GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART
David, Harriet Tubman
2 Samuel 16:7, 12
March 10, 2002

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

Diversity - Diversify

I. GOD’S ANOINTING THROUGH THE AGES

A. Test - Is the Bible True?
We have to start with a test this morning. We have to make sure that we are in the right place. Do you believe that the Bible is God’s word? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit inspired people to write down these words? Do you believe that these words are true? Do you believe that these words still have meaning for our lives today?

B. King David
Do you believe that there really was a King David? Do you believe that David, while still a boy was anointed to be the second king of Israel? Do you believe that after David was anointed that the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward? 1 Samuel 16:13b

C. Can God Do It Again?
Finally, do you believe that God still has power? Or did God die upon that cross? Did God die and never come out of the tomb on that first Easter Sunday?

And do you believe that over the centuries the Holy Spirit has continued to anoint people and has continued to come mightily upon people?

D. Martin Luther & Baptism
1. I believe
The Rev Dr. Martin Luther also believed it and risked his life to tell others. And I believe it!!! I believe it with all my heart and soul!!! I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t believe that this was the inspired word of God. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that the Holy Spirit still comes mightily upon people today.

2. Baptism
In fact, one of the ways that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther talks about baptism is in terms of the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther talks about baptism as a gift of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s giving of gifts. As a matter of fact, we have another baptism coming up next week. And for the parents and grandparents of Hailey Rae, for me and for all of us it will be exciting to see what gifts the Holy Spirit will bestow upon her.


II. HARRIET TUBMAN ~1823 - 1913

A. King David -> Harriet Tubman

1. “Beautiful Eyes”
David was ruddy and had beautiful eyes. Did you notice those details in verse 12? David was ruddy and had beautiful eyes. Lets start with beautiful eyes. The most beautiful thing about David’s eyes was that David recognized the Holy Spirit’s work and power in his life. David saw his human limitations but he also saw her power. Remember that the Hebrew word for Spirit is feminine. David saw God’s power at work when he fought Goliath. David saw God’s inspiration when he played music for King Saul. And even when King Saul tried to kill him, David still sought out and looked for God’s protection. Remember, King Saul twice threw his spear at David, hoping to kill him. Then when David escaped, King Saul hunted him down. David became a wanted man with a price on his head. Even as a wanted man, David still sought out the Lord. David still had patience to wait for God, knowing that God would someday fulfill God’s promise that he would be free of Saul and would himself be king.

B. Harriet’ Vision
Now, throughout the years there have been others who have been anointed with the Holy Spirit. There have been others with beautiful eyes who have seen God’s power at work in their life.

Let me tell you about one of those. Like David, Harriet had beautiful eyes. She could see God at work in her life. Yes this is a she. We can see, can’t we, that the Holy Spirit does have the power to anoint women can’t we? And next week we will have the baptism of Hailey Rae, a girl. And the Holy Spirit will give Hailey Rae special gifts.

Back to Harriet. Harriet was born about 1823 along the coast of Maryland. Still as a girl, the Holy Spirit gave her a vision. In the most memorable vision, she saw a line and on the other side of the line were white ladies stretching out their hands but Harriet could never reach them. Finally, in 1849 Harriet saw this vision as a sign for her to escape from slavery.

Now the Holy Spirit had given Harriet the gift of sight. Not only did she see dreams but Harriet was given an extraordinary gift of night vision. So Harriet was able to travel through the swamps and forests by night and sleep in tree tops by day in order to make her way to freedom.

C. Gift of Leadership
In 1 Samuel 22: 1-2 we learn that after King Saul tried to kill David, David fled and became a wanted man. During this time, his father’s household heard about it and joined him, along with abut 400 others who were in distress, in debt or discontented. Like King David, the Holy Spirit also gave Harriet the gift of leadership. After Harriet made her way to freedom, she went back into slave territory 19 times to show others the way to freedom. During these trips, Harriet Tubman led her parents and over 300 people to freedom. All this was done without ever losing one person!

D. Appearances
Harriet Tubman was like King David in a couple of other ways. Like David before he became king, she also was wanted, she had a price on her head, $40,000 to be exact. Fortunate for her, those who drew up the wanted posters had never seen her. Just like the prophet Samuel at first judged by outward appearances and couldn’t imagine a king who wasn’t tall or a king with a ruddy (red) complexion, so to with Harriet. Her complexion wasn’t red but it was darker than those who put a price on her head thought. And like David she wasn’t tall. And no one could imagine that this great leader could possibly be a woman. In fact many times, Harriet was face to face with her enemies and they never knew it. They imagined a tall, muscular, light skinned man not a short, dark, gap toothed woman.

E. Civil War Hero
Now Harriet was not just a hero on the underground railroad, Like King David she was also a war hero. During the civil war Harriet served with the Union Army, first as a nurse, then as a scout and later as a spy. As a scout and a spy, she was always behind enemy lines. Fortunately the enemy always judged her on her appearance and so she was never caught.

F. Retirement
After the war, Harriet retired in Auburn New York and supported herself by selling vegetables from her garden. Although poor, she was always helping those with less than herself. In fact, in 1869 when a white admirer published Scenes of the Life of Harriet Tubman , she quickly dispersed her income to those in greater need.

Harriet Tubman lived on for many decades. She died on this date, March 10, 1913. Although she never was known as the “Black King David,” she never ruled over others, she was given the nickname, “The Black Moses” for leading people to freedom.


III. US

A. Why Mention Harriet Tubman?
Why is Harriet Tubman important for us? She is a real American hero. She saw that God was not dead. She knew that Jesus rose from the dead. She could see the Holy Spirit at work in her life. Harriet Tubman knew that God judges by what is in the heart. She knew that God does not judge by outside appearances. So even as a black woman in the era of slavery, she could be part of God’s kingdom.


IV. GOSPEL

A. Appearances
Can you see the point of today’s lesson? King David’s great grandmother, Ruth was a foreigner, an immigrant and God still loved her. David was not tall, he had a ruddy complexion and he was just a boy when he was anointed. Yet the Holy Spirit came mightily upon David from that day forward.

B. God in Our Lives
The Holy Spirit can also come mightily upon each of us. If you don’t see God working in today’s world, ask Jesus to open your eyes. If you don’t see God working in this congregation, ask Jesus to open your eyes. If you don’t see God working in your life, ask Jesus to open your eyes.

C. Love
Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you. But God is not dead! Jesus rose from the dead to show us the way to God’s eternal love. Jesus is alive and well and still working in our world, in our congregation, and in our individual lives.




May the Holy Spirit come mightily upon each of you
as She did for King David and for Harriet Tubman
and ...

May the Peace of God,
which surpasses all human understanding,
keep your hearts & minds in Christ Jesus...
Philippians 4: 7