In the final part of his series focussing on the undervalued and underrated, the Rev Richard Baxter considers David, as described in 1 Samuel 16:1-13.

IN our reflections on underrated people, we’ve looked at Gideon, John Mark, Mary of Bethany, Mephibosheth and the Samaritan woman at the well.

There are so many others who could have been included – Mary of Magdala, a respectable woman maligned by history; Rahab, undervalued for being a sex worker; the mothers bringing children to Jesus who were treated as a nuisance by the disciples; and there are many more. It might be interesting to ask yourself who would be included on your list.

However, we finish this series with someone underrated for being too young, too small, too unimportant and too far down the line in his family.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that companies and organisations which recruit talent only from specific, narrow backgrounds do worse economically than those which recruit a sufficiently wide and diverse range of people to benefit from different perspectives and different ways of seeing the world.

When the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem, secretly looking for a new king to replace Saul, he sought out the family of Jesse. The family were gathered to meet the revered holy man, and a sacrifice was planned. As this important family gathering took place, Jesse’s youngest son David wasn’t there. He was out looking after the sheep on the hillside, overlooked as too young and unimportant for inclusion in such a prestigious occasion.

One at a time, Jesse’s sons were brought in front of Samuel. To his eyes, each one appeared tall and strong, handsome and wise. Any of them might have made perfect king material. Time after time, however, Samuel hears God’s voice saying: “This is not the one I have chosen.” Indeed, Samuel is privileged to receive an explanation of this pattern from God. “People look on the outside, but I look at the heart!”

After seven sons have passed by, Samuel asks Jesse: “Do you have any other sons?” It’s hard to imagine that the proud father of the fine young men already presented was not offended by the question, but he admits he has one more son, out caring for the flocks. Samuel insists that David is brought to him. Samuel receives word from God that David, despite having been overlooked for his age, size and position in the family, is the one who has been chosen, and he is anointed. David turns out, over the years, to be both a deeply gifted and a deeply flawed man, but it was on him that God had set his blessing. We’re not told how the older brothers reacted whenever they discovered their disregarded youngest sibling was chosen as king, but we can guess!

“The family were gathered to meet the revered holy man, and a sacrifice was planned.

What the world thinks of you based on your appearance, gender, race, wealth, class or family bears no relationship to how God sees you. If people underrate you for factors like that, more fool them! God’s concern is the content of your heart, your love, your faith and your integrity. Our challenge is to use the same measure.

The message of all these stories is that God doesn’t underrate people for externals regarded by the world, but of no ultimate significance. As a consequence, we in turn are called to value all God’s people, and to recognise gifts, talents and abilities, irrespective of the external wrapper in which they are presented.

The Rev Richard Baxter is Interim Minister at Glasgow: Wellington.