But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 1:16
Jesse brought seven of his sons before Samuel. Surely one would be YaHWeH’s choice to replace the deceased King Saul. But as each stood before the prophet, no matter how impressive the outward appearances, God declined.
Instead, God chooses the youngest, a shepherd, called in from the field. Now the English translation says David was “ruddy” or “reddish” in appearance with beautiful eyes and was handsome. If looks didn’t matter, what exactly was it about David that God liked?
I think the key may be in the word “ruddy.” The Hebrew word for reddish is pronounced ADAM-EE. Yes, it’s root is the name of the human prototype that God formed from reddish clay and breathed life and Spirit into. Is it possible that YaHWeH saw a little bit of Adam in David? Is David the new beginning that would lead to the One that Paul would call “the last Adam” (1 Cor 15:45)?
No matter the explanation, we should find comfort in YaHWeH’s words, for he is not worried about outward appearances but focused on our inner being. Neither Adam nor David were perfect humans on the inside, yet God saw something special and built his grand story upon them.
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