Provision

A Reflection on the First Reading for March 22nd, 2020:
Fourth Sunday of Lent

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1 Samuel 16

The Lord said to Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”

When the sons of Jesse came, Samuel looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as the human sees; the human looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” Jesse sent and brought David in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.

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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

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All this listening leads somewhere.  Especially during a time when things seem to be shifting out of our control.  Then and now.


Things are falling apart fast and Israel needs a new king. Samuel packs the oil, puts on his sandals and walks up the mountain following God’s direction. He has all the outward acts of obedience, but once Samuel gets there, staring down a line of potential kings, he starts to try and outguess God. Jump the gun in his gut. He’s got an itchy trigger finger on the horn of oil at his side. But he still listens — two voices in his head. His own and God’s, and he can tell the difference. It’s not Eliab he’s here for, it’s not any of them.


Jesse didn’t include David in the roll call at first. How long were they standing there, waiting for David to respond to the late summons? Waiting to hear what God says?


David approaches, and God speaks ’Rise and anoint him, for this is the one.’ 


I’ve heard this story before. The part that I always figured it pivoted on was,
‘…the Lord looks at the heart.’


But today the part that seems at the centre actually starts the story, 
‘I have provided for myself of king’
God makes His own provision. 


He provides what’s needed for the time, a king. Shapes him during the ins and outs of shepherding, and worshipping — the practice of speaking with his Shepherd in song. And now God whispers to His servant Samuel, to get out the horn. And then as the oil moves through David’s dusty hair and down his face, God breathes on him. Ruach. The Hebrew word that weaves through wind, and breath and Spirit. The next shaping as God continues to provide for Himself a king in the chaos.


God makes His own provision.


And we are His provision. 


It was December; I had been 18 for two whole weeks. I was in my first year of university and I had procrastinated to the point that I had backed myself into a dark corner. My family gone for the week, I lived at the dining room table facing down the barrel of 5 major papers and 5 major exams. By the 5th day alone, I started to loose it — all cohesion of self. I felt so lost and overwhelmed. I cried out to God, ‘I can’t do it!  I’m so absolutely alone. I need someone, NOW.’ And He said, ‘I’m here.’ I fell weeping onto my arms on the table as I threw back to Him, ‘But I need somebody with SKIN on!’ 


Fifteen minutes later the doorbell rang. Standing on the stoop was the pastor of the Nazarene church I was a part of. He said, ‘Come on out here. I was driving in my car and the Holy Spirit told me to go and give Noreen a hug.’ I stepped out onto the asphalt of my driveway and God gave me a hug with skin on.


We are God’s provision. His people are His provision for the chaos. He has made us, shaped us, trained us, and loved us to love others through us. Now we get to participate in His bringing order out of chaos yet again, listening to the Spirit, letting Him lead us to each other, and to others.

Through Him and with Him and in Him.


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Noreen Smith

Photo by Nina Strehl on Unsplash

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