Samuel must not hold unto what was lost with Saul but rather look to the future (v1). God wasn’t caught out by what happened, He already has a plan.

Samuel is concerned about Saul’s reaction but finds reassurance from God (v2-3). Samuel was clearly not a comfortable and ‘easy to listen to’ prophet given the reaction of the people of Bethlehem at his coming (v4-5).

Jesse’s son begin to pass in front of Samuel and he immediately thinks that Eliab the fine looking eldest was the man (v6), but Samuel gets the famous guidance from the Lord, “man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (v7). King Saul was a fine looking man, but his problem was that his heart was not right with God.

We’re told not to judge a book by its cover; we must look deeper, particularly into our own hearts.

Eventually David the youngest is brought from the fields and he is anointed as the next king (v13). He would be a man after God’s own heart. Not only the oil but God’s Spirit anoints David for the task ahead. Any of us can only serve in the power of God’s Spirit.

The Spirit which had come upon David (v13) to enable him to serve as king had left Saul (v14). Saul is now tormented by an evil spirit (v15).