(11) And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. (12) And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. (13) Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
How wonderful are the ways and works of the Lord! I pass over several otherwise very interesting circumstances in this account, which might be largely dwelt upon, both in respect to the mind of the prophet, and of Jesse the father, to attend wholly to him, whom the Lord singled out from the rest. And as everything in the life of David is memorable, from the very many views of him, in which he stands forth as a type of our glorious David; it is here chiefly in the opening of his history, I would beg the Reader's more awakened attention. First then, when we are told concerning him, that he was ruddy and of a beautiful countenance; doth it not suggest to the Reader somewhat of his features, of whom the Church sings so sweetly, when she saith; my beloved is white, and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. Song of Solomon 5:10. And doth not the very name of David, which means beloved, instantly, when known, direct our hearts to him, who is by way of eminency, called the only begotten and beloved of the Father, in whom his soul is well pleased. Matthew 12:18. Moreover, when we see all the sons of Jesse passed by, and the youngest who was so little regarded, as to be sent to the humblest employment in the family, chosen of God and approved; how is it possible to overlook the Lord Jesus, that stone (as the apostle calls him) which was set at nought by the builders, and which is become the head of the corner. Acts 4:11. And when we see the poor, overlooked, and forgotten son of Jesse thus gathered out from among his brethren; surely we cannot but call to mind Jesus, who is introduced in that humble, low, and despised state when entering on his ministry, that even his brethren did not believe on him. John 7:5. Yes! dearest Lord! I would desire to trace even the minutest points of the signalized characters in thy word, which represent thee, somewhat to lead to thee. And as I know, from thine own authority, that thy goings forth have been from of old from everlasting, when thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people: so I behold the outlines of thy sweet features of character, as the Mediator and Redeemer of thy people, in these and numberless other instances marked in thy types and servants. As the Lord designed David to the kingdom; so from everlasting the Lord Jehovah set up our Jesus as the King in Zion. And as David was anointed with the holy oil; so Jesus had the Spirit poured out without measure. John 3:34.