QUESTION

What does it mean in 1.Samuel 19:9 where it says "the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul"?

1.Samuel 19:9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played [the harp] with his hand.  10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

EXPLANATION

This evil spirit is the one mentioned in 1.Samuel 16:14 which came upon Saul after the Spirit of the LORD.

1.Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul because of his blatant disobedience to God's command out of self interest. 1.Samuel 15:13-23

It is true that the word "evil" does not necessarily mean "morally bad". It can mean "unpleasant". However that does not help us much because but in both cases the Hebrew text  for "evil spirit from the Lord" should be translated "evil spirit of the Lord [RUACH YHWH]" which seems even more puzzling. How can it be that the absolutely holy GOD should not only send an unpleasant spiritual being to trouble a human being but that He even owns an unpleasant spiritual being? The rebelious evil spirits are still His property even though they have rebelled against Him.

ANSWER

The LORD God created all things, not only the physical universe and all that is in it but even the heavenly beings, the angelic spirits. So by divine right He owns absolutely everything. He owns even the angels. That means he owns , even Satan and all those who along with him rebelled against the creator and continually vie against GOD. A spiritual conflict is taking place in the unseen dimension.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places

THE BOOK OF JOB GIVES A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF HOW THE CHIEF EVIL SPIRIT -
SATAN - WENT OUT FROM THE LORD GOD'S PRESENCE TO CAUSE TROUBLE

We are unaware of this when troubled by the evil in this life. Like Job we are not aware of it. In the book of Job we find Satan confronting GOD. Satan is the rebel leader of all evil spirits. God points out that Job is exceptionally faithful to Him. Satan wants to discredit Job and indirectly discredit GOD. He challenges GOD to cause Job problems that would make Job blaspheme. God grants him permission to test Job. Satan fails to make Job blaspheme God. This in a nutshell is the subject matter of the book of Job. Throughout all his troubles Job was unaware that his faithfulness was the issue in Satan's contention against GOD.

Job 1:6 On a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan* also came into their midst.  7 And the LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.  8 And the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God, and eschews evil?  9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?  10 Have'nt you made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? You have blest the work of his hands, and his possessions are increased in the land.  11 But now stretch out your hand, and touch everything he has, and he will curse you to your face. 12 And the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power; only on himself do not stretch out your hand. So Satan went out of the LORD's presence. *[Satan - Hebrew = the adversary]

However - even though it was Satan who both decided what damage to do and caused it - in a second confrontation GOD says to him:

Job 2:3 ... Have you considered my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God, and eschews evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved me against him, to destroy* him without reason.

*Hebrew: to allow him to be destroyed. [See the article on  THE HARDENING OF PHARAOH'S HEART]

The LORD God was not the cause of Job's troubles. Satan was the instigator and perpetrator of those troubles.

Satan is constantly contesting the faithfulness of the heavenly FATHER's children.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night.

I SUGGEST THAT SIMILARLY, ONE OF SATAN'S HENCHMEN, INTENDING TO MAKE DAVID BLASPHEME THE LORD GOD, USED SAUL TO PERSECUTE HIM

When King Saul defected and David was anointed to be the next king - David became a conspicuous target whom Satan would want to destroy in order to discredit GOD. It appears to me that one of Satan's fellow demons took on the task and used delinquent Saul for the job. Notice how, apparently coincidentally, David was chosen to console Saul and so David was brought into close contact with the man who quickly and unreasonably became his arch enemy.

1.Samuel 16:15 And Saul’s servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles you. 16 Now let our lord command your servants, who are here in your presence, to search for a man who is a skilled harpist and this will happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, when he plays the harp with his hand, and you will be well.  17 So Saul said to his servants, Now get me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.  18 Then one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen one of Jesse the Bethlehemite's sons, who is skilled in playing ... 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me David your son ...

It is also significant that from the javelin incident onwards Saul constantly hounded David to have him killed. Yet David never blasphemed God despite all his many troubles. What was it that aroused Saul's rage as David tried to console him? Perhaps David was singing praises to the LORD God, which would not go down well with this remorseful delinquent man.

SUMMARY

The question was "What does it mean in 1.Samuel 19:9 where it says 'the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul'?"

God does not sin nor does he make people to sin:

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

God is absolutely pure and good.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

So it would be slanderous and also it is not necessary to draw the conclusion that the LORD God was the perpetrator of David's troubles, in the light of the above a satisfactory solution to the question could be as the following quite feasible scenario:

1. Satan's agent, "the evil spirit", was the instigator and perpetrator of those troubles.
2. That evil angel had contended with GOD over David's faithfulness.
3. He had received permission to test David. So he took advantage of Saul's evil disposition and used him to persecute David.
4. However Satan's agent fails. David.. Despite the failings which David admittedly had, he never wavered from  his implicit trust in God.
5. In this David was a man after GOD's own heart.

Acts 13:22 And when he [GOD] had removed him [Saul], he raised up for them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Let us always trust the LORD God implicitly in all things. Even in troubles. Even though we do not know the reasons for our troubles.

Allan Ashurst - May 2005

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FOOTNOTE

Why did not GOD just clamp down on Satan?. If God had done that, I imagine Satan would have declared "See, I told you, GOD is just like me"

Satan's other name is the Devil which means "the slanderer". He slandered God to Eve* and wants to perpetuate the lie that God cannot be trusted.

* [Genesis 3:1 " ... he said to the woman, yes, has God said ...  ? "]

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