'I noticed that at least twice in the scriptures we read Sunday that it said that Saul was overcome with an evil spirit from the Lord after which time he did something to try and harm David. Can you explain what that means? How could an evil spirit be from the Lord? If from the Lord, is Saul responsible for his actions?'
On a couple of occasions in First Samuel we read that God sent an evil spirit to King Saul. We see this in 16.14-16, 18.10, and last Sunday in Chapter 19 and verse 9.
Remember that Saul was allowed by God to be King, even though the people knew that this was in direct disobedience to God's plan. God didn't acquiesce; rather He gave the people what they asked for as a way to demonstrate the negative results of their failure to follow His plans.
Saul reigned as King for 27 years before David was chosen to be the next King...and then for another 13 years till his death. We do not have have many stories from Saul's first 27 years, but the Bible indicates that Saul quickly turned to his own devices, placed God second, and often used God to get what he wanted in life. This greatly displeased God, and so in First Samuel 16 we find see the intersection of Saul and David. Saul begins his great descent and David his divine ascent.
In First Samuel 16.14 we read, 'Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.'
There are a few options as to what this means...
1. God directly sent an evil/tormenting spirit to Saul.
2. God removed his protection from Saul, which allowed an evil spirit to get to Saul.
3. Saul's actions demonstrated that he wanted to turn away from God; so God now allowed Saul to experience the consequences of his actions.
A few thoughts...
God is not the author of evil. He is all-powerful, which means that when evil happens it does not catch Him off guard. Evil occurs within the bounds of of God's sovereignty. Can God use evil spirits/demons to do His will, to punish, and as judgement? Certainly. What we know is that God gave Saul 27 years of ruling and a direct line to heaven -via Samuel the Prophet. God provided Saul with the tools that he needed to succeed, yet Saul consistently rejected God's plan.
The Hebrew word 'spirit' is 'ruach' and can also mean a 'human spirit.' Also the word 'evil' can also be translated as 'bad' or 'harmful.'
With this in mind, I believe that a combination of 2 and 3 above may be the best answer to this difficult question.
If you are wondering, 'What type of God would do this to any person?', keep this thought in mind.... God did not just abandon Saul to his actions, but He continued to show Saul grace by allowing Saul to experience relief through David's harp playing... A consistent picture of God in the Bible is one who holds both Justice and Grace in perfect harmony....and that is what He is doing with Saul in Chapters 16-19 of First Samuel!
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