Why did God send an evil spirit to torment King Saul?

On the other hand, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. God had graciously given Saul His Spirit to enable him to properly function as a king, but Saul had rebelled against God's word, thinking he could rightly act independently of God. Therefore God removed His Spirit from him, to allow him to go ahead and act in his independent way.

Not only did God allow Saul to take his own headstrong way, but since Saul had refused the Spirit of God, he was left open to the opposite of this, an evil spirit. God allowed the evil spirit to trouble Saul in order to awaken him to the folly of his own self-will. Disobedience to God does not leave us in a merely negative state, but in a state of positive evil. This sobering fact ought to have driven Saul to seek the grace of God and to willingly give up his kingdom to the man of God's choice; but he stubbornly persisted in his evil course until his tragic death.

His servants discerned that it was God who had allowed this evil spirit to trouble Saul. Their solution is not to go to the root of the matter, but to treat its symptoms. This is characteristic of men's governments everywhere. A capable minstrel could so play the harp as to calm the spirit of the troubled king. Today we are acquainted with the well-known adage, "Music has charms to soothe the savage breast." There is no doubt that music is a wonderful provision of God for mankind, often rightly used, though also often badly abused.

Another war takes place (v.8). David leads the armies of Israel, accomplishing a great victory, with many Philistines slaughtered, the rest retreating in confusion. Instead of this causing Saul to appreciate and honor David, it rather incurred his deeper jealousy. His real enemy was only his own pride which opened the door to the evil spirit to influence him hatefully toward David. Yet it is again made clear that the evil spirit could not do this without God's permission. God in His sovereign government allowed this because of Saul's stubbornness. Saul had refused God's Spirit, therefore he must learn by experience that he has actually chosen a spirit of evil. This experience ought to have awakened his conscience and driven him to the Lord, but he would not yield to God.

Hardly is David called to the throne but what Saul's moral condition changes completely. Until that day the Spirit of God had been with the king according to the flesh, and this explains each of Saul's successes against the enemies of Israel. Now the Spirit of the Lord comes upon David (v. 13) and departs from Saul, who is left in the power of “an evil spirit from Jehovah” (v. 14). This is a judgment from God, a chastisement upon the king who becomes henceforth in this history that which he had not been previously: a type of the Antichrist. At the same time God demonstrates that His Spirit alone is capable of raising and dispelling the evil spirit, when David takes a harp and plays with his hand before Saul.

(2) But the Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubles him. Evil as well as good has its commission from God, — not its existence, but its liberty to act, and the limits of its action. So we see in Job in early times, and in Ahab's case later; and comfort it is indeed to know this. It is thus the wrath of man is made to praise Him, and the remainder of it He restrains. Nothing can escape from the divine government by the fact or avowal of its being evil. How should it? Thus alone can we be at peace, assured that no waves can rise higher than the footstool of His throne. The work of the evil spirit with Saul was the execution of penalty, and had it led to self-judgment would have proved mercy also. The relief granted, with its known source, was surely that goodness of God which leadeth to repentance. The character of it shows that it was the tempestuous working of Saul's own spirit that gave the evil one his opportunity, — that brought Saul within the limit ordained him of God. David's harp does not act directly upon. Satan, but upon Saul. By its strange power of softening and subduing, though but temporarily, the savage temper of the rejected king, the power that assails him is driven back and shut off; for the time he is set free.

An evil spirit from the Lord began then to trouble Saul after the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him. What a sad spectacle he now presents! When he had been anointed, the Spirit also came upon him and he became another man. His pride, self-will, disobedience and stubbornness we have followed, and now the Spirit departs and in judgment upon the deposed King an evil spirit was permitted to come upon Saul. "Evil as well as good has its commission from God,--not its existence, but its liberty to act, and the limits of its action." It was no doubt a case of demon possession. He had rejected the Word of God and was given over into the hands of a demon. Such is also the case in the days of apostasy which are now upon Christendom. They depart from the faith and follow seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. Doctrinal apostasy and the moral evils following such an apostasy is the work of demons. God still permits as an act of judgment that demons possess those who are disobedient and rebel against Him. Then David is called in to sing to the afflicted King and to soothe him. And he loved him greatly and David became his armour bearer. "And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." Here we have a beautiful type of the Lord Jesus Christ. His sweet words, the ministrations of His Spirit refresh the soul and drive out the evil spirit. When the unhappy king had been quieted and the ministry of the young shepherd-king was no longer needed, he returned to his home and to his shepherd life; to feed his father's sheep (17:15).

David, anointed by Samuel, now becomes the instrument by which God is to work in power. The Spirit had come in power upon Saul. (1 Sam. 10:10.) He now came in power upon David (1 Sam. 16:13), and left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. God had not made Saul king without giving him power for his work. Rejecting Saul, He raised up David, and fitted him in a similar way for His service, for God never sends anyone to warfare at his own charges. We must, however, make a difference between these two men. The Spirit coming on any person in the manner the historian has described, for the same term is used with reference to Saul and to David, does not of necessity imply a constant endowment of spiritual power. In Saul's case, the Spirit thus came on him, in chapter 10:10, and chapter 11:6. In David's case the Spirit came on him from that day and forward. Was Saul, then, less well furnished than David? By no means. As long as he was under probation God bestowed the Spirit in power whenever he needed it. But knowing what the instruments were, God dealt with each accordingly. Now a sad spectacle presents itself. The one who had been entrusted with temporal power on earth, and not deprived of it, actuated by an evil spirit from the Lord, is led, as the sequel shows, into direct personal antagonism to the man after God's own heart, and seeks to use his authority to take away David's life. Into man's hand God, after the flood, put the sword of government, and has never withdrawn it. How has he used it? He has wielded the sword of justice to put to death the holy One and the Just, and to stop, if possible, the spread of God's truth. The power given of God has been used against God. A diabolical course of action certainly. But such a state of things was not permitted, till man had shown insubjection to God. In Saul's case, this demoniacal possession was not allowed, until he had manifested disobedience to the divine command. Yet, guilty as he was, and therefore deservedly suffering, God was willing to show him mercy, till he rejected it. But who was able to cope with the evil spirit, and to set free the king of Israel — for a time at least — from its influence? None but David, the son of Jesse. He alone could minister to the king in this matter, as he alone could conquer the giant. When he played before Saul the evil spirit departed from him (1 Sam. 16:23), a type, surely, in this of Him who could cast out demons when none else could (Mark 5:4; Luke 9:40); but only a type, for the Lord could give His disciples authority over evil spirits to cast them out, David could authorise no one to soothe the son of Kish.

But let me add, that a "messenger of Satan" may be sent forth from the presence of God upon either the flesh or the heart of man. An evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, and a lying spirit came upon the prophets of Ahab. 1 Sam. 16; 1 Kings 22. The Lord was beginning solemn acts of judgment, and, therefore, these messengers of Satan were sent forth upon the heart of those who were righteously under judgment. But other messengers of Satan reach only the body or circumstances, as in the case of Paul and of our patriarch. And this is discipline merely, and not judgment.

The Spirit comes upon David from that day, and while he resumes his lowly service of caring for the sheep, all would now have a new significance, at least in the mind of Samuel. The Spirit which had come upon David, the true anointed one, now leaves Saul, and he is afflicted with an evil spirit from the Lord. This seems to be a clearly marked case of demon possession. One who has rejected the word of God is given over to the power of Satan. It is striking that we find so many cases of demon possession in the life of our Lord, and in beautiful accord with the thought of His mastery over the demons, we see here David, His type, called in to soothe the troubled spirit of king Saul when afflicted by the demon. Of the nature of that affliction, we cannot speak minutely. Unquestionably, there was a sense of being forsaken of God, no longer having His approval. Of the utter hopelessness and despair of this, no one could speak fully. It was likely accompanied by certain clouding of the mind, or at least, such an oppression that one was rendered totally unfit for the performance of any duty.

It has sometimes been said that king Saul was afflicted with insanity. This is not the truth. Alas, it was not insanity, but the demon of evil to which he had yielded himself and which now asserts itself as his master. What a picture of him who but a little while ago was the proud victor over the hosts of Ammon, who was acclaimed with joy by the people as the man of their choice and who had the fullest privileges of the prophet's guidance, and, above all, the power of God with him! Here he is, brought so low that even his servants can only pity him. And such is the consequence of disobedience, seen here in full measure in the setting aside of one whose abilities and powers towered above all others in his time.

And David the anointed is the obedient servant and conducts himself wisely. The days of suffering and exile are now rapidly approaching. The song of the women, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands," angers the rejected King. Again the demon possesses him because he gave way to his temper. He nourished the feeling of hatred against David. "He eyed David from that day forward." When the evil spirit came upon him he prophesied. This has been hard to understand to some. Several translators have translated "raved"; but that cannot be done, for the word prophesy is the same as in chapter 5:5. Prophesying means to speak by inspiration; it does not always mean the prediction of future events. Now there is besides a divine inspiration, also a satanic inspiration. Certain cults which claim restoration of certain gifts claim inspiration, which has often been traced to the influence of demons. Saul uttered words which were the result of the indwelling evil spirit. Then he attempted twice to kill David with the javelin. This was no doubt an attempt from the side of Satan to do away with him from whose loins the promised seed, the Redeemer, was to come. The Lord shielded David and Saul was afraid of him, because the Lord was with him.

The sense of the great service that David had wrought faded quickly away from Saul's spirit. And why? Because his object, his idol, was himself, and David's name that day interfered with it. "Saul had slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands." The women, having more particularly sensitive spirits, according to their nature, seized and uttered the simple truth. It was not that they failed to honour the king, but certainly they paid honour to the one to whom honour was due. They felt who was the instrument of the mighty deliverance in Israel. This roused the jealous susceptibility of the king, "and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." Yes, and it was an evil eye, nor did Satan fail to take advantage of what the occasion furnished. "And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand." But mark, the old remedy that soothed the king, music, had lost its effect now. When the evil spirit first came upon him, it yielded to the sweet sounds of David's harp and hand. It was no longer so. The progress of evil in presence of the good it hates is apt to be rapid and deep. "And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice." The king not merely disliked David, but was afraid of him, "because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people."