The Lord has told Samuel to do something, but it's something that would be upsetting to the king, and the king is the one who has the army.
The solution they come up with for this task is deception. Samuel will do what the Lord has told him, go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king, but he's pretending that he is on a different mission, one that would be acceptable to the king.
The Lord has rejected Saul as king over Israel and has told Samuel to anoint a new king, one that the Lord has selected. Apparently, this rift is not a complete secret. When Samuel gets to Bethlehem, the elders of the city meet him and ask him if he's come in peace. They apparently are also weighing the risks in listening to what the Lord wants but suffering the consequences of what the king doesn't.
Samuel is not completely frank with them. He says he has come in peace, and I'm sure that he hopes that he has. He does invite them to come with him so he's not being completely secret about his mission. (Note: Samuel is the one who anointed Saul--the ceremony that made Saul the king (1 Samuel 9:17-10:1). That ceremony had also been done in secret.)
The Lord has told Samuel to choose one of Jesse's sons, saying "I will make know to you what you shall do; you shall anoint the one I point out to you."
When the first son comes by, Samuel thinks that surely he is the one that the Lord wants. But the Lord tells him not to pay attention to his appearance, for while humans can see only what is visible, the Lord can see into the heart." Same with the next son, and the next, and so on through the seventh.
Samuel asks Jesse if he has any others to show him. Jesse says that there is one more, the youngest who is at the moment tending the sheep. Samuel says to send for him to join in their meal.
When David arrives, the Lord says that this is the one. Samuel anoints him in the presence of his brothers. (Apparently the town elders had not accepted his invitation to go to Jesse's house.)
A couple of points: David is tending the sheep. He is a shepherd. (Remember Joseph?)
The one that the Lord has chosen is not the obvious candidate to Samuel or to David's father. Being close to someone or being in charge of something doesn't always give you the wisdom to know what's best.
Another point--consider what a shepherd must be able to do in order to care for the flock. What better preparation for a leader could we ask for?
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