1 Samuel 16 verses 13 to 24 In the Service of the King

 

Introduction

 

It is a confusing and uncertain world. Even a brief glance at our TV screens or our mobile phones will confirm this- the news channels spout out story after story based more upon agenda or opinion than actual facts and social media is filled with claim and counter claim about all the issues of the day.

With that being said, let me ask you a question:

How can we, as Believers, live faithfully in this world and serve our King Jesus?

Well, last time we learned that we need to see from God’s perspective and act accordingly. We are limited in our understanding and perception but God is unlimited and works perfectly in every circumstance.

Today we will see that we need God’s Spirit as we seek to serve our God, our King. It is God’s Spirit who empowers us for His service and we can do nothing without the Spirit’s presence.

We can see this as we take up the story in verse 14. We see that Saul was still king, but he has a problem. God’s Spirit, who had empowered him as King of Israel, had departed from him. Saul had been rejected by God because of his disobedience and now he was under God’s heavy hand. Saul’s attendants seek help for Saul and find it in David- the one who had been chosen by God to replace Saul.

To better understand what is going on in our passage we will consider what these verses tell us about:

The Spirit of God

Saul’s Problem

David’s Service

God chooses to use unlikely people for unlikely tasks in unlikely places. God Himself enables us to serve Him through His Spirit. We see this in 1 Samuel 16 as the Holy Spirit descends upon David and departs from Saul, profoundly changing both lives. To do God’s work, we need the Spirit’s empowering. His presence is vital, even as His absence is terrible.

We see this, firstly, as we consider…

 

 

 

 

The Spirit of God

Last time we saw Samuel anoint David in Bethlehem. David was chosen by God to be a different kind of king from Saul. In verse 13 we read:

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah

The ‘Spirit of the Lord’ is God Himself. It is God Himself who empowers those He has called to lead His People. By His Spirit God accomplishes His purposes in His world and for His People.

Now, if we were to turn back in our Bibles a little we would see God equipping the leaders of His People in earlier days. In the days of the Judges God raised up and empowered men by His Spirit. For example, in Judges 14 verse 6 we are specifically told of Samson:

The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands…

And we remember how in 1 Samuel 10 verse 6 Saul himself had been promised and received this same empowering- Samuel had told Saul that the Spirit of the Lord would come powerfully upon him and he would be changed into a different person.

As we read of Samson and Saul (and others) it is clear that these men were equipped by God Himself. They did not muster some inner resolved to meet a challenge; they were equipped by the God who called them. In each case God’s Spirit enabled His appointed leader to do what was needed in the circumstances.

With that in mind, it is worth noting what is said when Samuel anointed David in Bethlehem; in verse 13 it says:

…from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.

The same Spirit of the Lord who had equipped Samson and Saul came upon David but not now as an empowering for a particular moment, but permanently. This new king would be different. David was the one God had now equipped to be the leader of His People- he is the King God had set His heart upon.

There doesn’t seem to be an immediately observable effect of the Spirit at this time. If we saw only as man sees, we would not have known that the Spirit had come to David in this way. Yet something truly significant had happened that day in Bethlehem.

If we pause here for just a moment, we are again called to evaluate our commitment to corporate prayer in our congregation. The work of God can only be accomplished in the power that God supplies. The clear teaching of God’s Word is that it is only when His People humble themselves before God in prayer that they will see God move by His Spirit.

Do we want to see the Church of Christ grow in this place? Then we must pray. Do we want to see the town of Antrim transformed for the glory of God? Then we must pray. Do we want to see our family and friends receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord? Then we must pray. As God’s People gather and seek Him, He is pleased to work by His Spirit.

The Spirit of God rushed upon David and he was empowered to achieve God’s sovereign purposes. Indeed, it would only be through God’s empowering that David would achieve God’s purposes.

But as David received God’s empowering, we hear of…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saul’s Problem

 

I wonder have you ever been watching a TV Series or a movie and between one scene and the next the words ‘Some Time Later’ appear. The director has chosen to tell the story in a certain way to make a point. He isn’t going to tell the story in chronological order. Instead, he will tell the story in a way that it will flow better for the audience or help us to see a certain point he wants to make.

Something similar happens here in Chapter 16. It is likely that what we hear about in verses 14 to 23 took place some considerable time after verse 13- perhaps even after the events of Chapter 17. It is placed here, however, to show the consequences of Saul’s rejection and David becoming the one chosen by God to be His king.

So, the scene shifts in verse 14 to Gibeah, and to Saul. Saul was still Israel’s king but he had fallen out of favour with God and His Prophet Samuel. In verse 14 we see that God’s rejection of Saul had immediate consequences. This was Saul’s problem. And in verse 15 we see a solution is sought by Saul and his attendants.

The Problem: The Departure of the Spirit

What the writer tells us about Saul in verse 14 is remarkable:

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

As soon as we learn that the Spirit had rushed on David in this new way, we learn that the Spirit departed decisively from Saul.

This underlines the fact that God had rejected him. God Himself abandoned Saul because Saul had abandoned God. Saul was no longer the one equipped by God for the leadership of Israel.

No longer blessed with God’s supernatural equipping, Saul would now have to face his challenges in his own strength. This departure should remind us that there is no greater blessing than the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

In His teaching on prayer, Jesus presented the Holy Spirit as the chief of all God’s blessings; in Luke 11 verse 13 we hear Jesus say:

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

Nothing can replace the power and blessing of God’s Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit we may possess all things, but we will have them without blessing; with the Spirit we may lack everything else and yet be filled with the joy of God.

What is true for us individually is also true of the church: our ministry is nothing without the Holy Spirit. What can the church accomplish if it has the most effective programs, most polished musical performers, the most eloquent of speakers? Such churches can accomplish much in a worldly sense- what we can see with our eyes. And yet, a church with no worldly advantages, but with a faithful Word ministry and a culture of fervent, spiritual prayer may accomplish great things in light of eternity through the power of the Spirit.

‘Apart from me you can do nothing…’ Jesus declared. We can do many things apart from Christ’s Spirit, but in spiritual and eternal terms, they are nothing. Realising this, we should count the presence of God’s Spirit as the greatest possible blessing.

In verses 14 and 15 we learn that something else happened to Saul:

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you…

For obvious reasons these words have troubled many.

In understanding the text, we need not understand the spirit as ‘evil’, but rather as ‘harmful’ (as the English Standard Version translates it). The spirit was not himself evil, but rather he was sent by God to bring harm upon King Saul as an act of judgement on Saul’s sin. Saul’s tortured state was ultimately caused by Saul’s disobedience. Saul’s suffering was a consequence of his being rejected by God because he had rejected God.

God is love, and therefore He hates all evil, including Saul’s sins. Saul’s judgment is a warning of the far greater torment that souls in hell will experience because of God’s righteous and eternal punishment for sin.

Saul, once so impressive a young man, now became gloomy and unstable. This was, of course, noticed by his court. So, Saul’s followers sought a solution to his problem.

 

The Solution: A Spirit-Filled Helper

The servants of Saul offered a suggestion in verse 16:

…Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.”

The advisers recognised that the source of Saul’s problem was his alienation from God. Yet their remedy was superficial.

It is true that music therapy is a well attested means of soothing the human spirit. But Saul’s true problem was his sin against God and required sincere repentance. God’s grace is always available to all who will repent and believe.

Godly counsellors seem to have been absent from Saul’s court. His advisers addressed Saul’s psychological symptoms, but this was fundamentally a spiritual problem. And so, in verse 17, Saul agreed with his servants’ suggestion and sent them to find an appropriate candidate.

In verse 18 just the right person to meet Saul’s need is found:

One of the servants answered, “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 a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

What should strike us here is the extraordinary description of David- here is a young person of living faith. Young people and their parents should be especially challenged by this description.

Notice how David was commended for his courage. When we read of David’s life- his battle with Goliath for example- we see a life passionately pursuing God’s glory. This is exactly what a living faith in God should produce.

From an early age we should encourage our covenant children and young people to stand up for what is right, to pray against what is wrong, and share the Gospel with others. As a congregation we should intentionally encourage our young people to take their place in the spiritual warfare we are all engaged in.

We see also that David spoke well. This too is something our young people need help with in our day. Godly speech comes from Godly thinking- the result of time spent in God’s Word and prayer. Let us encourage our young people to be in God’s Word and gathered for prayer- to learn these Godly habits from an early age.

The description given of young David is a good agenda for the mentoring of any Believer, especially a young one. The key to it all, however, is the final description of David: ‘…the LORD is with him.’.

Today, God is with everyone who trusts in Christ. Jesus is present among His Followers today through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And, as we open our lives to the Spirit’s leading in humble prayer and in obedience to Scripture, we will experience spiritual growth and grow in Christlike character. We must never forget that God’s great desire for is His People is that they would know fullness of life in Him.

Based on the outstanding recommendation David was summoned to Saul’s court; and so we learn of…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David’s Service

 

In verses 19 to 23 we read of David service in Saul’s court. As the story is told there is irony upon irony. Firstly, in verse 19, Saul, to help him in his present distress, had unsuspectingly summoned the one who had been chosen as his replacement. God is at work in these circumstances to achieve His purposes.

The irony persists in verse 20 as Jesse showed due deference to the authority of the king and sent his son, along with gifts to Saul. The resulting situation is astonishing. In verse 21 we hear of David’s obedient service. The chosen king was serving the rejected king. Then we read of Saul’s affection for David.

As Believers let us take note of how faithful service in difficult circumstances will not go unnoticed. David lived out the words written by Paul in Ephesians 6:

…obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶ Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 

The sense of irony continues to build in verse 21 as we learn that David became Saul’s armorbearer. In Chapter 18 we will see that the handing over of arms will be the symbolic way in which Saul’s son Jonathan will abdicate his position as successor to the throne to David. Here Saul, unintentionally, and perhaps unnoticed by any of the participants in the events, does the same

Saul, of course, saw none of the significance we now see in all of this. David was the kind of servant he was looking for; in verse 22 we see this plainly:

Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”.

Then, in verse 23, our passage concludes with a description of David’s service:

Whenever the 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.

Just as the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul in verse 14, so now, by the ministry of David (the one who now had received that Spirit), the ‘evil spirit’ departed from him. We see that Saul now depended on David for the needs of his spirit because the Spirit of the Lord was in David.

God’s purposes for the man from Bethlehem were hidden from all who saw only ‘as man sees’. But the truth was that this man would become Israel’s king. The Spirit of the Lord had come upon him for this purpose. And only when we realise that do we see this episode in true perspective.

 

More importantly, David shows what a difference it makes for God to be with us. ‘The LORD is with him…’ is the decisive statement for understanding young David. David’s God-given faith David makes him a good role model for Christians as they serve King Jesus in the places He calls them to.

David’s service, ultimately, points us to the character and ministry of King Jesus. Jesus, too, was able to live His perfect life, teach His divine words, and work His mighty miracles because the Lord was with Him.

God was with David because the Lord had determined to provide a king for Himself to rule over Israel. Likewise, God was with Jesus Christ, since the Father was providing His Son to be the Savior of the world.

In service to King Saul David was able to soothe Saul’s troubled mind for a while. But King Jesus, in His ministry to His People, sets us free from sin and gives us fullness of life.

 

Conclusion

In the Gospel we are called receive King Jesus in faith- receive the true peace He gives through His service on the Cross- and then to live a life of service to our True King. The life of the Believer is a life of fullness, a life lived in the power Jesus supplies by His Spirit. So, let us leave today resolved to live in the service of our King and in the power of His Spirit for the glory of His name.