Being beautiful – for God

12So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”

– 1 Samuel 16:12
(NASB® © 2020)

Natural beauty counts for a lot these days. Many people care deeply about their appearance. They are willing to dig deep into their pockets and go to great lengths to achieve it.

Of course, external attractiveness has its place. After all, we want to be appealing to other human beings, not repulsive. However, we should not lose sight of what matters to God: not primarily the exterior, but above all the interior. Not the external, natural beauty, but rather the inner, hidden beauty of a person (1 Pet. 3:4). “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 31:30).

Natural beauty

In the Bible, we find several people who were described as beautiful:

  • Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was beautiful in appearance. She is even called very beautiful (Gen. 12:11, 14).
  • Rebekah is also said to have been beautiful in appearance (Gen. 24:16; 26:7).
  • Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance (Gen. 29:17).
  • Joseph was handsome in form and appearance (Genesis 39:6).
  • Moses’ parents saw that their child was beautiful (Exodus 2:2; Hebrews 11:23).
  • Saul was not only a head taller than all the people, but he was also more handsome than any of the men in Israel (1 Samuel 9:2).
  • David is reported to have had beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance (1 Sam. 16:12; 17:42).
  • Abigail, the wife of Nabal and later the wife of David, was of good understanding and beautiful in form (1 Sam. 25:3).
  • Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, was also beautiful in appearance (2 Sam. 11:2).
  • The Scriptures also say that Tamar, Absalom’s daughter, was beautiful in appearance (2 Sam. 14:27).
  • When David was old, they sought a beautiful woman for him and found Abishag, who was exceedingly beautiful (1 Kings 1:4).
  • King Ahasuerus wanted to impress the nations and princes with Queen Vashti’s beauty (Esther 1:11).
  • Esther, Mordecai’s niece, was a beautiful girl in form and appearance (Esther 2:7).

The child Moses

When we look at those described as beautiful, we notice that, in the New Testament, with the exception of Moses, we do not find a single person whom the Holy Spirit emphasizes this characteristic. Is this perhaps a hidden hint that, in the New Testament, it is above all inner, hidden beauty that counts for God?

We read three times in Scripture that the child Moses was beautiful:

  • In Exodus 2:2, in connection with his mother. She saw that her son was beautiful.
  • In Acts 7:20, in connection with his father. Here it is explicitly stated that Moses was beautiful to God.
  • In Hebrews 11:23, in connection with both parents. They saw that their child was beautiful.

Amram and Jochebed, Moses’ parents, obviously had this faith-filled vision that saw beyond the outward appearance and perceived things hidden to the natural eye. Undoubtedly, the eye of faith could see in little Moses qualities, characteristics, and “potential” that God could use for His purposes. This was what made him beautiful to God.

Beautiful to God

What does it mean for us today to be beautiful to God? The Bible shows us various attitudes and characteristics that please God.

Repentance and conversion

First of all, God rejoices over every person who comes to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith and accepts Him as Lord and Savior. In Proverbs 8, the Lord Jesus speaks as personified wisdom: “For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord” (Prov. 8:35). In this respect, everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus is beautiful to God.

Obedience

When Saul disobeyed God’s explicit command to banish the Amalekites and everything that belonged to them, God said to him through Samuel: “Does the Lord take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22). God still takes pleasure today when we obey His word and listen to His voice (John 14:21).

(1 Sam. 15:22). God still finds pleasure today when we obey His word and listen to His voice (John 14:21).

Faith

We read of Enoch: “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him away; for before he was taken away, he had this testimony that he pleased God” (Heb. 11:5). The testimony of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 makes it very clear that God takes great pleasure in a life of faith. It honors Him when His children take Him at His word and trust in His words. Faith is like a telescope that brings distant (future) things into the present and like a microscope that makes invisible (heavenly) things visible (Heb. 11:1).

Sincerity

Sincerity and truthfulness in our hearts are also beautiful in the eyes of God (1 Chr. 29:17; Ps. 51:6). We do not want to deceive others by pretending in our words and behavior, but rather be authentic and honest. The Lord Jesus exemplified this perfectly: what He said corresponded to His inner conviction. His thoughts did not go beyond His mouth, and His words presented Him as He truly was (Ps. 17:3; John 8:25).

Devotion

Last but not least, all the movements of our body, indeed our whole life, should be “a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Rom. 12:1). God takes great pleasure in seeing people who do not live their lives for themselves, but who, out of gratitude and love, are willing to live their lives in a way that pleases Him (Col. 1:10; cf. Rom. 15:3). Being beautiful for God—that can be our motivation and incentive for our thoughts and actions every day. Do we strive to please Him in all areas of our lives?

Questions for ourselves

  • How important is our outward appearance in our lives?

  • Do we have the eyes of faith that see deeper than just the outward appearance?

  • Do we try to conform to God’s ideal of beauty or that of the world?

  • Do we listen to what God tells us in His Word?

  • Do we live by faith or by sight?

  • Are we sincere and honest with our fellow human beings?

  • Do we strive to live a life that is pleasing to God?

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