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He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds. The selection of David may be. viewed from two sides. It was an act of Divine grace toward David himself; and an act of Divine grace in providing such a king for the people.

I. DIVINE GRACE TOWARD DAVID HIMSELF. A careful study of David's early life brings out the fact that he was, in some sense, the despised one of the family. He was evidently much younger than his brothers; probably the child of another mother, who was brought into the family under somewhat peculiar circumstances. While all the brothers went to the war, David was kept at home. When Jesse called all his sons before Samuel, he left David out, as if he hardly came into the family reckoning. It was, then, the despised one, who had been sent to the sheepfolds with the women, who was selected by God for the highest place in the new state. God constantly makes the "poor of this world to confound the wise." But not arbitrarily. Only because he seeks to fit men to places, on the ground of their endowments and character and fitness for their positions. There is "no respect of persons with God." David was selected as the fitting man.

II. DIVINE GRACE PROVIDING SUCH A KING FOR THE PEOPLE. He was selected on the Divine judgment as to what was best for the people. Compare Saul, selected as meeting the people's idea of what was best for them. Kingsley says, "I look on David as an all but ideal king, educated for his office by an all but ideal training. Among the dumb animals he learnt experience which he afterwards put into practice among human beings. The shepherd of the sheep became the shepherd of men. He who had slain the lion and the bear became the champion of his native land. He who followed the ewes great with young fed God's oppressed and weary people with a faithful and true heart, till he raised them into a great and strong nation. So both sides of the true kingly character, the masculine and the feminine, are brought out in David." It may be pointed out that, in David, were qualities of kingship which would have made him a blessing to any nation, in any age. And it may further be shown that, in him, there were characteristic abilities, which made him specially the man for his time. Lead on to show that the one thing which made David's reign a supreme blessing to the people was his personal and governmental loyalty to the theocratic idea. He never failed through any disloyalty to his Overlord, Jehovah. - R.T.

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KJV: He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:

WEB: He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;