Why Should We Look Upon the Heart?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to 1 Samuel 8-10; 13; 15-16 in a lesson titled “The Lord Looketh on the Heart.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

Saul was a keeper of donkeys. Though tall and handsome, he was “little in [his] own sight” and self-conscious about his family heritage (see 1 Samuel 9:2-3, 21; 15:17). On the day he was to be presented before Israel as their king, he didn’t show up; he was so nervous he “hid himself” (1 Samuel 10:21-22). Looking at Saul, you might not have guessed that he would lead the Israelites to victory over their enemies – or that he would later become prideful and rebel against the Lord.

David was a keeper of sheep. He wasn’t as physically impressive as his seven older brothers. On the day Samuel came to choose a new king for Israel, it didn’t seem worthwhile to include David among the possible candidates, so he was left out in the fields with the sheep. Looking at David, you might not have guessed that he would have the faith and courage to defeat a giant and become Israel’s most successful king.

But the Lord sees past our labels, our physical appearance, our insecurities. He looks, instead, “on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). And even when our heart isn’t quite right, if we’re willing, He will give us “another hear” (1 Samuel 10:9).

The weekly scripture block contains numerous principles, including: (1) Jesus Christ is my King (1 Samuel 8), (2) God calls people by prophecy to serve in His kingdom (Samuel 9-10; 16:1-13),

(3) “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 13:5-14; 15), and (4) “The Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:6-12).

This essay will discuss principle #4 about God looking upon the heart. Have you ever made a decision based on “the outward appearance” of something or someone, only to find out that you were wrong? Maybe you ate something that looked delicious but was not as good as it looked. Or maybe you judged someone unfairly.

When Samuel was looking for a new king of Israel, the Lord taught him a better way. We will look at the applicable verses – 1 Samuel 16:6-12 – to learn the Lord’s way of selection.

6 ¶ And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.

7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.

11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

A good activity would be to make a list of ways that people judge others “on the outward appearance.”  Besides the example of Samuel thinking that Eliab looked like a king, there are other examples in the scriptures:

·       When the Lord sent his disciple Ananias to bless Saul, Ananias hesitated because of Saul’s reputation of being cruel and relentlessly persecuting the Saints. The Lord taught Ananias, “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

·       When the scribes and the Pharisees saw the woman taken in adultery, what did they see? A depraved woman, a sinner worthy of death. When Jesus saw her, what did He see? A woman who had temporarily succumbed to the weakness of the flesh but could be reclaimed through repentance and His Atonement.

·       When people saw the centurion whose servant was sick with palsy, what did they see? Perhaps they saw an intruder, a foreigner, one to be despised. When Jesus saw him, what did He see? A man concerned for the welfare of a member of his household, who sought the Lord in candor and faith.

·       When people saw the woman with an issue of blood, what did they see? Perhaps an unclean woman, an outcast to be shunned. When Jesus saw her, what did He see? A sickly woman, lonely and alienated due to circumstances she did not control, who hoped to be healed and to belong again.

Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier of the Seventy spoke on this topic at the October 2023 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After sharing the above examples, he stated:

In every case, the Lord saw these individuals for who they were and accordingly ministered to each one. As Nephi and his brother Jacob declared:

“He inviteth them all to come unto him …, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33).

“The one being is as precious in his sight as the other” (Jacob 2:21). (“We Are All His Children) 

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught the following about judging and labeling other people: 

The adversary rejoices in labels because they divide us and restrict the way we think about ourselves and each other. How sad it is when we honor labels more than we honor each other.

Labels can lead to judging and animosity. Any abuse or prejudice toward another because of nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, educational degrees, culture, or other significant identifiers is offensive to our Maker! Such mistreatment causes us to live beneath our stature as His covenant sons and daughters! (“Choices for Eternity,” Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults with President Nelson, May 15, 2022) 

This lesson and this post are meant to help us to stop judging other people by their outward appearance. The color of the sin, the gender, the nationality, the religion, or the culture do not matter. We are all children of God, and He loves each one of us. He wants us to love each other and to look upon the heart before judging.