That's not the way I would have done it.

In 1 Samuel 16, I find it interesting that the Lord's choice as replacement for King Saul is not the man that Samuel (or anyone else) would have chosen. Samuel took one look at Eliab, David's oldest brother, and said "this must be the Lord's chosen." And yet, he was not.

God's choices and God's ways often times don't make sense to us - but when I look back at my life and think about the times when stuff didn't work out according to my plans I can, without exception, say that God's way was better than my way.

That being said, I still don't understand the purpose of sending David to live with King Saul after he had been anointed by Samuel. I mean don't you find it odd, in light of the fact that Samuel was scared to even go looking for a new King for fear that Saul would find out and kill him, that this newly appointed King was sent to live with a man that was mentally unstable and prone to violence? And why did God choose to leave Saul in power for such an extended period of time after David had already been chosen? I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

On a side note - I find it amusing that as Samuel who is by his own words old and grey (actually he already gave his retirement speech in chapter 12 prior to God rejecting Saul as King) approaches Bethlehem, the elders of the city trembled with fear and asked him if he came in peace. Do you think this has anything to do with the fact that He had recently "hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord (Chap. 15:33).