KJV 1 Samuel 16:11 “…and he (Jesse) said, there remaineth yet the youngest (the least) and behold he keepeth the sheep.”

NASB 1 Samuel 16:11 “And he (Jesse) said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.”

KJV Micah 5:2 “And thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah …”

NASB Micah 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah…”

The storyline of David affords many pictures of Christ for us to enjoy. They are both practical, prophetic, and personal, providing a rich tapestry for worship. We are introduced to David when Samuel travelled in the divine direction to Bethlehem and specifically to the house of Jesse. After evaluating Jesse’s seven sons, he inquired if there was not anyone else. God had said His future king was in that household, so there must be another.

It is at this point that the story has special interest to me. Jesse describes his youngest Son as “the least.” Some have suggested that David was a son who came along late in Jesse’s life after he thought his family was complete. He was the “runt” of the family and easily dismissed.

Micah describes Bethlehem as among the least of Judah’s many cities. In citing Micah’s prophecy, Matthew reassures Bethlehem that now, as a result of being the Messiah’s birthplace, it was no longer “the least among the princes of Judah” (Matt 2:6).

So please notice what God, in His wonderful grace and unique power, did. He took the least in the family from the least city in Judah and made him Israel’s greatest king! The least from the least to become the standard for every king that would follow! If the intent of this writing were practical, that would serve as an encouragement to all of us that God is able to use us to complete His will for our lives. But the intent of this post is devotional — not practical.

As the “least from the least,” David stands in contrast to the Lord Jesus. He was the greatest from the greatest – the Son of God most High, from the royal courts above. Yet, in contrast again with David, the One Who was the greatest and Who came from the greatest place descended to the lowest place of self-humbling imaginable. “He became obedient unto death, even a cross death” (Phil 2:8).

David’s career would be a slow path upward to honour and power, although with some detours on the way. For the Saviour, it was a steady progression downward to a cross. Every step along the way was marked by self-humbling and grace. Men may have attempted to humiliate Him, but He humbled Himself. He epitomized what He taught His disciples; He became least and served our needs (Matt 23:11). How thankful we can be that God has not only exalted Him but highly exalted Him, giving Him a Name that reflects His majesty and honour, forever and ever (Rev 5:14).

Consider

David knew rejection and suffering, some allowed by God for his development, but some brought on by his own sin. The sufferings of Christ were not for His “development” but for His perfecting to be a Great High Priest, able to sympathize and succour.