2023_07_12 Insight Post- Rusty Coram
This week’s reading- 1 Samuel 16, Luke 20, 2 Samuel 5, Romans 1
There are times in our Bible reading when we come across information that is tough to process. When we hit these passages, we have some options: (1) skip over them and forget what we read, (2) decide that the Bible is too hard to understand and give up, or (3) let confusion lead us to distrust the Bible and God… none of these are good choices. They are reactionary and lead us to distance ourselves from God. The better option is to admit that a passage is tough to grasp, and then work to try and understand it, considering the rest of what the Bible teaches. God invites us to raise questions and look for answers – not to ignore them or get discouraged and give up.
1 Samuel 16:14 is one of these head-scratcher verses: “Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.” (NLT) What’s the deal? Does God support evil? Later we read, “The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.” 1 Samuel 18:10–11 (NLT)
What is going on here? Well, there are a few things we know for certain about God that will help us figure it out. First, He is good (Mark 10:18). Second, we know that God is never the instigator of evil (James 1:13). We also know that God is sovereign, and there is no one and no thing more powerful than Him (Hebrews 6:13).
So, what do we make of this tormenting, evil spirit sent to Saul? Well, we know that at the beginning of his reign, God gave Saul His Spirit, and the evidence is clear that Saul was honoring God and leading well. Later, however, Saul became repeatedly disobedient to God, and God disciplined Him by removing His Spirit, and leaving Saul to his rebellious nature. Saul’s rejection of God’s direction opened the door to Sault having the “tormenting spirit” that plagued him until his death. Saul’s deliberate disobedience created the problem. God didn’t protect him from the evil spirit, but instead allowed it to come to harass Saul, and in the process, demonstrated His selection of David as the new king as he escaped Saul’s increasing wrath.
An important lesson here is that God will encourage, and urge, us to trust and follow Him, but He will not force it. If we choose to reject God and go our own way, we put ourselves in the dangerous position of being prey to the enemy. “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” 1 Peter 5:8–9 (NLT)
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor