שמואל א, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ג׳

A delicate mission requires both secrecy and absolute honesty. When a prophet is sent to select a new leader while the current king still rules, the instructions must be carefully crafted to protect the messenger without compromising the truth. To navigate this, God instructs Samuel to invite Jesse to participate in the preparations and the feast of a sacrifice [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This divine instruction is intentionally split into two phases to prevent suspicion and maintain absolute truthfulness. God first sends Samuel solely to offer a sacrifice, delaying the specific command of who to anoint until the actual moment arrives. Because the final goal is withheld at the start, Samuel's only genuine purpose when setting out on his journey is indeed the sacrifice. Therefore, if questioned about his motives, he can answer honestly without any hint of a lie [מלבי"ם]. This strategy serves an immediate practical need as well. The city elders are terrified of King Saul's potential anger upon seeing the prophet arrive. Armed with his genuine mission to offer a sacrifice, Samuel can calm their fears and assure them with a whole heart that he comes in peace [אלשיך].

God also intentionally hides the identity of the chosen son, promising to reveal it only at the necessary moment. This delayed revelation serves as clear proof that the selection comes directly from God, as prophecy will rest upon Samuel in front of all the attendees exactly when needed [רד"ק]. Furthermore, keeping the identity a secret prevents jealousy within the family. If Samuel had immediately bypassed the older brothers to select the youngest, it would have naturally caused resentment. Because Samuel evaluates the older brothers first, and only realizes the youngest is the chosen one when he is brought in from the flock, it becomes undeniable to everyone present that this decision is a direct decree from Heaven [אלשיך].