Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Tuesday,
I wonder if you can remember the feelings, you had when you received a job promotion or you were invited to be an important part of something significant? It felt like an honor and was greatly encouraging wasn’t it, even if it might have been a bit overwhelming, depending on the role? Come with me and let’s step into that exact situation with the young man we met yesterday. 1 Samuel 16:14-23 has the story.
You’ll recall we witnessed the private anointing by Samuel of young David, the youngest son of Jesse. What type of ‘anointing‘? Oh, a very special anointing to be the future king of Israel, as chosen by God Himself!! It was a shock to David, his brothers, his father Jesse and even his grandfather Obed, if Obed was alive and present. It was even a surprise to the old prophet Samuel as God had sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint the future king, but God had not told Samuel who it would be until the young lad of perhaps 12 years old stood before him, having been called in the from the fields where David was watching over a flock of his father Jesse’s sheep!
There’s a gap of time between verse 13 & 14 in 1 Samuel 16, and we don’t know how long it was, but what happened next is very significant. Samuel had gone home to Ramah, David had gone back to watching sheep, Jesse and his boys had returned to their normal lives. Saul, the young King of Israel was in an ever-declining state mentally and emotionally. Saul had rejected God by disobeying God’s instructions and Samuel had confronted Saul to tell him that his disobedience was in fact insubordination against God and God was rejecting Saul as king.
It meant Saul would continue to hold the office and title, but God removed His guiding Holy Spirit from Saul and Samuel had turned away from Saul, leaving Saul all alone with the guys who had gathered around him, and they were evidently not very helpful to Saul and his character development or his leadership. Things went from bad to worse for Saul and his emotional state turned dark as the stress of being king, and his repeated bad decisions and loneliness enveloped him like a dark cloud.
Friends, I wonder if you’ve ever experienced such a very dark time in your life, when God seemed very far away, and you knew full well that the choices you were making were only distancing you further from God? What Samuel records for us next is very interesting and somewhat controversial. 1 Samuel 16:14 says: “Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented Saul.”
Now that’s troubling, isn’t it? We understand that God withdrew His Holy Spirit from Saul which was the reversal of the anointing of the Holy Spirit which had come upon Saul as he was confirmed by God as Israel’s first king. (1 Samuel 10:6,9,10; 11:6) But what about this matter of an evil spirit?
Does God actually send evil spirits upon people who have rejected God or are living in rebellion against God? Of course, God is all powerful and has full Sovereign control over everything including all angelic beings He has created, both holy and rebellious angels, who are the demons or evil spirits. Did God actually send an evil spirit to torment Saul or did God cease His spiritual protection of insubordinate Saul and did God permit this demonic attack as the devil most certainly would have wanted Saul to fail miserably as Israel’s first king?
Clearly Saul’s attendants could see Saul was deeply troubled, perhaps we could even use the modern psychological terms ‘depressed’ or maybe worse, ‘bi-polar’ or even ‘manic’. Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that these clinically diagnosed mental conditions are demonically caused, but what I am saying is that we don’t have a medical diagnosis for Saul, but he was clearly traumatized mentally and emotionally, and it may have manifested itself in ways similar to those diagnoses in our day. Saul’s attendants recommended that perhaps soothing music, especially harp music, might calm Saul’s panic attacks and his foul, dark moods. Saul liked the idea and sent them searching for someone who could play calming music when these dark moods came over Saul.
One of Saul attendants said: “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is fine looking, and the LORD is with him.” (1 Samuel 16:18) Now that’s quite a reputation isn’t it my friends? Of all the characteristics mentioned, which do you suppose was most significant to Saul and those seeking help for their king? We have no idea if any of Saul’s men had ever personally met David, and we are confident none of them knew anything about the visit of Samuel and the anointing of David.
You and I both know these types of conversations take place all the time in offices and over business lunches as leaders discuss potential additions to their staff. Perhaps you’ve been the subject of one or more such conversations? Maybe you’ve been the one searching for just the right new person to join your team? What are some of the most important character qualities most often sought after?
So, Saul sent word to Jesse of Bethlehem requesting that Jesse send his youngest son David to join Saul’s staff! Jesse, of course, was honored and sent David along with a donkey loaded with gifts for King Saul. The record says: “David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked David very much and David became one of his armor bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, ‘Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.’ Whenever the dark spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” (1 Samuel 16:21-23)
Oh, my this is very significant isn’t it my friends? We see what’s happening, don’t we? Saul is totally unaware of the anointing of Samuel upon young David. Saul is also unaware of the Holy Spirit of God upon David. David is suddenly enrolled in leadership training school preparing him to be a future king as he watches Saul and all Saul’s advisors dealing with the challenges of being king over Israel. Do you see God’s perfect plan developing right before our eyes?
Of course, David is learning something else in this situation and that is spiritual warfare with leadership, probably like he’s never seen it before! Can you see that my friends? I assume David was not simply strumming a harp but was praying as he played and perhaps singing spiritual songs. He had gained an understanding of the power of worship music in driving back the darkness of evil.
Let’s pause right here friends and I ask you to consider your life, your family, your workplace or school, your social group, do you see any evidence of the oppression strategies of the dark kingdom attempting to bring darkness into the minds and hearts of people you know? And what role is God asking you to fill in being a God honoring force to push back that darkness, as David was doing with Saul?
We’ll come back to this tomorrow friends, but for today please look closely at your world asking God to show you how this dark reality is happening around you, and what spiritual tactics God has given you to push back the darkness? Here’s a song to help us consider these important truths:
Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:14-23.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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