1 Sam 16:6-7 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Have you ever considered that sometimes our evaluations of people are extremely superficial, prejudicial, and unfair? You know the routine. A family walks into church. They are wearing nice clothes. The children are well dressed. They pulled into the parking lot in a nice car. Instantly you make up your mind. These people are well off. You walk up to them putting on your best airs about you to make an impression. You are thinking, “These are quality people; we need to keep them.”
Why? Why would we do this? Why would we look exclusively at all the externals and change our behavior? We must realize that, yes, they may have their externals in order, but that must not be the single determining factor in our treatment and expectations of people.
Consider Samuel. In his search for the new man to be anointed king, the first man he encountered, he sized him up solely on the externals. “Oh, look at this one. He is tall. He carries himself so well. Look at the way he handles himself!” Yes, all extremely superficial, prejudicial and unfair. Verse 7 to me is like God snapping His fingers at Samuel and saying, “Don’t get swept up by the externals of people.”
We too do this today. We accept and reject people based solely on their externals. Why not go back to accepting and rejecting people the way God would. He determines the quality and sincerity of person by his heart.
