Today’s Old Testament theme is Honoring God, the anointing of David as king. Think about it:
Honoring God means we are ready to serve Him, whatever He tells us to do. It means we pray about what we are to do with our lives as careers. It means we develop our talents so they can be used by God. It means being ready to do His will whenever and wherever we are called to do so.
In this story David, who became King David and wrote many of the Psalms in the Bible, and was another ancestor of Jesus, is anointed with oil. This was a sign that he was set apart to do something great for God. In this case, Saul was the king. He liked David for several reasons.
David was a young son of Jesse, yes, the same Jesse as the Jesse Tree’s name. He could play the harp well. He practiced while he took care of the family’s sheep out in the field.
Any of his brothers could have become Saul’s companion and later king, but God chose David. He was younger than the others, and perhaps they were jealous when the oil anointed David’s head. Nevertheless, David was the chosen one and he was obedient.
One of his special talents was that he could calm Saul when he had trouble sleeping or thinking. He played the harp very well, and no doubt sang songs which later became part of the Bible book called Psalms. He gave his talent to the Lord and was used mightily for it.
We can learn from David to be ready with whatever gifts God gives us. That is a powerful blessing and goal for our lives.
There is another important lesson in this story. Many of David’s older brothers were tall and handsome. But we are reminded that God does not look on outward appearance, at what we look like, at whether we are the best at something, or whether we have beautiful or handsome bodies. No, indeed. The verse says God does not look on the outward appearance, but at what is inside. We need to strive to be beautiful inside, meaning, our hearts are right we God. We are obedience. We are kind. We are loving to others and most of all, out attitude toward God is right. We willingly follow what He tells us to do.
David was a young boy, the youngest of the brothers. He did not even stay in the house with the brothers, but had the task of taking care of sheep, especially at night. He spent many hours alone, and much of that time was dangerous. He had to protect the sheep from bears and wolves, and lions and other predators.
He learned to use a slingshot. He learned to play the harp. Both of these skills were important in later life. God was preparing him for greater things, no matter what he looked like, or what his career was. God can use anyone with a heart that follows after the right things. Just remember David as you too grow in wisdom.
The New Testament Chrismon ornament is
THE DOVE WITH BRANCH
“In Genesis 8:11, the Scriptures record: ‘And the dove came in to him [Noah] in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf.’ so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth”. Today the dove with an olive branch has come to symbolize peace, safety, and God’s desire for reconciliation with mankind.
May these reminders of the Old Testament Jesse Tree and New Testament Chrismons bless your season with the true knowledge of the Reason for the Season.
From Advent Adventure Devotional Guide by Betty Whitaker Jackson available at https://bettyjackson.net and Amazon.com
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