The Jesse Tree ~ December 11: Jesse

Symbol: shepherd’s staff

1 Sam. 16:1-13
¹ Yahweh said to Samuel, ‘How much longer do you mean to go on mourning over Saul, now that I myself have rejected him as ruler of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have found myself a king from among his sons.’ ²Samuel replied, ‘How can I go? When Saul hears of it he will kill me.’ Yahweh then said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, “I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.” ³Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I shall reveal to you what you must do; and you will anoint for me the one I indicate to you.’ ⁴Samuel did what Yahweh ordered and went to Bethlehem.

The elders of the town came trembling to meet him and asked, ‘Seer, is your coming favourable for us,’ ⁵‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.⁶ When they arrived, he looked at Eliab and thought, ‘This must be Yahweh’s anointed now before him,’ ⁷but Yahweh said to Samuel, ‘Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him; God does not see as human beings see; they look at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart.’

⁸Jesse then called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, ‘Yahweh has not chosen this one either.’ ⁹Jesse then presented Shammah, but Samuel said, ‘Yahweh has not chosen this one either.’ ¹⁰Jesse thus presented seven of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Yahweh has not chosen these.’ ¹¹He then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ Jesse replied, ‘There is still one left, the youngest; he is looking after the sheep.’ Samuel then said to Jesse, ‘Send for him, for we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives.’ ¹²Jesse had him sent for; he had ruddy cheeks, with fine eyes and an attractive appearance. Yahweh said, ‘Get up and anoint him: he is the one!’ ¹³At this, Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him, surrounded by his brothers; and the spirit of Yahweh seized on David from that day onwards. Samuel, for his part, set off and went to Ramah.

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