The Choosing of the King (UNEDITED)
It was a hot day, like so many others, in Israel, and David was watching his sheep, as was his duty. The sun shone down on the slightly brown-colored grass, and, occasionally, sparkled off one of the few remaining dewdrops hanging, nearly motionless, from the tips of greener blades of grass. One might wonder if the dew had made the grass greener, or if the greener grass better attracted dew.
David scanned the surrounding countryside, shielding his eyes when he turned to the east. Nothing. These days were rather boring. Still, it was his duty, and he had much of the day left. He took a look at his sheep. In truth, credibility couldn't be lent to any claim that sheep are decidedly and necessarily cute, for his seldom seemed to show any emotion at all. The methodical, extremely boring jaw movements of a cow could be compared fairly to the movements the sheep made. On the other hand, cows do have something distinctly more boring than sheep.
Far away, a man called Samuel was sleeping in his rather primitive cot, sucking his thumb and snoring in a way that couldn't accurately be described as either softly or deeply. In truth, it was more of both. It was deep and rumbling, but also almost mute. Just in time to stop me from describing it, a voice called out, somewhat quietly, "Samuel!"
Samuel's reaction to this wasn't an entirely surprised one. He whipped his thumb out of his mouth, managing somehow not to wet the whole room, and sat up with almost ridiculous speed. He immediately began attempting to yawn in a convincing way, in order to replace the reality of surprise on his face with something less revealing and embarrassing.
"Yes, Lord?" he queried, still stretching, yawning at an annoying rate, and doing generally waking up type things.
"Fill your horn with oil, and go on down to Jesse the Bethlehemite's, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons."
"How am I to go?" Samuel queried, not particularly inclined to do this task anyway, let alone in a time your head would be in imminent danger of abandoning the rest of your body without notice while in Saul's vicinity. By this time, Samuel had managed to get over the fact that he had nearly been scared out of two and a half of the three dimensions when God spoke to him first that day.
"Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me who I shall declare to you."
It was somewhat later when Samuel was going about sacrificing the heifer when Jesse and his sons came along. Samuel consecrated them all, and they joined him.
Well into the afternoon, Samuel looked at Eliab, and thought, "Hah! This guy's got to be the one."
God said, however, "Nope, Samuel, I'm not really looking for the tallest or strongest man among his sons."
Ten more of Jesse's sons went past Samuel without avail. By this time, Samuel had become slightly bored. This wasn't entirely abnormal. He figured that there had to be at least one or two things about him that the Lord was trying to fix up in putting him through eleven sons.
Suddenly, he noticed that there weren't any more. This mildly troubled him. Usually, God accomplished his purpose when he sent Samuel around.
"Have you no other sons, Jesse," Samuel said, looking genuinely puzzled and scanning the surroundings a bit, just to make sure he wasn't missing anyone.
"Well, there's David, but he's out keeping the sheep."
"Go get him, for I will not sit down until he is here," Samuel said, trying to assume the rigid, decided expression that his words ought to have been accompanied by.
Jesse came back, eventually, leading David behind him. Samuel thought, for a second, how well-formed his features were, his face and eyes admirable to a mildly spectacular degree.
"Arise, anoint him, for this is he," the Lord said. Samuel anointed him, hoping he wouldn't be killed too soon for this.
And, in truth, the Spirit of the Lord came into David in following days. He couldn't exactly grab the crown form Saul and shove him off the throne. It'd mean war, eventually. For now, David would have to go under cover, waiting until the Lord should choose a time for him to finally take over from Saul, and lead Israel as the Lord commanded. Samuel never did get over that thumb-sucking problem, though.
David scanned the surrounding countryside, shielding his eyes when he turned to the east. Nothing. These days were rather boring. Still, it was his duty, and he had much of the day left. He took a look at his sheep. In truth, credibility couldn't be lent to any claim that sheep are decidedly and necessarily cute, for his seldom seemed to show any emotion at all. The methodical, extremely boring jaw movements of a cow could be compared fairly to the movements the sheep made. On the other hand, cows do have something distinctly more boring than sheep.
Far away, a man called Samuel was sleeping in his rather primitive cot, sucking his thumb and snoring in a way that couldn't accurately be described as either softly or deeply. In truth, it was more of both. It was deep and rumbling, but also almost mute. Just in time to stop me from describing it, a voice called out, somewhat quietly, "Samuel!"
Samuel's reaction to this wasn't an entirely surprised one. He whipped his thumb out of his mouth, managing somehow not to wet the whole room, and sat up with almost ridiculous speed. He immediately began attempting to yawn in a convincing way, in order to replace the reality of surprise on his face with something less revealing and embarrassing.
"Yes, Lord?" he queried, still stretching, yawning at an annoying rate, and doing generally waking up type things.
"Fill your horn with oil, and go on down to Jesse the Bethlehemite's, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons."
"How am I to go?" Samuel queried, not particularly inclined to do this task anyway, let alone in a time your head would be in imminent danger of abandoning the rest of your body without notice while in Saul's vicinity. By this time, Samuel had managed to get over the fact that he had nearly been scared out of two and a half of the three dimensions when God spoke to him first that day.
"Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me who I shall declare to you."
It was somewhat later when Samuel was going about sacrificing the heifer when Jesse and his sons came along. Samuel consecrated them all, and they joined him.
Well into the afternoon, Samuel looked at Eliab, and thought, "Hah! This guy's got to be the one."
God said, however, "Nope, Samuel, I'm not really looking for the tallest or strongest man among his sons."
Ten more of Jesse's sons went past Samuel without avail. By this time, Samuel had become slightly bored. This wasn't entirely abnormal. He figured that there had to be at least one or two things about him that the Lord was trying to fix up in putting him through eleven sons.
Suddenly, he noticed that there weren't any more. This mildly troubled him. Usually, God accomplished his purpose when he sent Samuel around.
"Have you no other sons, Jesse," Samuel said, looking genuinely puzzled and scanning the surroundings a bit, just to make sure he wasn't missing anyone.
"Well, there's David, but he's out keeping the sheep."
"Go get him, for I will not sit down until he is here," Samuel said, trying to assume the rigid, decided expression that his words ought to have been accompanied by.
Jesse came back, eventually, leading David behind him. Samuel thought, for a second, how well-formed his features were, his face and eyes admirable to a mildly spectacular degree.
"Arise, anoint him, for this is he," the Lord said. Samuel anointed him, hoping he wouldn't be killed too soon for this.
And, in truth, the Spirit of the Lord came into David in following days. He couldn't exactly grab the crown form Saul and shove him off the throne. It'd mean war, eventually. For now, David would have to go under cover, waiting until the Lord should choose a time for him to finally take over from Saul, and lead Israel as the Lord commanded. Samuel never did get over that thumb-sucking problem, though.
Harhar.
!Noah!
1 comment:
Oh, man, that's awesome, Noah.
I love the last sentence....XD
Sheep are decidedly and necessarily cute.
Post a Comment