The Standards of the Lord

UV 533/10,000 I Samuel 16 v 7 The Standards of the Lord I Samuel 16 v 7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Human standards are distinct and different from the standards of our Lord and God. This is the precise reason why mankind can never work out our salvation ourselves by good deeds or repentance or karma. It is written that what is highly esteemed by men is an abomination in the sight of God. Our eyes of flesh are covetous and idolatrous. We desire what we see and we desire what is good to look at, what is glamourous and beautiful on the exterior. We are keen on the packaging and not the content. Huge crowds of people in India and other countries adore their cricketing stars not just for their batting prowess but because they seem “macho” and good to look at. You will find even in the choir of a church, the good looking ones will be put on the frontline! Our eyes of flesh are superficial- we judge and decide many things on the basis of the cosmetic appearance. Instead, we need to decide and choose people on the basis of their thoughts, inclinations and intentions. Scripture interestingly uses the word, “ reins” – we need to choose people on the basis of their inner controls that restrain them from the negatives and motivators that egg them on towards positives. The first time round Samuel was directed by the Lord to choose and anoint a king for Israel, he went by the stature of the nominee. He found Saul to be head and shoulders above the rest of Israel. It qualified him to be king in the eyes of Samuel the prophet. But, the next time, the Lord directed him not to go by the comely appearance or the stature. These first seven sons of Jesse were fighting men, soldiers in Saul’s army. Even their profession or prowess did not qualify them. Samuel could not look into the hearts of the sons of Jesse. The Lord looks into the hearts of people. He is interested primarily in emotional engagement with people. He sees the inmost mind or the innermost desires and longings of the human heart. He discerns our priorities in life. By this criterion, He chooses, anoints and reveals His mind and will to these chosen vessels to perform His special tasks. A comely appearance while it does not qualify a person for the mantle of leadership in God’ s eyes, it also does not disqualify him or her. For David who was summoned as an afterthought from the fields where he tended the sheep was good looking and handsome. Yet, the Lord told Samuel, “ Arise, anoint him for this is he.” The Lord had looked into his heart even as he tended the sheep and saw a heart that was always emotionally engaged with Him: a constant love dialogue running in his heart and mind, praising God for the stars and all that was fearfully and wonderfully made by His hands. Today’s corporates and human resource managers can pick a page from Samuel’s experience: when we recruit people or assign leadership roles, ask the Lord to help us discern the person’s heart as He alone can. In the New Testament times that we now live in, we can ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of discernment that will help us discern not just the hearts but also the spirit of the person. The unique thing about the human heart is that it does not remain the same but can change with changed circumstance. We see what success and victory did to David’s heart- in a weak moment, he yielded to the temptation of adultery followed by vicarious murder. The heart needs to be guarded diligently through a life time. Prateep V Philip