阅读经文 

以色列民正处于历史上一个动荡不安的时刻。他们四面受敌，他们的第一位君王已经死了，他们要面对内部的斗争。神曾呼召他们去建立一个照亮其他国家的国度，如今他们会落在混乱中，抑或能成就神对他们的呼召呢？

在这个决定性的时刻，大卫开始采取行动了，他祷告寻求神的带领，又乐意接受百姓膏立他为他们的王，要记着，神其实早已拣选了他，又告诉撒母耳去膏立他的了。（参撒上 16）现在，大卫的王权已成为事实，先前的应许也成就了，而大卫又施恩给那些从前忠于扫罗的人。藉着大卫，神要使一个动荡的国家团结起来和赐给他们贤能的领导者；神在混乱中带来秩序，在衰退和死亡的时刻中带来新生命。以色列民必定会渐渐忘记扫罗和意识到现在大卫是他们的王了。

同样，当我们信靠耶稣为主时，我们便把我们忠诚的心，从昔日自私和罪恶的生活转到在基督里开始的新生命中；我们把生命放在祂的统治和王权之下，我们宣扬和开始体现祂的国度。

作基督徒意味着什么？其中一个说法，就是说我们在一位新王的统治之下生活，我们忠于这位神赐给世人的慈爱君王，我们更在祂国度的盼望和侍奉中生活。

Israel is at a precarious moment in their history. They have enemies on all sides. Their first king has just died. They face an internal struggle. Will they descend into chaos or become the nation God has called them to be, a light to the other nations?

At this crucial moment, David steps up. He prayerfully pursues God's leading and welcomes the anointing of the people as their king. Remember, God had chosen him earlier, telling Samuel to anoint him . (1 Samuel 16) So now David's kingship becomes a reality, fulfilling that earlier promise. And David shows graciousness to those who have been loyal to Saul. Through David, God is going to unite a troubled nation and give them good leadership. God is bringing order out of chaos, new life out of a time of degeneration and death. The people of Israel must increasingly be dead to Saul and alive to David as king.

So too, when we trust in Jesus as Lord, we transfer our allegiance from our old degenerate life of selfishness and sin to begin a new life in Christ. We bring our lives under his rule and reign. We proclaim and begin to embody his kingdom.

What does it mean to be a Christian? One way to describe it is to say that we live under a new King. We are loyal to the loving King whom God the Father has given to the world, and we live in the hope and service of his kingdom.