What does 1 Samuel 16:13 mean?
God did not tell the prophet Samuel which of Jesse's sons was to be anointed as the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1,3). Instead, Samuel was to invite Jesse to a sacrifice and rely on God's instructions. The prophet has done so. Seven of Jesse's sons passed before him, each of whom were rejected by the Lord (1 Samuel 16:10). Samuel asked if Jesse had any additional sons, and the youngest was called in from the sheep fields (1 Samuel 16:12). God tells Samuel, "Arise, anoint him for this is he" (1 Samuel 16:12).Samuel obeys. He anoints the boy in the midst of his seven other brothers with the horn of oil the Lord commanded him to bring to Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:1). The text does not say that Samuel tells anyone present that this anointing means that this son will one day rule as king over Israel. The boy himself may not yet have known why the prophet of Israel was anointing him with oil and not doing the same to his father and brothers.
This is the first time David is named in 1 Samuel. We learn his name after learning that the "Spirit of the Lord rushed upon" him. The overlooked keeper of the sheep is the renowned King David, and he has been anointed by God and empowered by Him for his position.
As was the case following Saul's anointing to be king by Samuel (1 Samuel 10:6; 11:6), the Spirit of the Lord "rushes" on David as a confirmation that the Lord is now with him. This movement of the Spirit is described with the Hebrew root word sālah; this implies a rapid, powerful, and overwhelming force.
During the time of the judges in Israel, the Lord's Spirit would come on an individual to empower them with strength and authority to lead God's people (Judges 6:34–35). The Spirit comes to David and He never leaves. Though different from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit believers in Jesus have today (John 14:16–17; Romans 8:9–11; Ephesians 1:13–14), it is of note that the Spirit of the Lord was "upon David from that day forward." In the next verse we discover that the Spirit departs from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14).
Though David has been anointed as king and is clearly God's choice, his journey to full control over Israel as king will not be short and simple. This is the first of three anointings David will receive as he makes his way to Israel's throne. He will later be anointed as king over the house of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4) and then finally as the king over Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).
