God Looks At The Heart 1 Samuel 16:1-13

God Looks At The Heart1 Samuel 16:1-13 • 2012 Cosmetic industry revenues  over 2.1 billion dollars. • Message: A person’s value is directly connected to their appearance.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV) - I also want women to dress modestly… not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. • How much value do we place on appearances? • God looks at a person’s character – God looks at a person’s heart.

Background: • Joshua took over leadership of the nation from Moses • The Israelites conquered the land of Canaan • People began to fall away from God • Judges 3:7 (NIV) The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God. • God raised up judges to bring the people back to him. • The people push back again they demand a king to rule over them

1 Samuel 8:6–9 (NIV) “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

God gives Israel its first king  Saul. • 1 Samuel 13:13–14 (NIV) “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” • God takes the throne away from Saul.

God’s criteria for next king over his people: a man after his own heart. • 1 Samuel 16:6–7 (NIV) …Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” 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.”

1. A Spiritual Heart – Godliness • God chooses a person who’s life is in harmony with him. • 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV) For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” • God looking for genuine followers – not just “fans” (Kyle Idleman) • everything we are and have are his • our hearts are sensitive to the things of God. • we are obedient to God’s Word.

Psalm 40:8 (NIV) I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” • King Saul’s sin was that his heart was disobedient and his motive for performing the sacrifice was selfish. • 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV) “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

The Pharisees: they were good at keeping up their outward appearances and performing all the ritual laws to the letter but they had a problem with their hearts: • Matthew 23:23 (NLT) “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,* but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

2. A Submissive Heart - Humility • A submissive heart is characterized by humility. • David submitted to his father and remained at home to tend the sheep. • David refused to do anything to undermine King Saul’s reign • David never took revenge or plotted to overthrow Saul • We also learn about David’s humility in his writings.

Psalm 25:9 (NIV) – [God] guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. • Humility is the characteristic of the person with a heart in tune with God’s heart. • 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV) All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

3. A Sincere Heart – Integrity • David was a man of great integrity. • Psalm 78:71–72 (NIV) From tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. • integrity  Hebrew = tāmam • the fundamental idea of completeness • implies what is ethically sound & upright

Integrity is what you are when nobody is looking (Chuck Swindoll) • Our modern world has lost its understanding of integrity. • David failed  but he repented and sought forgiveness; he faced the consequences of his actions and reconciled with God and those he offended. • The example of integrity in a man whose heart was in tune with God’s heart.

Apostle Paul wrote to the Greeks caught up in external appearances. • 1 Corinthians 1:27–31 (NIV) But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are…

… so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” • God chooses people who have nothing to boast about in themselves and everything to boast about in the Lord.

God’s criteria for a servant: • A spiritual heart – godliness • – a desire to obey him. • A submissive heart – humility • – a desire to serve him. • A sincere heart – integrity • – a desire to do what is right. • Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV) • 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; • test me and know my anxious thoughts. • 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, • and lead me in the way everlasting.

God Looks At The Heart 1 Samuel 16:1-13