Rejection:
1972 was a bittersweet year for me. I graduated from High School (YAY), I had a good part in the school musical (YAY). I remember these times with great fondness, there were also the bad times. I had tried out for a semi-pro theatre group, I thought I had a great audition and really wowed them with my rendition of “If I were Rich Man.” That evening while sitting at the dinner table, I anxiously awaited the phone call. I expected the call before dinner, after dinner I stared at the phone like a dog at a bone, hoping the casting director would call and tell me I got the part. I sat at the edge of the couch, my friends wanted to go out to the beach, I could not go, I was waiting for that phone call. Late evening, everyone had gone to bed, the phone sat there silent, painfully silent.
In the grand scheme of things, not getting the part in that musical does not seem very big, at that time I could not see the grand scheme, and it was a big deal, many I went to school with tried out for that play, how could I face them and tell them I didn’t get called?
You know the feeling of not getting that call. Not getting that job, not getting the call from a boy or girl you are hoping to go out with, not getting into that school or that club. We have phrases like “left holding the bag,” or “left at the altar,” or “left out in the cold.” How about “he is out taking care of the sheep.” That is what was said about David.
His story did not begin on the battlefield with Goliath, but on the hillsides of Bethlehem watching his father’s sheep as the silver haired prophet of Israel comes down a narrow trail. Samuel is God’s chosen priest, prophet and Judge of Israel. His mother is Hannah, he was mentored by Eli, and when Eli’s son turned from God, Samuel stepped up. When Israel needed spiritual focus, Samuel provided it, and when Israel wanted a king, he anointed Saul.
Tall Saul, Strong Saul, rejected Saul. Saul had gone mad, his heart grows harder, he isn’t the king he used to be, in God’s eyes he isn’t king anymore. READ 1 Sam 16:1
Israel in 1000 B.C. is in a bad way. Joshua and Moses are history class heroes. Israel has gone through about 3000 years of spiritual winter, the faith of the people has frozen. “In those days Israel had no king and everyone did as he saw fit.”
Corruption fueled disruption, immorality sired brutality, the people wanted a king and instead of saving the ship, Saul sunk it. The Philistines were warring, bloodthirsty giant breeding people who monopolized iron and blacksmithing. They were grizzlies and the Israelites were salmons. In fact Israel had two swords, one owned by Saul and the other owned by his son Jonathan. Corruption from within, danger from without, Saul was weak, the nation was weaker. What would God do? He did what no one ever imagined. He issued a surprise invitation to the “nobody” from “nowheresville.”
Sometimes this happens in the church. There is dissention within, anger without, and the people cry out for a new preacher. He just doesn’t inspire me anymore, his ways are old news, or he tries to change our traditions too much, lets get rid of him and get a new one, after all they are a dime a dozen.
God sends Samuel to Redeye, Minnesota, maybe Sawgrass, Mississippi, no? Maybe Paw Paw WV? Well Bethlehem in that day equaled the Red Eye, Sawgrass, Paw Paw’s of the world. Bethlehem was a sleepy village in the foothills of Israel. Bethlehem sits about 2000 feet above the Med, looking down on gentle green hills that flatten out for pasture outside of Jerusalem. Jesus issued first cry beneath the Bethlehem sky. About a thousand years before there would be a special babe in a manger, Samuel, pulling heifer along enters the village.
His visit turns heads, prophets don’t normally come to Bethlehem. He arrives at the house of Jesse. Who is Jesse’s grandmother? Who was Jesse’s great grandmother?
What happens next is like the Westminister Kennel Club. Samuel examines each of the sons of Jesse like the judges at the Kennel Club examined the dogs. More than once Samuel is ready to award the blue ribbon, but God stops him. Sometimes churches go through this when looking for a new preacher, they line them up, give them the once over, like they were buying a car.
Eliab, the oldest, logical choice, village cassanova, wavy hair, strong features, piano keyed smile. WRONG
ABinadab, GQ model, Italian suit, alligator skinned shoes, jet-black oiled hair, classy king with all the bling-bling. WRONG
Shammah: Studious bookworm, needs a charisma transplant, he has a degree from State University, postgrad from Egypt, a doctorate from Greece. Jesse tells Samuel “Valedictorian” wherever he went. Samuel is impressed, but God tells Samuel
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
Seven sons pass, seven sons fail. Don’t you have another son? Such a question made Cinderella’s stepmom to squirm, Jesse likely did the same. I still have another son, he is the youngest, he is out taking care of the sheep.
The word used here implies more than age, it suggests rank. David is more than the youngest, he is the little brother, the runt, the hobbit, the baabbbyyy. It is tough being the youngest male in the family. Sheep watching was for the youngest, it is where he can cause the least trouble.
David was looked at by his family as the runt, the hobbit, yet there are 66 chapters dedicated to his story, the only one who has more is Jesus. The NT mentions his name 59 times, he will establish Jerusalem, the Messiah will be called the son of David, great psalms come from his pen. He will be called King, warrior, minstrel, and giant killer, yet today he is not worthy to be with his family. What caused God to pick him?
We have all walked David’s pasture, the pasture of rejection and exclusion. We are measured by our physique, the square footage of our house, the color of our skin, the size of our office, the presence of diploma’s, the charisma of our character, the dimples on our cheeks and so on. Aren’t you tired of the “Madison Ave” image? Aren’t you tired of the games?
Hard work ignored, devotion unrewarded, the boss chooses cleavage over character. The teacher picks pet students instead of prepared ones, parents show off their favorite sons and leave the runts out in the field. Oh the giant of rejection and exclusion.
(Story of I want that one, puppy).
Are you sick of him? Then don’t look at him, who cares what he thinks, what matters is what your maker thinks.
Look at the rejects God uses
Moses ran from justice, God used him
Jonah ran from God, God used him
Rahab ran a brothel, God used her
Samson ran to the wrong woman, God used him
Elijah ran to the mountains, Daniel was in prison, Ezekiel was crazy, Hosea married a prostitute, Matthew was a tax collector, Peter was fickle, John had a temper, Paul was a murder, Jesus was from Nazareth, and God used them all.
Like that little boy, God looks down and says to the runt, the hobbit, the rejected, I WANT THAT ONE.
Today He looks down from heaven and sees you, he sees you in all your faults, all your shortcomings and says I WANT YOU.
