Annointing the little, lost, and least to lead us
One of my favorite Biblical stories is in the book of Samuel, chapter 16. It is when God tells Samuel the prophet that he is sending him to annoint a new king for Israel. Samuel is sent to look for this king among Jesse of Bethlehm’s sons, but he doesn’t know which one.
So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”
So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
Yet, one more story in which God chooses the little, the lost, and the least to bring about change in the world. Just as a small boy named David goes on to become a great king and leader for Israel, so God leads and reaches us through persons on the margins of our own society.
