An Evil Spirit and Saul

Did God Send an Evil Spirit upon Saul?

The nature of God is such that He never would do anything that is out of harmony with His divine essence. Being infinite in all of His attributes (including goodness and compassion), He never would mistreat anyone, manifest partiality or injustice, or do something that may be legitimately indicted as wrong (Genesis 18:25). “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). That being the case, how does one explain the following: “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him” (1 Samuel 16:14); “And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul” (1 Samuel 18:10; cf. 19:9; Judges 9:23)? Did God supernaturally afflict Saul with a demonic spirit that, in turn, overruled Saul’s ability to be responsible for his own actions?

Evil Spirit

Did God Inflict Saul with an Evil Spirit?

At least three clarifications are worthy of consideration. First, the Bible frequently refers to acts of deserved punishment that God has inflicted upon people throughout history. For example, He brought a global deluge against the Earth’s population (Genesis 6-9) due to rampant human wickedness and depravity (6:5). God did not act inappropriately in doing so, not only because the people deserved nothing less, but also because He repeatedly warned the people of impending disaster, and was longsuffering in giving them ample opportunity to repent (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:9). The Bible provides instance after instance where evil people received their “just desserts.” God is not to be blamed nor deemed unjust for levying deserved punishment for sin, even as honest, impartial judges in America today are not culpable when they mete out just penalties for criminal behavior. Retribution upon flagrant, ongoing, impenitent lawlessness is not only right and appropriate; it is absolutely indispensable and necessary (see Miller, 2002).

In this case, Saul was afflicted with “ an evil spirit ” as a punishment for his insistent defiance of God’s will. He had committed flagrant violation of God’s commands on two previous occasions (1 Samuel 13:13-14; 15:11,19). His persistence in this lifelong pattern of disobedient behavior certainly deserved direct punitive response from God (e.g., 31:4). As Keil and Delitzsch maintained: “This demon is called ‘an evil spirit (coming) from Jehovah,’ because Jehovah had sent it as a punishment” (1976, 2:170). John W. Haley added: “And he has a punitive purpose in granting this permission. He uses evil to chastise evil” (1977, p. 142). Of course, the reader needs to be aware of the fact that the term for “evil” is a broad term that need not refer to spiritual wickedness. In fact, it often refers to physical harm or painful hardship (e.g., Genesis 19:19; 2 Samuel 17:14).

A second clarification regarding the sending of an evil spirit upon Saul is the question of, in what sense the spirit was “from the Lord.” To be honest and fair, the biblical interpreter must be willing to allow the peculiar linguistic features of ancient languages to be clarified and understood in accordance with the way those languages functioned. Specifically, ancient Hebrew (like most all other languages, then and now) was literally loaded with figurative language—i.e., figures of speech, Semitisms, colloquialisms, and idioms. It frequently was the case that “[a]ctive verbs were used by the Hebrews to express, not the doing of the thing, but the permission of the thing which the agent is said to do” (Bullinger, 1898, p. 823, emp. in orig.; cf. MacKnight, 1954, p. 29). Similarly, the figure of speech known as “metonymy of the subject” occurs “[w]here the action is put for the declaration concerning it: or where what is said to be done is put for what is declared, or permitted, or foretold as to be done: or where an action, said to be done, is put for the giving occasion for such action” (Bullinger, p. 570, italics in orig., emp. added). Hence, when the Bible says that the “distressing spirit” that troubled Saul was “from the Lord,” the writer was using an idiom to indicate that the Lord allowed or permitted the distressing spirit to come upon Saul. George Williams commented: “What God permits He is stated in the Bible to perform” (1960, p. 127).

In this second case, God did not directly send upon Saul an evil spirit; rather He allowed it to happen in view of Saul’s own propensity for stubborn disobedience. Gleason Archer commented on this point: “By these successive acts of rebellion against the will and law of God, King Saul left himself wide open to satanic influence—just as Judas Iscariot did after he had determined to betray the Lord Jesus” (1982, p. 179). One need not necessarily suppose that this demonic influence overwhelmed Saul’s free will. Satan can have power over us only insofar as we encourage or invite him to do so—“for what God fills not, the devil will” (Clarke, n.d., 2:259).

It is particularly interesting to note how the Bible links the frequent attempts at subversion by Satan with the redemptive scheme of God to provide atonement through the Christ. David, an ancestor of Christ, had to face Satan in the form of this “evil spirit” that sought to harm him through Saul, even as Jesus Himself had to face Satan’s attempts to subvert Him (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 4:1-11; cf. Matthew 2:16; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 12:4). Williams went on to observe: “This explains why so many of those who were the ancestors of Christ were the objects of Satan’s peculiar cunning and hatred” (p. 153).

A third consideration regarding the “evil spirit” that came upon Saul is the fact that the term “spirit” (ruach) has a wide range of meanings: air (i.e., breath or wind); the vital principle of life or animating force; the rational mind where thinking and decision-making occurs; the Holy Spirit of God (Gesenius, 1847, pp. 760-761), and even disposition of mind or attitude (Harris, et al., 1980, 2:836). Likewise, the word translated “evil” (KJV), “distressing” (NKJV), or “injurious” (NIV margin) is a word (ra‘a) that can mean “bad,” “unhappy,” or “sad of heart or mind” (Gesenius, p. 772). It can refer to “a variety of negative attitudes common to wicked people, and be extended to include the consequences of that kind of lifestyle” (Harris, et al., 2:856).

In view of these linguistic data, the “evil spirit” that came upon Saul may well have been his own bad attitude—his ugly disposition of mind—that he manifested over and over again. Here is a persistent problem with which so many people grapple—the need to get their attitude straight regarding God’s will for their lives, and the need to have an unselfish approach to life and the people around them. We can be “our own worst enemy.” Such certainly was the case with Saul—and he bore total responsibility for his own actions. He could not blame God or an external “evil spirit.” Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown summarize this point quite adequately: “His own gloomy reflections—the consciousness that he had not acted up to the character of an Israelitish king—the loss of his throne, and the extinction of his royal house, made him jealous, irritable, vindictive, and subject to fits of morbid melancholy” (n.d., p. 185). Indeed, all people ultimately choose to allow Satan to rule them by their capitulation to their own sinful inclinations, desires, and decisions (cf. Genesis 4:7; Luke 22:3; Acts 5:3).

In view of these considerations, God and the Bible are exonerated from wrongdoing in the matter of Saul being the recipient of an evil spirit. When adequate evidence is gathered, the facts may be understood in such a way that God is shown to be righteous and free from unfair treatment of Saul. Like every other accountable human being who has ever lived, Saul made his own decisions, and reaped the consequences accordingly.

Dave Miller – Apologetics Press – http://www.apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=1278

REFERENCES

Archer, Gleason L. (1982), An Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).

Bullinger, E.W. (1898), Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1968 reprint).

Clarke, Adam (no date), Clarke’s Commentary: Joshua-Esther (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury).

Gesenius, William (1847), Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1979 reprint).

Haley, John W. (1977 reprint), Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

Harris, R. Laird, Gleason Archer, Jr. and Bruce Waltke, eds. (1980), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago, IL: Moody).

Jamieson, Robert, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown (no date), A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).

Keil, C.F. and F. Delitzsch (1976 reprint), Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I & II Samuel (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

MacKnight, James (1954 reprint), Apostolic Epistles (Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate).

Miller, Dave (2002), “Capital Punishment and the Bible,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/1974

Williams, George (1960), The Student’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel), sixth edition.

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Binding and Loosing

Binding and Loosing

The Biblical concept of binding and loosing pertains to the degree to which actions are constrained by law. To illustrate, by way of secular example section 92.06 of the Akron, Ohio, city ordinances states: “No person shall dye or otherwise color any rabbit or baby poultry, including, but not limited to, chicks and ducklings.” This law has been bound and is thereby enforceable in Akron, Ohio. The Akron citizen is constrained from coloring baby ducks. However, since there are no laws in Akron, Ohio about painting your pet elephant, citizens are loosed (not constrained) in doing so. All citizens of Akron, Ohio, are bound or loosed by the laws pertaining to Akron. On the largest of scales, the Bible is the ultimate authority by which all actions are bound or loosed today. How does this book have such authority to bind and loose?

Binding

Binding and Loosing? How is this done?

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1). God is creator, we are creation. The man Job realized the state of humans when before God he stated: “Behold I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee” (Job 40: 4). Isaiah 64:8 establishes that God is the potter, man the clay. The creation logically does not have authority over the creator. The Bible given to man is the Word of God. They are the edict of the King. They are uncontestable.

When the man Jesus came to the earth, God made it clear Jesus was His Son and man was to listen to Him (Matthew 17:5). The Jews of that time wondered when Jesus spoke how he could do so with authority (Matthew 21:23). Consider how Jesus received his authority:

John 5:30 – I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 12:49-50 – For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak.

Jesus sought to do the will of his Father. He only stated what the Father would have him say. He did nothing of Himself, only that which the Father had given him authority to do. Consider John 1:1-3 where Jesus, the Word of God (John 14:6, John 17:17) creates all things. God says, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), it was done. Jesus did not simultaneously create a light source. God had not said to do so and Jesus only does what He is told. Jesus does not add to or do less than what He is told by the Father. Thus, through the Father, Christ has always constrained himself. When tempted by Satan in Matthew 4, Jesus followed the same pattern of stating his Father’s will, “it is written”. In the obedience of Christ, the Father than gave Jesus all authority (Matthew 28:18).

The apostles were gathered together by Christ. They were nobodies. However, Christ made them men with authority. How?

John 14:26 – But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.

John 16:13 – Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The Holy Spirit comes to these men and by the authority of Christ, given by the Father, shares all truth (the Word of God) with them. They are then told to teach the truth Christ shared by himself and through the Spirit. In doing so, they are doing no less than what Christ himself did. They acted with authority of the Father. They constrained or bound themselves to it. Jesus tells Peter the following in Matthew 16:19:

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loosen earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Of note is the false doctrine some twist from this verse of papal succession. It is believed that starting with Peter a line of succession to bind and loose doctrinal precepts upon mankind was handed down through today by the popes. This is a gross misunderstanding and misapplication of scripture. To begin with, “the keys of the kingdom” is a term referencing the sharing of the Word of God. Peter shared the Word on the day of Pentecost and 3000 souls were added to the kingdom. The doors to the kingdom were opened by the keys of the gospel. Next, the charge to bind and loose was not just given to Peter, but also to the disciples (followers of Christ – Matthew 18:18):

“Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

The binding and loosing is not something that was assigned to an individual or a succession of popes, but to the followers of Christ. Yet, there is an even more important understanding that must be realized. In both Matthew 16 and 18, the ability to bind and loose, the ability to constrain according to authority of Christ given by the Father, is something which is directly tied to that which has already been bound or loosed in heaven. In simplistic terms: Share the word and stick to it. Don’t add to it and don’t take away from it. What is commanded to be followed is that which has been established by God already. There is not authority given to create new law. God’s law is not imperfect needing additions or subtractions to it depending upon the situation.

Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Jude 1:3 – Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

The verses above all point to the fact that the Word of God has been given in complete to man. There are no further words or clarifications which are needed. There are no new laws to constrain upon mankind. Of importance in answering our question about how the Word of God has authority two more verses must be mentioned. We know that God the Father instructed Jesus and he followed. Jesus instructed the apostles directly and through the Holy Spirit and they followed. This is important in the understanding of the authority of the Bible for no word of scripture has been taught by the opinion of those apostles. It has only been through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through Christ we have received the teachings of Christ.

2 Peter 1:20-21 – knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 1:11-12 – For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

If by Pope, “angel”, vision, emotion, friend, Bishop, or theologian an instruction is given which is not found to be in agreement with the Bible, there is no authority in their words (Galatians 1:6-10). Man cannot be constrained by that which the Words of God as found in scripture do not constrain. Man is free where there is no constraint. Binding and loosing is the responsibility of all who would share the gospel. It is a responsibility they follow with Christ, the Apostles, and past disciples. It is the binding and loosing of that which has been established previously in heaven and nothing more. Accursed are those who do not do so.

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The Reputation of a Congregation

Congregation Reputation

What Do They Say About Us?

When people drive by our church building, what do you think they say? Do they say? Do they say, “Yea, that church is incredible. They are always teaching people the Scriptures and they do such a great job showing others Jesus Christ by what they teach and the way they live?” Well, perhaps people say that and perhaps they do not. But, the sad truth is that very few congregations are talked about this way. Why not? Well, to have people say this about the church means that the Christians who meet at the local congregation must have a commitment to proclaiming the cross of Jesus Christ while also caring about their community enough that they become the solution to the major issues plaguing our communities. They must be a light to the world! And, if we are not like this, then we need to change.

Congregation

What is the Reputation of Your Congregation.

For instance, if we do not think like this then we need to change the way we think. So many Times we believe that the church is the answer or is a huge asset to the community in which we live. So often, we may be called a compassionate church, we may even have a wonderful benevolence ministry with helping others, including a food pantry. We may even help struggling Christians all over the world. But here’s the thing…. while it is a good thing to help others out when they need it, did we extend our hand out to them too? What I mean is, did we embrace them? Did we identify with them and put ourselves in their shoes? You see, compassion is not what we do, compassion is supposed to be who we are because that is who our Master is. And so, we help others not just in momentary ways, but help them to see the Savior by teaching them because if we really care for them, we will care more for their souls.

Second, if we want people to think about us in incredible ways, maybe we need to change the way we pray. What do I mean by this? Most of the Time, prayers need to be based on more than just what our needs are. In the book of Mathew, Jesus teaches us something revolutionary. Jesus wants us to pray that the Father would raise up workers to meet the needs that we see in our communities. He says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matt. 9:38). When was the last Time you prayed the song, “Lead me to some soul today?” Do we not sing this song because we hope that someone else will care for the souls that are around us? Perhaps the preacher or some missionary will reach them. I think the Lord here was referring to His disciples, Christians, who would be those workers in reaching out to the souls that He knows can be saved. So, will you be incredible and reach them or let them be lost?

Third, change the way you keep score. Huh? For years, congregations define success by the strength of the programs and/or the increase in numbers. But, does this really define success? Why do we define success like this…like a business? Should we not be basing our success on meeting the Lord’s will and tending to the crying needs of people around us? I mean, so what if we can feed the hungry, provide shelter, give blood, go to ball games together if we are still unwilling to fulfill God’s calling in Isa. 61 and Luke 4. We ought to be able preach good Tidings to the poor and allow Jesus to heal their broken hearts so that they can be released from the bondage of sin! That’s it! Doing the will of God because we love our Creator and we love our community as much as ourselves! To love them and to serve Jesus, with no strings attached, and allowing God to open their hearts and to give the increase.

Fourth, to be an incredible congregation of the Lord’s body, it involves changing our thinking, praying and score keeping. But, it also means to change the way we do community outreach. Community outreach does not mean “inviting them to our church.” It means, inviting them into our lives! It means, going to them and being involved in their lives and not just insisting that they come and join us. Jesus is the best example of this. So often it was the case the Jesus went to the people. He was involved in their lives. He wanted to know about the people. He wanted to know them and to show them the glory of God and in doing so, many followed and still follow Him. We can do the same thing if we are willing to do His will. You see, that is giving yourself to God. Too often it is the case that we give God the bare minimum and that is not going to cut it.

We have got to be good stewards of what God has given us and what He has given us is ourselves…a born again life! We belong to Him! We must therefore, change our normal giving to Him and start giving ourselves to others because our hearts are gripped with all that God has done for us and that even when we are not in the “mood” to do for God, we “get in the mood” because of how much we love our God in heaven. And, if we do that, when people drive by the church building, they will says, “Yea, that church is incredible. They are always teaching people the Scriptures and they do such a great job showing others Jesus Christ by what they teach and the way they live! They want to be involved in my life and because of that, I want to be involved in the God whom they serve!” Dare to be different than the world, brethren.

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Hezekiah

Hezekiah: What Have They Seen in Thy House?

There is an interesting story in 2 Kings 20 about Judah’s King Hezekiah.  Some envoys were sent to him from the king of Babylon; and in his pride, Hezekiah “showed them all the house of his treasures…..there was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them” (v. 13).  When the prophet Isaiah inquired  about their visit (v. 15), he asked the king, “What have they seen in thy house?” Hezekiah had exposed all of Judah’s wealth to his Babylonian guests – a mistake that would eventually lead to the downfall of the kingdom of Judah (vv. 16-18).

Hezekiah

As Hezekiah, Do You Know What is in Your House.

 

To borrow from Isaiah’s question: what about your life?  Has anyone visited you lately?  If so, “What have they seen in thy house?”  Did they see a genuine love for God in your home?  Did they see a respectable and loving family, devoted to one another?  Was the beauty of Jesus seen in your conduct? If not, beware, my friends.  For such a mistake will eventually lead to ruin.

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Suffering in Hell?

Is there suffering in Hell?

How could a loving God ever consider casting man into a lake of fire and leaving him there to suffer for all eternity? This is not an easy question to consider on many levels, but it is one which intrigues the minds of so many. Is it possible that we may not see the horrendous nature of sin and what divine justice demands for punishment? Is it possible that we may have developed a wrong view of God by overemphasizing His goodness, and that wrong view of Him is part of the problem? Whether we can answer these two questions or others which might come to mind really is not the issue. The underlying issue is, “What does God reveal that He will do with the wicked?”

Every sin will be punished. The writer of Hebrews looked at the Old Testament and said, “The word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward” (Heb. 2:2). The Holy Spirit of God affirmed that every sin committed for the thousands of years since Adam had been justly rewarded. Our God delights in forgiveness and rejoices in showing mercy (Micah 7:18), but He is also just. The issue before us is, “What does He reveal that He will do with the wicked?”

The sin of angels is punished by God with continuing suffering. Both Jude and Peter (Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4) describe the rebellion of angels. What did a loving God do with them? He did not simply destroy them, but He bound them with chains in the darkness of hell awaiting a coming judgment where they will be cast into an everlasting fire (Matt. 25:41).

The rich man who refused to share with the beggar, Lazarus, suffered in the fires of Hades. What did a loving God do with this selfish, rich man? Taken from his body, he was in torments, begging for one drop of water to cool his tongue. His words, “I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24), show what love and justice demanded from both Lazarus and the rich man.

Those who worshipped the beast suffered consciously in the fire of God’s judgment. “If any man worship the beast . . . he himself shall drink of the wrath of God. . . . He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone . . . And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” (Rev. 14:9-11). How will a loving God deal with the man who rebels against Him? Certainly not simply casting him into the lake of fire where he will immediately burn up and cease to exist. It is the loving God who speaks of fire and brimstone lasting forever and ever and never having any rest from that punishment.

Remember the issue is, “What does God say about hell?” The options are clear—eternal bliss with God or eternal darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Your choice!

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