Character or Reputation?

 

Character or Reputation?

1 Sam. 16:1-13

 

What about the character versus reputation debate? Some don’t even think this is really a consideration because ‘a good reputation’ is all that matters to them. God, however, is looking for a person with genuine character!

You may remember how King Saul had disobeyed God and was rejected as the king of Israel, leaving the prophet Samuel in incredibly deep mourning. God essentially told Samuel to stop grieving for King Saul and the past, pick up his horn of oil, and prepare for the future—a new king. Because anointing a new king could be viewed as ‘treason’ by Saul, God instructed Samuel to disguise his mission as a sacrificial offering in Bethlehem, where Jesse lived.

Consider what God says in 1 Samuel 16,

And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. ² And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. ³ And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

⁴ And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? ⁵ And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶ And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. ⁷ 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.

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. ¹⁰ Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.

¹¹ And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. ¹² And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

God clearly values inner character and faith over mere outer appearance, choosing the most unanticipated person for leadership. David’s time as a shepherd was not wasted nor incidental. The solitude, danger, and reliance on God he experienced while protecting his flock served as spiritual preparation for his future role as Israel’s shepherd-king.

While it is true that we tend to make superficial judgments based on our personal heuristics and ‘judge a book by it’s cover’, God looks much deeper to recognize good character.  We must force our judgment to peer deeper and ask questions that expose the correct kind of character. 

What Does God Prioritize?

1.      Godly character is identified by internal, holy attributes rather than superficial external appearances.

·       Philippians 4:8, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. God prizes virtues like authenticity, honesty, purity, and excellence. He wants these inner qualities for His children.

·       1 Samuel 16:7, 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. God judges based on the heart—real inner qualities, not shallow outward appearance like we tend to do. “Samuel was about to make the mistake of evaluating the men by their physical gifts (see 10:24) when God reminded him that the heart was the important thing.”^[1]

·       Romans 5:3-4, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Our Lord uses trials to reveal and develop character traits like patience and hope. Certainly, this requires time, maturation, discipline, and honest self-reflection.

·       Proverbs 10:9, He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. Character is “walking uprightly”—living with genuine integrity.

§  “Walketh uprightly walketh surely”: An honest person who lives with moral integrity walks with confidence and peace of mind because they have nothing to hide.

§  “Perverteth his ways shall be known”: The deceiver or someone who takes dishonest, "crooked" paths will eventually be found out and exposed. 

2.   God roundly views good Character as more important than mere reputation in 1 Samuel 16:7.

·       1 Sam. 16:7, 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.

·       Key meaning is that people naturally judge others by superficial traits—looks, wealth, social status, and physical strength. This limited perspective is flawed and often deceptive.

·       But by examining the heart God sees a person's true inner reality. The “heart” represents the core of one's inner character, motivations, thoughts, and spiritual devotion. With the correct perspective these qualities can be discerned.

·       When we apply this standard, we overcome preconceptions and prejudice! We are challenged to value people based on their integrity, kindness, and faithfulness to God, rather than judging them on their exterior or societal stereotypes.

·       “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1Sam. 16:7). The core verse of this passage tell us when Samuel lined up Jesse’s tall, strong, good looking, and capable sons, God rejected them one by one. Human judgment focuses on physical traits or status, but God judges based on spiritual integrity, humility, and devotion.

·       A little self-reflection would prove extremely helpful. God reminds us that we cannot hide our true motives from Him. True spiritual growth focuses on cultivating a righteous heart rather than just acting “good” for others to see.

In closing, reputation has displaced real godly character. This is true professionally, politically, religiously, socially, publicly (TV, commercials, advertisements, magazines) and even privately. Maintaining the correct reputation is everything while possessing real character only matters to a few who respect God above all else. We have allowed certain skills and abilities to supersede actual qualities; what a person can do is prioritized while who a person is may be thoughtlessly discarded. The more we reject Bible-bases qualities the more we seem to embrace self-centered and materialistic traits without even realizing we are doing it. 

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^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), 1 Sa 16:1–13.