Neville Goddard on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Samuel 16 in context

Scripture Focus

1And 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.

2And 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.

3And 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.

4And 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?

5And 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.

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

7But 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.

8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

11And 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.

12And 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.

13Then 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.

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Biblical Context

Samuel is told to anoint a king from Jesse's sons; God rejects outward looks and reveals that the heart is seen. David, the overlooked youngest, is chosen and empowered by the Spirit.

Neville's Inner Vision

Samuel’s search in the text is your search within. The LORD’s word to Samuel—fill your horn with oil, go, and anoint— is a command to the inner man: announce, by imagination, the state you intend to prevail. The test of Eliab and the others shows that you cannot judge by appearance; the Lord sees the heart, and so must you, in your own inner vision. The seven sons symbolize every outward attribute you mistake for power; but nothing awakens the kingdom until you name the one you truly desire within. When David is brought forth, the Spirit of the LORD comes upon him, and your inner governor—your higher self—receives empowerment the instant you acknowledge it. In your mind, you step from mourning a Saul-like condition into the reign of your David. The event is not history only, but a pattern you can repeat whenever you change your state.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes, breathe, and assume the feeling of ruling your inner realm: 'I am the king now.' Hold that sense and let your outer world reflect a throne already established in consciousness.