Sermon 1 Samuel 16: 1-13 "Close Enough"

SERMON – 1 Samuel 16: 1-13 “Close Enough” – Nancy Cantrell

 

When a couple who has desired a child finds out they are expecting, they begin to do some pretty strange stuff. They go into high gear getting things that are a “necessity” for the nursery. Long before they could possibly use them these frantic people begin to shop for maternity clothing, look at baby magazines, think about names for the little one, and buy furniture. There are absolute must “need” items such as: a rocking horse, learn to read books, a walker, baseball glove or how about one of those little table and chair sets. You know, they are just so cute, red with little trains or flowers on them. And there in that nursery sets a pint-sized empty chair … waiting.

 

Samuel was a leader in the Old Testament in a book that is titled with his name. He was the last of the judges for Israel and a prophet.  He was a miracle birth. His mother, Hannah, was barren and prayed for a baby, promising to give the child back to God. Sure enough she conceived, Samuel was born and when he was weaned she took him to the temple and placed him under the care of the priest Eli. I bet when she went home that day after leaving him at the temple, she walked in her door, saw his little empty chair and wept. Hannah is an incredible example of GETTING UP AND GETTING OUT, of true obedience even when it didn’t benefit her in anyway, even when it was painful, even when she couldn’t see the future.

 

As a boy Samuel in the middle of the night heard God’s voice and from that point on was sold out. He followed the Lord. He grew up and filled the seat of judge, priest and prophet of Israel. As he got old he knew it was time for a new leader and the chair once again set empty… waiting.

 

He considered his sons and hung his head. He experienced what many parents experience. The children he had raised, prayed for, taught and guided had become adults. Then they made decisions that took them on a road away from God. So if you are a parent in that boat you are in good company. Continue to lift those children to God but be released from any false guilt Satan would place upon you. Stay close enough to God to hear his voice that’s what Samuel did, that’s what we do

 

The people of Israel also know the chair is to be vacant, so they come to Samuel and say “we want that chair to hold a king, give us a king like everyone else.” There is zero indication that the people called out to the God WHO KNEW HOW TO COME THROUGH. God would have given them direction but instead they went to Samuel. So, faithful Samuel prays and is close enough to hear God’s voice.

 

The Lord tells Samuel go and anoint Saul as king. Saul was exactly what the people expected, tall and handsome. He was what they envisioned any warrior king would look and act like. And through by-passing God the people got exactly what they wanted.

 

Saul started out a great fit for the chair. He was anointed, obedient, cried out to God, filled with the Spirit, and was victorious. The seat felt good, it fit, he filled it well. Then something happened, he began to see the chair not so much as a way to hear God’s voice but as a throne to proclaim his own. If you sit on a throne you are the boss, you make the decisions, no need to cry out, no need for God or what God desires.

 

As a throne the empty chair becomes a place for my own needs, when people don’t do what I expect, I’ll simply make decisions concerning them. When they disappoint me I’ll just decide what needs to happen and make it work. If God doesn’t do things quick enough or like I think they ought to happen, I’ll just use this throne to my advantage.

 

Saul began to listen to his own voice and understanding. And the chair that Samuel had faithfully filled and God had given Saul the privilege to sit on…once again stood empty…waiting AND NOTHING GOD CREATED IS MEANT TO BE EMPTY. We pick up with today’s scripture.

 

Text 1 Samuel 16: 1-13

 

Samuel came out of retirement he fills his horn with oil and is CLOSE ENOUGH TO GOD TO HEAR HIS VOICE. There’s no room for Samuel to continue to look in the past and grieve that things didn’t turn out like he thought or wanted. He could no longer mourn that his adult children made bad decisions; that Saul is deaf to everything but his own voice or that the people couldn’t see past their own noses and needs. He simply had to be obedient to the voice of God no matter what.

He gets to Bethlehem and everyone freaks out, they know who Samuel is. They know that he gave the chair to Saul. They know that Saul has made it into a throne. Here Samuel shows up to worship with his horn of oil for anointing a king, that’s treason. Jesse’s family is invited, consecrated, expected and Jesse with his sons… at least the sons that matter … arrive ready for whatever God desires. Samuel sees the first son, handsome, tall, kingly. Ah Ha! This one can fill the chair, this must be him, Samuel opens the horn of oil. And as the scent of the oil reaches his nostrils God voice says, “Woooooooo there buddy, be patient, this isn’t him.”

 

Samuel was God’s judge, prophet and priest. Yet, he is still human and still can’t always see clearly. He has to listen to God for direction. So, do we regardless of where we are at on this journey. Samuel plugs the horn. The next son, the next son, the next and each time God says, “Nope, this isn’t him.” Samuel looks at Jesse, “Is this all your sons?” Jesse stammers a minute and then says, “Well, there’s the runt. He doesn’t count. He’s out watching the sheep. We didn’t even bother to invite him to the worship service. We certainly didn’t invest time into him all he does is play with sling shots. He’s got seven brothers ahead of him, manly men, why bother?”  Samuel hollers, “Go get him, we’re not moving from this spot, until he’s here.”

 

Shortly, in runs David, red faced, bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Nothing like what Samuel would have chosen, certainly not what Jesse expected, and David’s brothers are rubbing their eyes in unbelief. He’s the youngest! He’s unimportant, inferior, unprepared, ill-equipped, unqualified, not to mention showing up for church in his jeans and sweater! And GOD says, “Samuel, upon on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.”  Samuel uncorks that horn and pours out the oil in ceremony for the new king.  “Not one that the people chose but one God chose!”

 

And here we are three thousand years later, an empty chair waiting near me, near you. I wonder who it is that God intends to fill it with? And not just enjoy worship with us but maybe be something greater...

 

The lady at the check-out counter is she another Hannah? The boy who lives with his single mom, maybe he’s the next Samuel. How about the drunk who stumbles out of Katie’s at closing time every Friday night, is he a David? People all around us that may appear nothing like what we envision a God-person to look like. They just need to be brought in from the pasture, counted as significant, called for, believed in and anointed with the oil of God.

 

Samuel didn’t see like God did, he thought Eliab was the man. But Samuel was CLOSE ENOUGH TO GOD TO HEAR HIS VOICE say which one was God’s choice. And we must be close enough to God to hear Him say, “Look at him, look at her, they are the ones, bring them in. I have chosen them to fill the empty chair, to be mine, to serve me, I see their heart.”

God’s direction was very clear to Samuel in this passage go to Bethlehem. His voice is very clear to us as well, “Go into all the world and make disciples” non-negotiable. Like Samuel we take chances, even frightening ones, going outside our comfort zones bringing others into worship. Where God chooses prophets, priests, preachers, children’s workers, drummers, worship leaders, and who knows what.

 

As a matter of fact, maybe you are the next Hannah, Samuel, or David. Or, or could it be that because you are close enough to God to hear his voice then obediently fill the empty chair in this place, the most unexpected person you can think of becomes the one who God will make the next leader in His Kingdom.

 

Servers please come. Today, as we come to the table to receive the broken body of Christ and his shed blood for the forgiveness of sin. Hear the voice of this God who chooses the most unlikely people and makes them into someone great. May this tangible, touchable means of grace enable us to hear God’s voice when he says, “bring in the red faced, the beautiful, those in the fields, the insignificant, the disregarded, the runts into worship… the empty chair is waiting.” Come to the table.