"S" Verse, 1 Samuel 16:11, From "Shepherd Boy" to a King

Have you ever been overlooked or underestimated? Today's powerful journey through 1 Samuel 16:11 reveals how a seemingly dismissive description—"he is tending the sheep"—marked the beginning of an extraordinary transformation.

When the prophet Samuel arrived at Jesse's house seeking Israel's next king, seven impressive sons paraded before him. Yet God rejected each one. When Samuel asked if there were any others, Jesse mentioned almost as an afterthought, "There's the youngest; he is tending the sheep." 

This casual dismissal of young David highlights the episode's central truth: God's perspective fundamentally differs from human judgment. While everyone saw a mere shepherd boy, God saw the future giant-slayer and greatest king Israel would ever know.

The episode weaves together biblical narrative with Bruce Carroll's moving song "The Shepherd Boy," creating a powerful reminder that our current circumstances don't determine our ultimate purpose. T

he pivotal moment comes with God's instruction to Samuel that "man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart." This divine perspective challenges us to reconsider not only how we view others but how we understand our own potential and calling. What appeared to be ordinary shepherding work was actually divine preparation for extraordinary leadership.

Whether you're feeling overlooked in your career, undervalued in relationships, or stuck in seemingly insignificant routines, this episode offers profound encouragement. 

Like David, your current limitations don't predict your future impact. The very experiences others dismiss might be preparing you for purposes beyond imagination. 

Join us for this transformative exploration of how quickly everything can change when divine purpose intersects with humble availability. Subscribe now to continue discovering these timeless moments that speak directly to your journey today.

• David was initially dismissed as "just tending the sheep" when Samuel came seeking Israel's next king
• God instructed Samuel that "man looks at the outside but God looks at the heart"
• Samuel passed over seven impressive older brothers before asking about David
• The seemingly insignificant role of shepherd actually prepared David for kingship
• Bruce Carroll's song "The Shepherd Boy" captures this transformative message
• When others label us as ordinary, God may have extraordinary plans
• Our current circumstances don't determine our future impact or purpose
• God continues to see potential and purpose where others see limitations

Listen to Bruce Carroll's song "The Shepherd Boy" on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform for additional inspiration from this story.

Please also visit "Mercer Moments in American History" at our YouTube Channel! We are dedicated to both current events, and major moments in American History that for some reason are now erased, deleted from our textbooks and classrooms.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Mercer Moments in American History.
Our series of A through Z ofthe Bible Today is the S-verse.
Let's begin S-verse.
The key word is sheep, s-versehe is tending the sheep.
1 Samuel, chapter 16, verse 11.
Let's repeat together S-versehe is tending the sheep together

(00:28):
S verse he is tending the sheep.
1 Samuel, 16, 11.
Now, samuel, you may wonder whythis and there's so many great
S verses.
But the sheep, or the analogyof the shepherd, is throughout
the Bible, the good shepherd,the lost sheep.
Of course, in this verse herein 1 Samuel 16, it's talking
about a young boy named David.
He's tending the sheep and itmeant kind of like well, he's
the youngest, he's just ashepherd boy, that's it, just a

(00:52):
shepherd boy.
Some of you may say, well, whatabout the 23rd Psalm, the Lord
is my shepherd?
That's a great S verse too, andactually written by the same
David I'm discussing today.
But let's look at chapter 16 of1 Samuel and what's happening
to this young boy, david, thatwould forever change.
A boy who other folks would sayhe's just tending the sheep,

(01:19):
he's just a shepherd boy.
They had a king at that time,the name of Saul, and Saul
wasn't doing quite the rightthing.
So God told a prophet namedSamuel and, by the way, samuel
is a great and powerful name fora son or grandson, samuel but
Samuel was told to go look forthe new king.
And he was told to go to thehouse of Jesse, that Jesse had

(01:44):
eight boys.
So he came to Jesse and imaginesomeone knocks on your door and
says, excuse me, one of yoursons will be the next king of
Israel.
Well, jesse, the Bible says,brought out his sons, one by one
, and every one of them.
The prophet Samuel askedquestions and God kind of
whispered in his ear saying hey,remember, man looks on the
outside but God looks where.
Say it with me the inside.

(02:06):
Man may look at the physical,but God looks at what let's say
it together the heart.
So he went through seven sonsand every one looked like they
could be a king, one by one, thebiggest and the strongest came
before the prophet Samuel andSamuel said do you have any
other sons?

(02:26):
And the answer was there's theyoungest, he's tending the sheep
, which means he's little David,he's just a shepherd boy.
And I think you know the rest ofthe story of David.
That was the one chosen, theBible tells us when he went to
go fight and put the armor onhim.
The armor did not fit him, hisbody was so slim.
He was the one chosen, theBible tells us when he went to
go fight and put the armor onhim, the armor did not fit him,

(02:46):
his body was so slim.
He was a young boy.
No-transcript, of course.
Was David perfect?
No, david made a lot ofmistakes, but he was the one
that fell the giant Goliath.
That was little David and hewas the one that, when nations
came to try to attack Israel,when they saw David and his

(03:08):
armies, they shook, theytrembled, did not want to face
David.
I love this story in 1 Samuel 16because it reminds many of us
that, have any of you ever beenin life, you felt like other
people, and sometimes people wholove you, who really care,
would tell you hey, you're justthere to tend the sheep, you're
just a shepherd boy, that's allyou're ever going to be.

(03:31):
And yet, as we saw with David,god had much, much bigger plans
for the shepherd boy.
There's a song I'm going toshare now.
The author and the writer, thesinger, was Bruce Carroll, and
Bruce wrote a song called theShepherd Boy, and I sincerely
invite you to go onto YouTube,go onto your podcast channels

(03:52):
and pull down Bruce Carroll, theShepherd Boy, you will be
blessed.
The shepherd boy, you will beblessed.
I'm going to rearrange thatsong to use today for today's
verse, but basically it says,one by one, jesse's sons.
They each stood before theprophet.

(04:14):
Their father knew a king wouldsoon be crowned, and each one
passed, except the last.
Well, no one thought to callhim he's tending the sheep.
Surely, little David, he wouldnever, never, were crowned.
But when others say, hey, you'rejust a shepherd boy, go tend

(04:37):
the sheep.
Others say, hey, you're just ashepherd boy, go tend the sheep,
god may say, no, you are a king, even though your life seems
filled with ordinary things, injust one moment, our God, he can
touch you and everything willchange.
When others say, hey, go tendthe sheep, you're just a

(05:01):
shepherd boy, god may say, no,you are a king.
Well, it wasn't the biggest, no, it wasn't the strongest Chosen
on that day.
But that giant fell and nationstrembled when they stood, when
they stood in David's way, inhis way.

(05:23):
So when others say you're justa shepherd boy, god may say no,
you are a king, even though yourlife seems filled with such
ordinary things.
In just one moment, our God, hecan touch you and everything

(05:45):
will change.
When others say, go tend thesheep, you're just a shepherd
boy, god may say my child, Ihave great and mighty plans for
you.
And hopefully you would sayamen, amen, hallelujah, amen.

(06:05):
That's today's verse, the Sverse.
He is tending the sheep.
1 Samuel 16, verse 11.
As always, thank you, and Godbless you.
Well, he wasn't the biggest, hewasn't the oldest, chosen on

(06:26):
that day, but that giant felland the nations trembled when
they stood in David's way, inhis way.
So when others say, go tend thesheep, you're just a shepherd

(06:55):
boy, god may say no, you are aking, even you, and everything
will change.
When others say you're just ashepherd boy, god may say my
child, I have great and mightyplans for you.
Just stand up and follow me.

(07:16):
Amen, amen, alleluia, amen.