“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I’ve always heard this phrase and thought, “Well just because it looks boring doesn’t mean it will be.” You know… it implied a negative appearance of the book.
Recently for class, I got to look closer at the passage, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7).”
God is emphasizing the work “look” here. He says do not look at his appearance like people, because God looks at the heart.
Kinda like- don’t judge a book by its cove. It’s what’s inside that matters.
BUT as I looked closer at this verse and the context, I realized David was a very good looking man. “He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. (16:12)”
By appearances, David was fit to be a king… well other than being a dirty shepherd and the youngest in his family… Once he was cleaned up, he could look like a king.
David was not chosen because he was handsome though, he was chosen because he had a heart for the Lord.
It’s what’s inside that matters.
So maybe don’t judge a book by its cover does not mean the book looks unappealing, maybe it means the content matters more than the cover- regardless of a great cover design or poor design.