Thus far in 1 Samuel it is clear that David, not Saul, is God’s chosen man to lead Israel. In the passage for today’s reading, one discovers how the Lord begins to bring about Saul demise and David’s appointment. The first indicator that David will assume the throne is that he becomes a recognized war hero. The second indicator is that Saul becomes insanely jealous of David’s popularity. He knows his time is getting short. The third indicator is that Saul begins plotting to kill David. This is how far Saul has drifted away from the Lord; he actually thinks he can control events and thwart God’s plan!
The Bible gives us an inside look at what is taking place. 1 Samuel 18:10 reads, “The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul.” At first glance, this can be quite disturbing. A harmful spirit was sent not from Satan, but from God! How can this be? Is God the author of evil? Is evil attributed to God here? If so, how can he be a holy God? As you can tell, this “little insight” raises issues far beyond the story of Saul and David.
The answer to these questions is found in the sovereignty of God. God is sovereign over all creation, including harmful spirits. Evil is not assigned to God, but evil is under God’s command. As the Sovereign Lord, God can use evil, he can command evil, he can control evil, in order to achieve his ultimate purposes. Therefore, in the present story, God sends the harmful spirit upon Saul in order to further clarify that Saul was no longer the appointed king. It is useless to fight against the will of God. The more Saul fought against it, the more he revealed God’s will for a new king to be true. God is Sovereign. His purposes will be achieved. Our joy and fulfillment is living according to His will not fighting it.
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