Bible Studies

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Outward Appearance Gives Insight
1 Samuel 16:1-7

Scripture
1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.” 2 Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear [about it] and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate to you.”4 Samuel did what the LORD directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?” 5 “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the LORD’s anointed one is here before Him.” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the LORD sees, for man sees what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:1-7 (HCSB)
Review of Biblical Text
This is the biblical account of God preparing to taking King Saul off of the throne and preparing David to be the successor.
Throughout this section of holy writ we are given excellent spiritual principles for the life of the believer and especially regarding our Heavenly Citizenship. In chapter 15 Samuel said to Saul, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel. 15:22). You and I demonstrate whether or not we are children of the Lord Jesus Christ by our love for Him. It is not what we say in a testimony or in sharing the Gospel with someone. It is whether or not we are obeying Him. The Christian life is one of reality; realism lived out through our lives on a daily basis. It is not a life of “put-on” and pretense; one of “two-faced Christianity.”
When God looks at us, He looks at us from the inside. God is an interior decorator; always checks the interior. Samuel looks at this well-built, handsome young man named Eliab and feels this must be God’s choice for the next king of Israel. J. Vernon McGee writes: “But God says to Samuel, ‘I don’t want you to look at his outward appearance. Don’t judge a man by his looks. Let me select the man this time. I will choose the king.’”
God sees the heart, and thank God for that. We are prone to judge people, even in our Christian circles, by their looks, by their pocketbook, by their status symbol—the SUV they drive, by the home they live in, or by the position they occupy. God never judges anyone on that basis. He is telling Samuel not to pay any attention to the outward appearance. God is going to look at the heart.
“So Jesse had his sons pass before Samuel one by one. Samuel made it clear to Jesse why he had come, and Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel.”
“His appearance…physical stature.” Samuel needed to be reminded that God’s anointed was not chosen because of physical attributes. This was initially a difficult concept for Samuel to grasp. He was accustomed to a king whose only positive attributes were physical.
“The Lord looks at the heart.” The Hebrew concept of “heart” is not the same as we would think it should be. In Hebrew terminology it embodies the emotions, will, intellect, and desires. The life of the man will reflect the heart.
How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.
(Matthew 12:34-35 HCSB)
Related to the message we have before us, I wish for us to reflect on our Heavenly Citizenship. We are citizens of two places. The Word of God says,
I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world…
I have given them Your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world. I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify Myself for them, so they also may be sanctified by the truth. (John 17:11; 14-19 HCSB)

Jesus Prays for His Disciples, and as He does He reinforces His teachings as He has traveled along the dusty, dirty roads and sat with them in the clean comforts of the Temple complex. As He speaks to the Father He shares His heart and speaks of the truth that the disciples and those believers to come are “in the world, but not of the world,” because the Father has rescued us from the world and has “seated [us] in heavenly places.” Note Paul’s writing to the Church:
By grace you are saved! He also raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavens, in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace in [His] kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:5-7 HCSB)

Since we are God’s chosen people are we not to live in such a manner as to glorify Him in all we do? Using the scripture from 1 Peter let us take a moment to see the way a Heavenly Citizen should live while also a resident of this world:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do evil, they may, by observing your good works, glorify God in a day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:9-12 HCSB)
When we see that verse in the King James Version, it says we are “a peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9 KJV) and as such, we have been selected, chosen, saved, “that [we] should show forth the praises of him who hath called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 KJV).
Now let us clarify and spell out how this is done in the life of a Heavenly Citizen.
As a brief footnote related to this message, it is vitally important to pay close attention to the words of God to the prophet:
“Man does not see what the LORD sees, for man sees what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”

When the prophet saw Eliab, he thought he had God’s choice; when he saw David coming in from the fields he shook his head, rubbed his eyes and thought, “God has made a dreadful mistake.” This encounter reminds me of the story I read about the old cowboy:
One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible. The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him.

No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him.

They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

The preacher gave a long sermon about Hellfire and brimstone and a stern lecture on how much money the church needed to do God's work.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. “Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.”

The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored.

The preacher approached the man and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.”

“I did,” replied the old cowboy.

“If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?” asked the preacher.

“Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He says He's never been here before.”

This must have been the First Being Judgmental of Outward Appearance Church. They just did not see what was on the inside. But yet many are blinded by the outside and because they do have the vision God has they cannot see the inside. Therefore, I believe there are four statements we can examine tonight which will help us glorify the Father and make an eternal impact on the world around us.
That is why I say, with all honesty, our outward appearance give insight…
Through Obedience outwardly we give evidence of an inward change
God had already told the people that “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel. 15:22). Obedience is the way of the life of the believer.
In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, the writer retells the words of God, who said, “Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: 27 [there will be] a blessing, if you obey the commands of the LORD your God I am giving you today…” (Deuteronomy 11:26-27 HCSB)

In the New Testament several scriptures give us evidence that our outward obedience reveals an inward love for God. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me… (John 14:21)

I read this the other day and wish to share it with you.
The owner of a business near my home in Texas often places a Bible verse or a thought-provoking saying on a sign outside his building. I appreciate that public word of witness for Christ and have thanked the owner for it. The other day as I drove past, the sign contained just two words: "Yes, Lord."

While I was running errands that morning, the words stayed in my mind. Was there any situation to which they did not hold the key? I couldn't think of one. What great joy it would bring to Jesus if I began every day with those two words!

"Yes, Lord. I'll be content where I am instead of wishing I were somewhere else." "Yes, Lord. I'll trust You for the outcome of the uncertainty gnawing at my mind." "Yes, Lord. I'll open my heart and hand with the joyous generosity of Your love."
Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (Jn. 14:21). There is no burden of obligation in that; just the eager response of love.
The resolution of every trouble we face today begins with this trusting response to our Savior: "Yes, Lord!"
Yielding to God in all things is the way to give insight to what God has done within the life of any believer. Someone once said, “If God be God over us, we must yield him universal obedience in all things. He must not be over us in one thing, and under us in another, but he must be over us in everything.”
Through Obvious Outward Changes the inward change is revealed
When Jesus comes into our life and changes us, creating that New Man, there are things which change outwardly. Obvious changes!
It has been said, our want to’s change. Some are afraid the rules of the Christian life too narrow for them to pledge themselves to God and take Christ as Savior. What rules? I ask someone that question and they said, “You know, the big 10 and all that.” I shared with him the Ten Commandments do not save, but once you are saved you want to follow them and live a life pleasing to God. In essence, I was telling him his want to’s would change when he encounter the Living Savior.
True, right? Of course. A cusser wants to stop his cussing, a carouser wants to stop his carousing, and a consumer wants to stop his consuming. These are all outward things which reveal the inward things of grace. Just stopping sin will not save you. No, washing away the inner sin of rebellion and pride, of disobedience and self-indulgence will be seen in outward changes of the flesh and will.
The gambling issue in Alabama is dead for now, but it will resurface I am sure as I stand here today. But let me tell you what will make it go away. God’s people allowing the changes within, working without and stop betting on a “pie in the sky” and show the difference Christ makes in a life well lived-lived for the Father! This is true of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, illegal substance and the list could go on and on!
Through Ordinary Ways you can reveal the extraordinary you
Jesus said a “cup of cold water given in my name…” reveals Jesus!
Jesus said to “love one another…” that reveals Jesus.
Jesus said to go the “extra mile…” reveals Jesus.
All ordinary, common things which we see as nothing remarkable, mean extra ordinary things when performed in the name of Jesus.
Through Openness with others you can show how God sees us
“Confess your sins one to another…”
Some just do not want to do something like that, they are afraid someone will judge them as bad. So they stay in their pious, self-righteous mode, pointing fingers at those around them and turning their nose up, thinking they are better than everyone else.
Listen, I believe openness is equated with honesty. Honesty with God and with your fellow man. It takes a big person to say they have a problem.
That is the kind of folks we need in the church. Did you know that the church is hospital not a museum?
Openness is better and reveals the inward change, outwardly.

We are to live in a such as way as to be pleasing to God. I challenge you, dear Christian friend, to live outwardly what God is doing inwardly. Let the world know we are Christians and let them see Christ in us.

Referenced: J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible commentary; Nashville: Thomas Nelson ; 1981 by J. Vernon McGee.

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