When God Chooses the Unlikely: David's Anointing | After God's Own Heart Week 1

May 31, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Backstory That Illuminates the King

A tropical island’s hidden struggles mirror how the Old Testament prepares us for Jesus. Just as bug bites and forgotten supplies reshaped the island experience, Scripture’s deeper layers reveal God’s plan. The disciples on the Emmaus road didn’t recognize Jesus until he reinterpreted their story through Moses and the prophets. Our King makes sense of life’s chaos when we see Him as the climax of every promise. The Old Testament isn’t a standalone epic—it’s the opening act to redemption. [07:03]

“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself… They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:27,32, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you overlooked Jesus in familiar stories? How might your daily struggles gain new meaning when seen as part of His grand narrative?

Day 2: Anointed Not by Oil, But by the Spirit

David’s oily coronation pointed beyond itself to a greater anointing. Ancient kings required ritual, but Jesus’ baptism unleashed the Spirit’s permanent fire. Just as David’s title “messiah” foreshadowed Christ’s cosmic reign, our small obediences today echo eternity. The smell of sheep still clung to David when the Spirit rushed in—God consecrates ordinary people for sacred purpose. True anointing isn’t about position, but surrender to the Anointed One. [23:21]

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, NIV)

Reflection: What mundane part of your routine might God be using to prepare you for sacred service? How does the Spirit’s presence redefine your idea of “success”?

Day 3: The Unlikely Shepherd Becomes God’s Chosen

Jesse’s backyard became a throne room when the eighth son shuffled in smelling of sheep. While brothers flexed stature, David’s heartbeat synced with God’s rhythm. Society dismisses the young, the rural, the overlooked—but Heaven’s searchlight finds willing vessels. Our King still bypasses boardrooms to recruit in break rooms, turning shepherds into psalmists and fishermen into apostles. [25:52]

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height… The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV)

Reflection: What “unimpressive” part of your story might God be highlighting for His glory? How could viewing others through Heaven’s lens change your relationships?

Day 4: When the Spirit Rushes In, But Life Stays the Same

David returned to sheep after his anointing, proving God’s timing transcends human urgency. The Spirit’s arrival didn’t erase dirty work—it infused it with purpose. Our culture craves overnight transformations, but true consecration often looks like folding laundry while waiting on promises. The Messiah spent 30 hidden years before 3 years of ministry. Slow obedience remains the proving ground of kings. [30:44]

“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:13, NIV)

Reflection: What faithful routine have you undervalued? How might today’s ordinary tasks train you for future Kingdom work?

Day 5: The King Who Gives His Life to Gain Ours

David’s flawed reign pointed to a perfect Ruler who’d trade His crown for a cross. Earthly kings demand blood oaths—Jesus shed His blood to end all oaths. Palm Sunday’s “Son of David” cheers turned to crucifixion cries, yet resurrection rewrote the ending. Our allegiance isn’t forced; it’s won through scars. Every communion cup whispers, “This King died to make you family.” [32:43]

“The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham…” (Matthew 1:1, NIV)

Reflection: Where do you still resist Christ’s gentle rule? How does His sacrificial love dismantle your fears of surrendering control?

Sermon Summary

The Old Testament stands as the backstory to Jesus, not as a separate story but as the script that already speaks his name. Jesus insists that the Scriptures testify about him, and on the road to Emmaus he opens Moses and the Prophets to show that all the lines run to him. David then steps forward as a crucial thread in that tapestry. From the first verse of Matthew to the closing chapter of Revelation, the title son of David wraps Jesus in David’s story, and Acts names David a man after God’s own heart. Yet the heartbeat underneath is this: David points to Jesus, and Jesus is the point.

First Samuel 16 tells why a new king is needed. God rejects Saul because fear, self-trust, and disobedience create a slow leak that finally strands Israel on the side of the road. God had warned that human kings would never rule like God rules, and Saul proves the warning true. Into that failure God sends Samuel to Bethlehem for an anointed king, a king God himself will indicate.

Anointing in Scripture marks someone set apart for sacred service. Prophets spoke God’s word, priests bore God’s presence and provision, and kings embodied God’s rule and reign, so oil consecrated each. The language ties the whole Bible together. Mashiach means anointed one in Hebrew. Christos means anointed one in Greek. Jesus Christ literally means Jesus the Anointed, and he is prophet, priest, and king in one person. The tabernacle theme then moves inward as the Spirit makes a people into a sacred place.

The selection scene unmasks human optics. Samuel sizes up Eliab and thinks, surely this is it, but the Lord looks past height and appearance and sees the heart. Seven brothers pass by, the number of completion, yet none is chosen. The youngest remains out with the sheep, ruddy and overlooked, the sort of outsider God loves to choose. The Spirit rushes upon David, and then the shepherd returns to the pasture. God’s king does not climb a platform like every other king. He serves in hiddenness until God’s time.

Another child of Bethlehem completes the pattern. Jesus is anointed not with oil but by the Spirit at his baptism. His kingdom is not like any other, and entrance comes by faith in what the King has made possible. This King does not demand allegiance by threat; he wins it by losing his life and giving life back. At the table, the church remembers that the true Anointed has set his seal and Spirit upon a people, guaranteeing what is to come.

Key Takeaways

1. The Old Testament is Jesus’ backstory The Scriptures are not a maze to master but a testimony to receive. When Jesus says they testify about him, interpretation changes from rule-hunting to Christ-beholding. Reading David that way keeps moral lessons in their place and puts Messiah at the center where he belongs. The backstory only sings when it’s heard as his story [06:44]
2. Anointing sets apart for service Anointing is not a vibe, it is consecration. Prophets, priests, and kings received oil because God assigned them to speak, to mediate presence, and to rule. Jesus gathers all three streams in himself as the true Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One. By his Spirit, he makes a people into a living tabernacle set apart for sacred work [23:35]
3. God sees heart over optics Saul’s image shined while his inner life leaked, and the blowout finally came. God’s choice of the youngest shepherd exposes how easily appearances hijack discernment. Hidden faithfulness in unseen fields becomes the forge where a real king is formed. Selection by sight fails because the Lord searches the heart [24:55]
4. Jesus wins allegiance by dying Earthly kings demand loyalty to save their own power. The Son of David gives up his life to give life back, drawing people to himself by cross and resurrection. Entry into his kingdom is by faith, not fear, and allegiance grows as his grace is remembered at the table. Love, not coercion, is how this King reigns [32:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:42] - Summer series kickoff
[02:25] - After God’s Own Heart
[02:45] - Island backstory illustration
[06:00] - Old Testament as Jesus’ backstory
[07:51] - Why David saturates the New Testament
[11:27] - A man after God’s heart
[12:03] - David points to Jesus
[14:39] - David’s calling and anointing
[15:41] - Why a new king replaces Saul
[22:39] - Messiah and Christ explained
[24:55] - God looks at the heart
[31:42] - Jesus the unlikely anointed King
[34:12] - Communion with the true King

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
1 Samuel 16:1-13 (ESV)
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” [...] For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. [...] And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” [...] And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.

Observation questions

In 1 Samuel 16:1, why did God send Samuel to Jesse’s family? What does this reveal about how God’s kings differ from human expectations of leadership?
What does Samuel’s mistake with Eliab (1 Samuel 16:6-7) teach us about the difference between human judgment and God’s perspective?
How does the sermon describe the purpose of anointing in the Old Testament, and how does Jesus fulfill all three roles of prophet, priest, and king? [23:35]

Interpretation questions

Why does God emphasize seeing the heart rather than outward appearance in choosing David? How might this principle challenge cultural values today?
The sermon says David’s story “sings” only when heard as part of Jesus’ story. How does viewing Old Testament figures like David as “backstory” to Christ change the way we read Scripture? [06:44]
Why did David return to shepherding after being anointed (1 Samuel 16:13-19)? What does this reveal about God’s timing and preparation for leadership?

Application questions

In what areas of your life do you tend to prioritize outward success or appearance over inner faithfulness? How could you cultivate a heart that God delights in?
The sermon states, “Jesus wins allegiance by dying, not demanding.” How does this truth reshape your understanding of loyalty to God compared to worldly authority? [32:43]
If anointing means being “set apart for sacred service,” what ordinary, hidden areas of your life (work, family, daily routines) might God be using to prepare you for His purposes?
How does regularly remembering Jesus’ sacrifice at communion strengthen your trust in His kingship? What practical step could you take to reflect on this more intentionally? [34:12]
David was an unlikely leader. Where have you seen God use unexpected people or circumstances in your life or community to display His power?

Sermon Clips

44s

#KingdomByFaith

“He said, I'm starting a new kingdom, and it I'm not a king like any other one you've seen. And you can live in my kingdom if you want. And the way you enter this kingdom is by faith that the king has made possible. king, our king Jesus, does not demand our allegiance for fear of losing our lives. In fact, he loses his life in order to give us ours unlike any other king. He attracts our allegiance through his death and resurrection, not demand it.”

40s

#HumbleShepherd

“He went back to tending sheep. That doesn't seem like what should come next, does it? It seems like the spirit rushes on you, and you are catapulted into great positions of leadership. That's not the way it worked for David. He wasn't gonna be a king like every other king. He went back to being the shepherd. And you know what? David, I'll remind you, is not the point. He never would be the point because there would be another child of Bethlehem.”

58s

#AnointedAndSealed

“And so as we launch study into a man after God's own heart, I hope that you see David, but I hope that more you see Jesus. And as we remember together who Jesus is, he came, and what he offers we can celebrate. Because ultimately anoints us. The apostle Paul writes this in second Corinthians chapter one. He said, he, Jesus, anointed us. He set his seal of ownership on us and put his spirit in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.”

26s

#GodChoosesMisfits

“outsiders and misfits and insignificance are God's specialty. He has a pattern of using, not only using, but choosing. Not only choosing, but anointing them. And that's who David is. David is the Lord's unlikely, likely anointed.”

35s

#ProphetPriestKing

“There would be one who was not just a king. He was the prophet, the priest, the king, and the tabernacle all rolled into one. There would be one who was anointed, but not just by oil, by the spirit at his baptism, Jesus. Jesus was the new anointed unlikely king. everything that we're reading points to his kingship.”

33s

#JesusDwellsInUs

“And so, the anointing is a is a big deal. Jesus, the anointed one. And guess, Jesus was all three of those jobs, the prophet, the priest, and the king. And the New Testament would go on to say that and the meeting place of God, the the tabernacle is within you. Jesus makes his home in us, and therefore, we become anointed. We become a sacred place.”

29s

#SlowLeakOfLeadership

“Saul did okay for a while, and he looked good on the outside, but he had some some slow leaks. You never have a slow leak in, one of your tires or or something like that. And it's not enough that it blows out immediately, but if you don't address it over time, it'll stop you in your tracks. And that's exactly what happened to the first king, to to king Saul.”

25s

#RejectedKing

“pause there for a second, and let's ask this question. Why do they need a new king? Well, it's right there in verse one. Because God has rejected the old king. And so you might ask, who was the old king, and why was he rejected? Great question. Here's an even better question. Why did they have a king at all?”

28s

#DavidBeyondGoliath

“The Old Testament's the backstory to Jesus, and the series that we kick off today is about one of the most important people in the entire Old Testament, and his name is David. And that was his statue that you saw in our series graphic. And David's pretty well known. Everybody's sort of the giant. Right? David and and Goliath. But the rest of his life was just as significant.”

31s

#LiveUnderTheKing

“And so if we learn what David has to teach us about Jesus and we allow Jesus to invite us to live in his kingdom under the rule and reign of the king, then, we will have spent our time well. Now, it's gonna be a little bit different in terms of our teaching rotation over the summer. I'm so excited that you're gonna get to hear at every campus and online from all of our teaching team.”

30s

#SaulRejected

“And God says, I don't want you to do it that way. Don't take anything, certainly do not bring their king back. And Saul doesn't listen to either of those things. he builds a monument to himself, so God rejects Saul. That's what has just happened. And so here's the what I need you to see is that before we even get introduced to David,”

22s

#ObedienceOverConquest

“It comes to a head in chapter 15 right before where we started, where he doesn't follow God's instructions. And then God's instructions were that I want you to go defeat the Amalekites, but I don't want you to do it the way every other king does. Every other king when that wins a battle to gain power and wealth.”

25s

#PeopleWantedAKing

“there is a backstory. And and the backstory is that the people wanted a king. And God said, well, I'm your king. And they said, well, we want one that we can see and talk to every day. And so gives them a king. That king ends up being just like every other king. And so God rejects him as king, and now we come to the calling of David. So,”

24s

#IsraelAskedForAKing

“If you went all the way back to the beginning of the book of first Samuel, you'd find this request by the people of Israel to their God that they wanted a king. They had not had a king up until that point, and they wanted a king just like every other nation. And God's response to them was,”

29s

#FearWantedAVisibleKing

“I'm your king. You don't you're not like every other nation. You don't need a king like them, But they insisted mostly out of fear, fear that they would not be as, defend defended as, as powerful against their enemies and mistrust that how can we know that you're really going to protect us, God? And so God,”

28s

#DangersOfHumanKings

“grants their request, but not without warning them of the dangers of human authority. He warns them, and he says, are are getting a king, and you need to be that no one's a king like I'm a king. And so just be aware of that at the at the outset. And and Samuel, who's the prophet writing first Samuel, see how that works,”

32s

#AnointingIsKey

“There's two lines in here that use the the term anointed, and and and we need to understand a little bit about why was God's anointing such a big deal. Anoint for me, the one I indicate. After seeing, Eliab, Samuel says, surely the Lord's anointed standing here. Anointing is a big deal. 60 plus times in the Old Testament,”

30s

#JesusAtTheCenter

“So what we're gonna do is put Jesus in the center of the picture David points us to Jesus, and Jesus is the point, and Jesus changes the way I live my life. That understanding who Jesus is, I get backstory from who David is and who Jesus is changes my life. And so if we learn”

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When God Chooses the Unlikely: David's Anointing | After God's Own Heart Week 1

Devotional

Day 1: The Backstory That Illuminates the King

Day 2: Anointed Not by Oil, But by the Spirit

Day 3: The Unlikely Shepherd Becomes God’s Chosen

Day 4: When the Spirit Rushes In, But Life Stays the Same

Day 5: The King Who Gives His Life to Gain Ours

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

When God Chooses the Unlikely: David's Anointing | After God's Own Heart Week 1

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