The first book of Samuel is largely the story of Saul, who was anointed by Samuel to be the first king of Israel. Yet for his continuous disobedience of God’s word he was finally rejected, and the Bible pictures him as one of the most pathetic of God’s chosen servants.
Samuel is therefore commanded, as the Lord’s prophet, to find and to anoint a new king in place of Saul - even though Saul still lived as king and clung to his throne. Samuel is asked by God to stop grieving over Saul and seek out the family of Jesse, the Bethlemite ’for I have provided for myself a king among his sons’.

He therefore summons and inspects each son in turn, without discerning in any of them a sign of Lord’s purpose. At last, In response to his enquiry, it transpires that Jesse has one more son, the youngest: and David is fetched from work. There and then no doubt to the dismay of his elder brothers David is anointed without further ceremony. A fine-looking country boy, he was not the tallest or the strongest: but Samuel had been warned already that ‘the Lord sees not as a man sees’.
None of those who witnessed this family drama would have foreseen that the boy king was also the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘great David’s greater Son’.

Samuel asked God, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 

Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said ‘Do you come peaceably?’ .And he said ‘Peacably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; consecrated your selves, and come wit me to the sacrifice’. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance  or on the height of this stature , because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees man looks on the outward appearance,  but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ The Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these’. And Samuel said to Jesse, ’ The Lord has not chose these’. And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ 

And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.’ And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

In spite of David’s anointing and his own rejection by God, Saul continued as king. However the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. His servants suggested to him to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God was upon him, he would play it and the king would be well. Saul agreed and was informed by a young man of David, son of Jesse, who was skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence and the LORD was with him. Saul sent for David through his messengers who conveyed to Jesse, the Bethlemite to send his son who was with the sheep. Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.

David found a new role at court, ministering to Saul’s fits of violence and depression (perhaps with some of the Psalms sung today in Christian worship) and becoming his armour bearer, for Saul loved him greatly. For whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David would play the lyre with his hand, causing the harmful spirit to leave Saul, who would be get well and refreshed again.