Every time we tell a story, whether it's a true story or make-believe, we include some things and we leave other things out. Sometimes we leave things out because we just don't have time: our parents are telling us to hurry, our children are telling us to hurry, or the bell to come in from recess just rang. Sometimes we leave things out because the people listening don't have enough patience, or appreciation, for a good story. Have you ever tried to tell a story and the person you're talking to says, "will you get to the point?" Sometimes we leave things out because we don't know them, or we don't remember them. For example, whenever I tell the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I have to leave out the names of the seven men because I just can't remember them. Sometimes we leave things out because if we left them in the story wouldn't be as good. Sometimes that's good writing. Sometimes that's called cheating.
So whenever I hear a story, especially a story from the Bible, I wonder about the things that were left out. In this story about David and Samuel and Jesse, what was left out? And what about those things that were left out?
Well, first of all, we don't hear anything about David's mother! Who was probably Jesse's wife. Yes, it would be a hard scripture to preach on Mother's Day, because we don't know her name or anything else about her! And I don't think we learn anything about her in the rest of the Bible. We also don't hear anything about David's sisters. He probably had them—it's unusual to have a family of 8 boys with no girls—but we don't know.
Now why did the writer leave them out? Well, he or she, but probably he, may not have known anything about them. In those days, thousands of years ago, girls and women wouldn't have been invited to go to a sacrifice. And although women sometimes became Queens, a girl never would have been chosen to become a queen if she had brothers who could become kings. So, they probably stayed at home. They were left out of the story.
We also don't know the names of all of David's brothers. Did you notice that? We learn the name of the oldest brother, Eliab. We also learn the name of the second brother, Abinadab, and—although this was not in our dramatic reading—we learn the name of the third brother, Shammah. But we don't know the names of brothers four, five, six and seven. Maybe the writer ran out of time, or the people who first heard this story may have lost patience. After all, once Samuel said, "No, he is not the one" to Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah, we get the point.
We also don't know how David's brothers or David's father, Samuel, felt when they saw David, the baby, being chosen and anointed as the future King of Israel. Were the brothers jealous? Most people are at least a little jealous of their brothers and sisters. Older sisters often feel their younger sisters get to break the rules without getting in trouble—I know this because I'm an older sister. Younger brothers often feel their older brothers get all kinds of special privileges because they're older. Middle brothers and sisters sometimes feel lost in the middle, and children without brothers and sisters sometimes feel they're missing something special.
So when Eliab and Abinadab and Shammah see David anointed in front of them, were they jealous? Did they feel hurt, that God hadn't chosen them? After all, as the eldest son, Eliab could have expected to get the largest inheritance and be the first in line for a special privilege or responsibility. Did he feel hurt when Samuel said, "No, not this one?"
And how about David? He must have been surprised, and maybe excited, but was he also scared? After all, it was not easy being King of Israel! It could be dangerous, and there were many things to worry about: other nations that wanted to invade, making sure the people had enough to eat, and many other things. We also don't know how Jesse, the father, felt. Proud? Confused? Frightened? Certainly, he must never have imagined that one of his sons would become King, for he was not from a powerful or royal family.
We don't know these things because they were left out of the story. The writer, and the people who told this story before it was actually written down, may not have known how anybody felt. Or she may not have felt it was important to include in the story, or she may not have remembered the names of all of David's brothers or of his sisters. The writer does want us to know that God chose someone that no one expected. God didn't pick the oldest and tallest and perhaps the most handsome son of Jesse, the one Samuel thought looked like a future king. God surprised everyone by choosing the youngest son of Jesse.
When Samuel says to himself, "Surely God's anointed is now before me," God says to Samuel, "Do not look upon his appearance or the height of his stature; for God does not see as mortals see, they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." Samuel could not see on Eliab's heart. The writer of this story, too, could not see on the hearts of Eliab, or David, or Samuel or Jesse. The writer of the story could not see on the heart of David's mothers and sisters and may not have even known them. The writer of this story, even though he was guided by God, and listening to God's Word, did not know many things. Many things were left out of this story. There are many things we just do not know.
But God knows. God could see on the hearts of David, and Eliab, and Samuel, and mothers and sisters and everyone in and out of the story. And God would have loved everyone in and out of this story. And although I don't know, I like to think, I believe, that God may have said to David: "Don't be afraid, even though you're just a young boy tending the sheep. I will help you when you become King." And perhaps God looked on the heart of Jesse, who would have loved all his sons, and said, "Don't worry about Eliab. He is not going to be King, but he will have other work of mine to do." And perhaps God spoke to the hearts of all David's brothers, and said, "Just because David is King it doesn't mean that I love him more. You also have many exciting adventures ahead of you!" And God would have looked on the hearts of David's mothers and sisters and said, "You have not been left out of my story. I am watching you and loving you and care for you every bit as much, even though you were left out!"
As mortals, as people, we leave things out of the story because there is so much that we don't know, and we have trouble seeing beyond the obvious. But God sees, and God acts, and if we can keep our eyes open, we may come a little closer to seeing as God sees. Let's pray for these open eyes and open hearts!