WHY WAS DAVID SUCCESSFUL? Part 4

WHY WAS DAVID SUCCESSFUL? Part 4

          As was mentioned earlier, Saul's servant informed the king that David was comely or beautiful in appearance.  Likewise, I Samuel 16:12 states that he was ". . .of a beautiful (yapheh 3303)^A countenance" (ayin 5869) or "fair of eyes"  (Cambridge A.V. margin).  The phrase "of a beautiful countenance" gives the sense of a person with beautiful eyes or even more probable a person with a beautiful outward appearance.  As we know, outward appearance was important to Samuel (vs. 7) and to the king's servant (vs. 18), but most important to God was (vs. 7) the "heart."

          Finally the servant reported that Jehovah is with him (vs. 18).  It cannot be stressed too much that the thing that made this musician different was the divine influence or anointing of Jehovah upon the soul of David.  Matthew Henry gave credence to the influence of the anointing of God upon David when he explained, "The anointing of him was not an empty ceremony, but a divine power went along with that instituted sign, and he found himself inwardly advanced in wisdom, and courage, and concern for the public, with all the qualities of a prince, though not at all advanced in his outward circumstances."  Purkizer concurred with the belief that the anointing of David incurred a divine aid and stated that, "The spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward --enduing him with wisdom and power, and giving him guidance toward the fulfillment of God's purpose in his life."