Not God's Fault
1 Samuel 18:5-16,27b-30
Where do evil spirits come from?
Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash
David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved. As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?" So Saul eyed David from that day on. The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. David had success in all his undertakings; for the Lord was with him. When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them. David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David, and that Saul's daughter Michal loved him, Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from that time forward. Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle; and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great. - 1 Samuel 18:5-16,27b-30
I love these old Bible stories, but I think the people compiling them got a few things wrong.
Here is where a bolt of lightning comes down from the heavens and strikes me down for saying this, but let me explain.
It is clear that Saul was angry.
You could say he was jealous of David. He was, at the very least, envious. We've all been there, haven't we? Someone else at work gets the accolades for doing the same things we had done, and received only passing interest and thanks.
It is worse when they are compared to us, and they come out on top.
This is what is happening here, and it is childish. But where is it coming from? God?
I don't think so, do you?
Why would God send an evil spirit to possess Saul? Clearly, Saul chose to act the way he did. No spirits were involved.
The problem with the people's perspective is simple. They saw the world the way those around them saw it. Most of the people around them believed everything that happened was done to them by the gods.
So, forsaking all other gods, one of our commandments, means we should abandon those perceptions and see the world as ours, with all choices our own.
This is a radical change for a dependent tribe of people. They only knew dependency upon an external force, what some would prefer to call nature today.
But Nature doesn't decide to rain upon us or give us floods because of our disobedience to it. Some indigenous people might think I am wrong about that, but Nature, for the most part, couldn't care less about us.
We've seen that in recent days. This is a violent planet we are on. There is no doubt about that. Right?
So, if God doesn't send demons and spirits to haunt us and drive us mad, we must be doing that to ourselves.
Saul got angry at David and went mad because his ego took over his heart and soul.
It was not God's fault.
So, if God doesn't do these things, does God get involved at all?
I believe He does. Jesus said that we will have an advocate to guide us, the Holy Spirit. That is the spirit God sends to us.
This is how God helps us, by being with us through everything in our lives. So, we can ask ourselves, what could Saul have done to deal with his anger?
Since he didn't know the Holy Spirit existed, he was at a loss. But we aren't.
More to come...