Article April 23, 1979 Issue

Too young?

Jessie Freeling

Must you get older to do great things? Youth is no barrier to accomplishing something worthwhile. Mrs. Eddy says, "While age is halting between two opinions or battling with false beliefs, youth makes easy and rapid strides towards Truth."^{Science and Health, p. 236;}

This was certainly true in the case of David. Samuel the prophet was sent by God to anoint one of Jesse's sons to become king of Israel after Saul. One by one Jesse began to show Samuel his sons, starting with the oldest, Eliab; the next oldest, Abinadab; then Shammah; and so on, seven times. Each time the Lord refused the son, "for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; ... but the Lord looketh on the heart."^{I Sam. 16:7;} When Samuel asked if these were all his sons, Jesse had to send for David, the youngest, who was keeping the sheep. When the boy was brought in, Samuel knew at once that he was the one God had chosen, and he anointed him.

What was there in the hearts of the older brothers that disqualified them? The Bible only mentions them one other time, and perhaps this incident throws some light on their character.

Send a comment to the editors