Then one of the young men said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.”

—1 Samuel 16:18

“Come and behold Him” is a common phrase we hear around this time of year. It makes sense when we’re thinking about the invitation issued to the shepherds 2000 years ago, but even though it seems like we may be excluded since we aren’t able to see Jesus, especially as a baby, I think the invitation still applies to us. So for the next few weeks, we’re going to look back to some Old Testament men who are closely related to the figure of Messiah and see what we can behold.

Here’s a fun fact. In Jewish thought, there were actually two Messiahs meant to come. One, spoiler alert, was Messiah Son of Joseph. The other was Messiah Son of David. According to Judaism, each one was meant to serve a different purpose. Messiah Son of Joseph was supposed to come first and would be a suffering servant, much like Joseph from Genesis. Messiah Son of David was a warrior come to conquer and establish His reign.

As Christians, we recognize both descriptions in Jesus because His first coming was characterized by suffering and serving others and His second coming will establish His reign, but this morning we’re going to focus on how we can behold Jesus as Messiah Son of David.

The description of David found in 1 Samuel 16:18 comes in a surprising part of David’s story. He isn’t king yet. He isn’t the roving warrior always trying to stay one step ahead of King Saul yet. He hasn’t even gone up against Goliath yet. 

Samuel had just anointed him to be the future king. When Samuel anointed him, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit came upon David from that moment on, and in the next verse, it says that the Spirit left Saul and an evil, tormenting spirit replaced it.

Because of this evil spirit and the torment Saul was experiencing, his servants told him to find someone who was skilled in playing the harp, so he could be soothed by the music. And who did they think of first? David, the future king of Israel.

This verse in 1 Samuel 16 is David’s resume, and it’s pretty well-rounded. They start with the fact that he’s a musician, but they also include his character—a man of valor—his fighting experience, and his wisdom. 

Now let’s look at that resume with Jesus in mind. In 1 John 3:8, John writes that “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” The original word for destroy in this context means to demolish or to overthrow, so that part of David’s resume—the part where he’s a man of valor and a warrior—also makes sense when applied to Jesus. He came and is coming again as a warrior with His sword aimed at the devil and his work.

But what about the other part? What about the musician? I don’t know of any evidence that Jesus played an instrument, so how could that relate?

In the original language, the word translated as skillful is a form of the word to know that refers to a deep, intimate, relational knowledge. If we pair this with the cultural significance of music for the Jewish people as a way to foster spiritual connection with God, we get an interested picture. 

Not only is Jesus a warrior come to demolish the work of our enemy, but He’s also someone with deep, intimate, relational knowledge of connection with God. I love that picture, especially since the idea of intimacy with God is related to music—something beautiful and pleasing. 

It can be strange to think of Christ as a warrior riding into battle. Most of what we read about Him in the Gospels seems more in line with the intimate relationship with God that brings beauty and joy to those who witness it. But when we look at David’s resume, we get a fuller, richer picture.

Jesus’s intimacy with God the Father, along with His great, protective love for us, is what motivates Him to come to Earth as a warrior. He’s not coming to make war on us. He’s coming to make war on the evil that threatens and harms us, and while He is bringing destruction to the enemy, He brings us the beauty and pleasure of restored intimacy with our Heavenly Father.

This is our Jesus. This is our Messiah. Come and behold Him!