul had failed to obey God. And because of that, God told Samuel something really difficult. Saul would not remain king forever, and God had already chosen someone else. And that's where today's story begins. God spoke to Samuel and told him to travel to a small town called Bethlehem. Now, Bethlehem might sound familiar because that's the town where Jesus would be born hundreds of years later. But at this time in history, Bethlehem was just a small farming village about six miles south of Jerusalem. It was not famous. It was not powerful. And that's where God sent Samuel. God told him to go to the house of a man named Jesse. One of Jesse's sons would be the next king of Israel. Now, here's something really interesting. Samuel was actually afraid to go. Why? Because Saul was still king. If Saul heard that Samuel was secretly choosing a new king, he might become very, very angry. So God told Samuel to bring a sacrifice and invite Jesse's family to a special gathering. When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the town were nervous. The Bible says they came out trembling and asked Samuel, 'Do you come in peace?' That tells us something about Samuel's reputation. When a prophet showed up in town, people knew something important was about to happen. Samuel said he came in peace and invited Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice. And this is where the story gets really interesting. Jesse had eight sons. When the first son walked in, Samuel thought to himself, 'Surely this is the one.' The man's name was Eliab. He must have looked impressive because Samuel immediately assumed he was the future king. But God said something important to Samuel. This is maybe one of the most important verses in the Bible, friends. Okay, Carpool Crew, really listen up. This is one of Pastor Justin's favorite verses. It's in 1 Samuel chapter 16, verse 7. God said, 'Do not look at his appearance or his stature. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, because humans look at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' That's one of the most important lessons in the whole Bible, Carpool Crew. God is saying that he sees people differently than we do. See, Jesse brought another son forward, and another, and another. Seven sons eventually stood before Samuel, but God said no to every single one of them. Finally, Samuel asked Jesse something really important: 'Are these all your sons?' And Jesse answered, 'Well, there's still the youngest, but right now he's out in the fields taking care of the sheep.' Now, here's the interesting part. A shepherd in ancient Israel was one of the lowest jobs in society. Shepherds spent most of their time outside, sleeping in the fields and protecting the sheep from wild animals. So when Samuel asked for Jesse's sons, no one even thought to invite the youngest one. But Samuel said, 'Send for him. We will not sit down until he arrives.' So they sent for him, and soon a young shepherd boy walked into the room. His name was David. The Bible describes David as having bright eyes and a healthy appearance. But remember, God wasn't looking at the outward appearance. God was looking at David's heart. And God said something incredible to Samuel: 'Anoint him. For he is the one.' Right there in that small town, in front of his family, Samuel took a horn filled with oil and poured it over David's head. This is the same ceremony Samuel performed years earlier with Saul. David had just been anointed the future king of Israel. But here's something really interesting. David did not immediately become king. In fact, David was probably only around 12 or 15 years old when this happened, and after the anointing, David went right back to tending the sheep as a shepherd. And he did this for years. God had chosen him, but his time had not come yet. The Bible says that from that day forward, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David. And Samuel's role in the story was almost complete. Samuel had guided Israel during a time of chaos. He had warned the people about kings. He had followed God's instructions and anointed Saul as the first king, and now he had secretly anointed the king who would one day unite Israel and lead the nation, a shepherd boy from Bethlehem. So as we wrap up this series on Samuel, his life leaves us with an important lesson. Samuel listened to God from the time he was a young boy saying, 'Speak Lord, your servant is listening,' all the way through the biggest decisions in Israel's history. Samuel followed God's voice, and because he did, God used him to shape the future of an entire nation. And that reminds us of something important, right, Carpool Crew? God often works through people who are simply willing to listen and obey, even when they're young, even when no one else sees what God sees. Thanks for joining me for this series on Samuel here on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible. Remember this, Carpool Crew. God doesn't look at what people see on the outside. God looks at the heart. I'll see you later, Carpool Crew. Have a good one.
