Latest revision as of 14:13, 25 June 2025

Theological Proposition/Focus: God's sovereignty means that you are not accidentally in the right place at the right time but rather intentionally being prepared for whatever God has for you next.

Christ Focus: God’s sovereignty is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who orchestrates our paths in accordance with His divine purpose.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: This sermon can help Christians recognize that their current circumstances are not by chance but by God's design. It encourages them to trust in God's preparation for future roles despite any present difficulties or transitions they may be facing.

Introduction

Image: Teaching with your mouth shut

I used to teach a course that trained new teachers, and one of the books I particularly enjoyed using was Teaching With Your Mouth Shut by Donald L. Finkel. In it, Finkel challenges the traditional lecture-based model of education and instead advocates for a student-centered, inquiry-driven approach to teaching. He emphasizes the importance of creating environments where students take ownership of their learning—through discussion, exploration, and problem-solving—rather than passively absorbing information. Finkel argues that deep, meaningful learning occurs not when teachers dominate the classroom, but when they skillfully step back and design rich contexts for discovery. The book offers practical strategies to foster critical thinking and student engagement while highlighting the profound trust a teacher must have in their students' capacity to learn when given the right tools and space.

When people first hear the phrase "teaching with your mouth shut," they often assume it means the teacher isn't doing anything. Some of my own students would say, "But won't the students just think I haven't prepared anything?" That's when I would tell them the hard truth: a master teacher who has mastered inquiry-based teaching is actually in full control of the classroom—even though it may appear that the students are the ones leading the way. A well-constructed lesson creates a scenario in which every question, every moment of silence, and every student response has been anticipated and gently guided. The teacher subtly steers the ship at every turn without calling attention to their hand on the wheel. By the end of class, the students may walk out thinking they discovered everything on their own—while the teacher walks back to their office having checked off every instructional goal for the day.

I used to take great joy in using slides with this method. Students would ask a thoughtful question, thinking they were steering the discussion, and then I'd click to the next slide—which asked that very question and offered a direction for what to explore next. Their faces said it all: surprise, delight, and a growing confidence in their own ability to learn.

In many ways, I've come to believe that God sometimes works in our lives the same way. We feel like we are in complete control—making decisions, asking questions, discovering truths—when all the while, God is gently guiding the process, having prepared every step. It may feel like we're the ones charting the course, but in hindsight, we often see that His hand was guiding us all along.

Need: We need to recognize the sovereignty of God as He moves us through life.

Preview: Today we are going to see that there are no coincidences with God, obedience is key, and growth should never stop.

Setting the Stage:

Before we dive into our main text in 1 Samuel 16:14-23, I want us to set the stage by looking back at the verses that come just before. I preached on this passage a few months ago in my sermon on Romans 2:25-29. Saul, Israel's first king, started off with promise, but over time it became clear that he was not the kind of leader God desired. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul violated God's law by offering a sacrifice himself rather than waiting for Samuel. That act of irreverence revealed a deeper issue—Saul did not grasp that even a king is subject to God's authority. Then in 1 Samuel 14, his leadership began to show its instability as he made rash decisions during battle, putting his own son Jonathan in jeopardy. By 1 Samuel 15, Saul's pattern of partial obedience culminated in his failure to carry out God's command against the Amalekites. God, through Samuel, declared that obedience matters more than ritual sacrifice—and Saul had failed the test.

This brings us to 1 Samuel 16, where we see God initiating a transition. Saul may still wear the crown, but God is already preparing someone new—a man after His own heart. What's remarkable here is not just that God chooses someone else, but how He chooses him. The story of David's anointing teaches us that God looks beyond habitus—beyond appearance, status, and even behavior. God sees the heart. While people tend to be impressed by external strength, credentials, or charisma, God is not bound by our shallow metrics. He knows what truly qualifies a person for His purposes.

This is good news for all of us. It means you don't have to be the strongest, smartest, or most impressive person in the room to be used by God. David wasn't chosen because he looked like a king; in fact, he was the youngest, least likely candidate. But his heart was oriented toward God. Yes, David would later fail in significant ways, but his inner desire was to pursue God, to repent, and to walk in humility. And that's the kind of heart God uses.

Text: 1 Samuel 16:14-23 read all at the beginning. Psalm 139:13-16 read with the subpoint.

Body

Coincidence — If everything seems to be lining up, then you should consider, maybe this is God's doing.

The supernatural world is very real and very active, and God sovereignly uses the supernatural.

In 1 Samuel 16 we see David's first appearance in Scripture, and David's first appearance marks a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative, as seen in 1 Samuel 16. This chapter presents two tightly connected episodes: his anointing by Samuel (vv. 1-13) and his subsequent arrival in Saul's royal court (vv. 14-23). While some scholars treat these as separate traditions, a literary reading reveals strong thematic unity. God is shown working both overtly—through Samuel's anointing—and providentially—through circumstances that bring David into Saul's service. The Spirit of the Lord rushing upon David (v. 13) contrasts sharply with the Spirit's departure from Saul (v. 14), highlighting God's sovereign hand and introducing David as a Spirit-empowered figure whose leadership will stand in contrast to Saul's decline.^[1]

Throughout this introduction to David, we are going to see, in a very profound way, that there are no coincidences when God is at work. Verse 14 begins by telling us that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. This is a pivotal moment. God has moved on from Saul and is going to begin working in a different direction. Now, we know that none of this took God by surprise, but still we are supposed to see, even taste, a profound change in direction. Things are going to be different now.

The elephant in the room through this passage is the supernatural. There are things going on behind the scenes that we cannot see, that we do not understand, and those forces are at work here. At first glance, you may be bothered by the description of the "evil spirit from the Lord." Don't read too much into the word evil here. The Hebrew phrase רוּחַ רָעָה מֵאֵת יְהוָה (ruach ra'ah me'eth Yahweh) has a wide range of meaning, and while it is possible to translate this as a morally corrupt demon being sent from God, it is also possible and perhaps preferable to think of the Hebrew רָעָה (ra'ah) as misery and consider this rather as an angel of judgment. In other words, Saul's continued rejection of God resulted in God passing judgment on Saul and sending an angel of judgment who would ensure that Saul experienced the misery that was brought about by his choices.

Before you think, "Wait, that is not fair," remember that part of the covenant God had made with Israel was that obedience would result in great blessing, but disobedience would result in judgment. We won't read it all today, but take a moment sometime and review Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Saul deserved the judgment God was providing.

God's sovereignty means that God knows how things will play out and positions people according to His plan.

Whatever exactly this Spirit from God was, the results were devastating. To say that Saul was moody is an understatement. Saul is downright nasty, and all those around him begin to notice. Their solution, they believe, is to provide Saul with some music, and so they offer to seek out someone who can play the harp. But wait, David plays the harp; what a coincidence.

In fact, this is no coincidence, and the text is careful to point out to us a very important observation at the end of verse 18. The Lord is with this David. While I am sure the servants didn't understand all that was happening behind the scenes, God understood and scripted it all. And so while the Spirit of God is no longer with Saul, in fact, Saul is not abandoned, and through God's master plan, the Spirit of God returns to the presence of Saul, but this time through His servant David. God has handled every detail and set exactly the right people in the right places so that His plan can play out.

As we go through life, we need to recognize that God is at work in all the little details. There are no coincidences with God, and we should not be surprised when all the details just so happen to line up.

God knows you and directs your steps (Psalm 139:13-16).

In the larger context of Psalm 139, David talks about how God has searched him and knows him. How God knows exactly what David is doing, the when, the where. David talks about how the Spirit of God is an ever-present reality and that no one can hide from God or avoid God.

Then in verses 13-16, David makes some profound observations. Read with me Psalm 139:13-16: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

God knew David even before David was fully formed. If we really believe in a God who is completely and totally sovereign, then we need to believe in a God who is systematically and intentionally directing our paths.

MTR: Look for God's work in your life and praise Him when you see puzzle pieces falling in line.

Obedience — If God directs you onto a certain path, make a point of following.

David probably did not expect to be a professional musician.

Look again at verse 18. David is described as all sorts of things (well-spoken, fine-looking, God is with him, brave) and had even been anointed King. David might have easily thought he was above playing music for the King. Think about it; David probably assumed he would take care of his father's sheep for the rest of his life. He might have imagined being part of the army, but I highly doubt that in a culture and economy like that of Israel, David ever imagined being a professional musician.

Obedience to God demands that we do exactly what He tells us to do. Think about this: God had lined up all the details, but that does not mean that David did not hold responsibility. David was responsible for obeying his father's command and going before the king. Note: this was a king who was largely a madman. David was responsible for obedience even though I highly doubt any of this was in the 5, 10, or 15-year plan.

I wonder if David even realized this was all part of God's big plan.

Take a second with me and try to put yourself in David's shoes. A shepherd who has done a good job protecting the sheep and probably imagines spending his life caring for the sheep has just been thrust into the king's court. If I were David, I doubt I would have put all the pieces together. I would have just been in a state of shock. What is happening to my life? What is happening to all of my plans? I am speculating here, but the whole text really makes it feel like God is working deep in the background and nobody even realizes all the details that God is working on. It makes me wonder, in my own life, what is God doing that I have no idea about? Am I willing to follow God regardless?

In order to truly follow God, we need humility.

Humility is critical in following God's plan (Proverbs 16:9).

Why do I emphasize humility here? Well, think about this part of David's perspective. David has been anointed king. This is no small or insignificant event. David is going to be the next king. As David enters Saul's court, it is on the one hand very dangerous for him, and on the other hand, kind of beneath him. What I mean by beneath him is that while David was not king yet, it is the case that Saul was already rejected. What could this future king learn from this lame duck? The answer: a lot if he was humble.

Proverbs 16:9 states: "In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." You probably believe this on some level. But let me ask: Do you believe this completely? Are you willing to completely trust God's direction of your steps?

MTR: Embrace humility as you choose to trust God's leading.

Growth — Since none of us has arrived, we should expect to learn and grow along the way.

Image: Your ears stop growing when you die.

Did you know that your ears never stop growing? Well, sort of. They continue to change throughout a person's life. Made of cartilage, ears slowly elongate due to gravity and the natural breakdown of skin elasticity and collagen. This process makes them appear to grow, even though the actual growth is minimal. In a poetic sense, then, your ears keep "growing" your whole life.

Maybe we should all take a lesson from our ears; we should never think we've "arrived" spiritually. Someone might say, "Your ears don't stop growing until you die." But that saying should, in fact, mark our spiritual walk. We should not stop growing, ever!

One thing that especially stands out to me in this passage is the reality that God was at work all the while preparing David for his anointed job.

In the presence of the King, David would have learned lessons necessary to run a government.

David's role as a musician and armor-bearer in Saul's court provided him with invaluable experience and insight into leadership, which God would later use for His kingdom's purposes. Think about it for a moment. Running a government is complicated. I have to admit, I really don't understand all the procedural elements of a new bill becoming a law in our government. Sure, I understand the basics, but the actual steps are well beyond me. I enjoy listening to Dick talk about different bills he has worked on and all the hoops involved in getting something from the idea stage to becoming law, but it is well beyond me.

As I reflect on David, it makes me wonder: What sorts of conversations did he overhear? What diplomats were in the room with David? What personalities and negotiation techniques did David learn? What did David observe as Saul interacted with local leaders within the kingdom? What did David hear that allowed him to better know personalities and how to interact with the various tribal leaders? I have no idea what all David learned, but what I do know is that God positioned David to learn.

This suggests that current roles, no matter how minor they seem, are part of God's training ground for future responsibilities.

As a shepherd in the field, David would have intimate knowledge of how to lead.

Have you ever heard that sheep are really dumb animals? I have never been a shepherd, but my brother was a shepherd for a few days when one of his friends had to take a trip away from the sheep. My brother tells me that sheep really are dumb. There are times when it is almost as if the sheep want to die as they make bad decisions and stubbornly follow those decisions.

Wildabeasts in Africa

It is sort of like the wildebeests in Africa. I am convinced God created them for no other purpose than to be eaten by everything else.

As a shepherd, I am sure David learned how to lead sheep who wanted to make bad decisions, but guess what? People are also pretty dumb and will make dumb decisions. Ok, truly I don't know how much overlap exists between leading sheep and leading people, but here is what I do know: David would have had a lot of time to reflect on God, and I am guessing that a lot of the ideas for the Psalms came as David watched the sheep. I also know that David learned how to valiantly fight. The Bible tells us that as a shepherd, David killed both lion and bear.

We have not arrived, and so with humility we should seek to learn in our current position so we are prepared for the future, wherever God may lead.

The reality that each of us faces is the reality that we have not arrived. God uses fallen, broken people, and He is preparing us for the tasks He has in mind for us.

I don't know what this looks like for you, but what I do know is that God has never wasted the lessons He has taught me.

Image: How God has trained me.

I grew up as a pastor's son in a small town with a small church. My dad was the pastor, but in reality, my whole family worked for the church. That was just how we lived. Dad's job was not just a job but a way of life, and so I will tell you most of what I learned in seminary was Greek and Hebrew; my dad had already taught a lot. Not to be arrogant but rather to highlight just what it looked like to serve alongside my dad. In fact, I tested out of something like 10 courses in seminary by taking the final exams and doing very well on them without taking the class. That is not to brag on myself; it took me 18 years to learn it, but rather to brag on how God prepared me for seminary.

My first job in high school and through college was as a mechanic. I learned to work with my hands and learned how to troubleshoot cars. As a math professor, I can't say I had a whole lot of use for those skills, and you might think that as a pastor the same would hold true. But that would be wrong. I cannot tell you how many meaningful spiritual conversations I have been able to have under the hood of a car helping someone with their car.

After graduating college, I got a job teaching math. I taught both at the college level and in a high school. I was also given the opportunity to observe elementary and middle school teacher training and eventually teach master's level courses for elementary teachers. As a pastor, I teach all the time, and I have learned how to take very technical information (math) and bring it down to a level that is accessible to younger kids while challenging to all ages. Again, coincidence? I don't think so.

While working on my PhD, one of the faculty members took me under his wing and began teaching me not math but rather how to navigate departmental politics and in particular, get people with varying opinions and positions to follow my lead. Upon completing my PhD, I was hired by the University of Nebraska to come into the math department and shake things up by completely reimagining how all first-year math courses were taught. As a pastor, the real work of my job is in leading people who have strong and varied opinions.

None of these skills are skills I would have learned in seminary!

So that is my story; again, it is not to brag on myself but instead to say that God has prepared me at every turn for where He has me, and my expectation is that God has me here for decades, but if that is not the case, then I am sure I will look back and say, "Oh yeah, look at how He prepared me for this."

MTR: Position yourself and your heart for growth.

1. ↑ Bill T. Arnold, 1 & 2 Samuel, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), 238-239.