Studying the Scriptures can be like the 3 Dimensional Work of the Shroud of Turin.
A real human being is seen. Jesus of Nazareth. All of the Scriptures point to Jesus as God's Son. To see the importance of each person. We know well the Highest Love Father God has - to save the world in Jesus Christ. John 1 tells us the
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
I'd thought of Jesse as a father who neglected to bring his youngest son to Samuel and as a result, was told to stand until the youngest son could be gathered from the field and brought in. I'd thought Jesse was a cog of the genealogy of Jesus. The Bible is rich to say, "Salvation" and truthful to say." sinner". The stories of the ordinary Bible people also show us reasons why Father God has tender care.
The Scripture today is the Anointing of David - 1 Samuel 16. An impressive anointing. David himself is recorded after his earthy win-win-win - 22 years of struggling - then 40 Biblical Years of struggling at the top. David - is recorded as being utterly overwhelmed at the earthly and then the Eternal Blessings of Father God to this very flawed individual. David is just about the most impressed human being in all of Scriptures. Completely in awe of the Mercy and Tenderness of God the Almighty Father towards David of "not remembered in the fields", hiding in caves, mercenary, warrior, Chief Worrier, , family kidnapped, not crowned immediately after Saul died, Adulterer, murderer, Father with multiple problematic situations with less than pleasant outcomes. A Struggle. Almost always. And inspirationally trusting God.
So what happened to David's family from Bethlehem... David did not forget them. 1005 BC: David takes his parents to Mizpah of Moab leaving them with the king to keep them safe from Saul.1 Samuel 22:3-4
What was Jesse to God? Well, in the scandal of not bringing David forth to the Head of The Tabernacle - Samuel; we find Jesse is actually an old man. 3 of his sons are seasoned warriors of Saul's. This was new to me.
Isaiah knew Boaz, Jesse's Grandfather was the column of the front of the Temple of Jerusalem. Important to David and Solomon. Isaiah knew Jesse was important to David. This insight is of deep importance because this is from the Almighty God Himself.
Isaiah 11:10
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Not David. The Root of Jesse is glorious. A thousand years later - Paul finds Jesse equally important.
Romans 15:12
And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope."
So little is known of Joseph - earthly father to Jesus. Jesse - forbearer to Mary and Joseph - both- is tenderly mentioned many times in Scripture. And tells us of David's father, worthy of such remembrance in the heart of Father God.
We welcome the story of Jesse:
Beloved of God. Usually considered mere background. And yet... not to God. Dearly Beloved.
Isaiah 11:1
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Ruth 4:17
17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!”
And they named him Obed.
He was the father of Jesse,
the father of David.
Ruth 4:22
Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
The population is roughly 5 million people. Samuel knows Jesse.
Matthew 1 Genealogy is important to the Children of Israel.
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.
1 Samuel 16:1
1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
1 Samuel 16:3
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”
1 Samuel 16:5 NIV
5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
1 Samuel 16:8 NIV
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
1 Samuel 16:9
9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.”
1 Samuel 16:10
10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.”
1 Samuel 16:11
11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
1 Samuel 16:18
18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”
1 Samuel 16:19 NIV
19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
1 Samuel 16:20 NIV
20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
1 Samuel 16:22
22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
1 Samuel 17:12
Now David was the son of an Ephrathite (The Ephrathites were people from Ephrath (or Ephrathah, which the Bible tells us was associated with Bethlehem south of Jerusalem. The word Ephrath in Hebrew means “fruitful,” and Bethlehem means “house of bread.”) named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah.
Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old.
1 Samuel 17:13
13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah.
1 Samuel 17:17
17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
1 Samuel 17:20
20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.
1 Samuel 17:58
58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
1 Samuel 20:27
27 But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”
1 Samuel 20:30
30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?
1 Samuel 20:31 NIV
31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”
1 Samuel 22:7 NIV
7 He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
1 Samuel 22:8
8 Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”
1 Samuel 22:9
9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob.
1 Samuel 22:13
13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”
1 Samuel 25:10
10 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.
2 Samuel 20:1
1 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, Israel!”
2 Samuel 23
Now, these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man who was raised on high,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2
“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;
his word is on my tongue.
3
The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
ruling in the fear of God,
He dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning
Like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
“For does not my house stand so with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure."
1 Kings 12:16
16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israelites went home.
1 Chronicles 10:14 NIV
14 and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
1 Chronicles 12:18 NIV
18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.
1 Chronicles 29:26
26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.
2 Chronicles 10:16
16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So all the Israelites went home.
2 Chronicles 11:18
18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab.
Psalm 72:20
20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Abba, Heavenly Father,
The First Recipients of the Good News of Jesus Christ are Shepherds.
Those who tend to the care and nurture of what God has given them.
The Beloved of Father God are Shepherds.
Father God, we are the Sheep of Your Pasture. It is You who have made us and not we ourselves.
John 10:14
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me
1 Peter 5:4
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Abba, we will pray the prayer David knew of the business of Shepherding from his father: Jesse.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will "be the fruit of my life" all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the House of the Lord.
We would follow the example of Jesse - we would add this to our own Beloved. To the people Father God has given us. The people we pray for daily. To the Nation trusting in God. All the Nations trusting in God. Our employments, our communities, our Churches, our schools. More Heaven on earth and Holy Spirit, we ask in Jesus.
Amen.
The Root of Jesse would tenderly hold us
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