The Life and Times of

The Selection of David for Serving Saul (16:14-23) (Soft Music for a Hard Heart)

14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. 15 Saul's servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you. 16 “Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” 18 Then one of the young men answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David who is with the flock.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine and a young goat, and sent them to Saul by David his son. 21 Then David came to Saul and attended him, and Saul loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.
The words of the 18^th century English dramatist William Congree sound a truth that touches us all: Music has charms to soothe the savage beast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.”
From an infant whose hot, tear-streaked face is cooled by a mother’s tender lullaby to a corporate ladder-climbing executive whose stiff deadlines are suppled by the sweet strains of Tchaikovsky – music works its healing power in all of us.
Its ability to soothe our terror, soften our hard spots, and bend out rigid, gnarled souls is nothing new. David, the young king-elect, besides being a faithful shepherd and man of valor, was a skilled musician. And one day, God called him from the tranquil pastures to the tumultuous palace to favor the disturbed Saul with the therapy of his music.
In terms of time, it is a long way from the prophetic designation of David as Israel’s king to his ascent to the throne, and even longer in terms of logistics. How does a young man whom even his family does not consider a candidate for king rise to that position when a paranoid king is already in place, a king who does not hesitate to kill his competition? The answer to this question takes time and space in Scripture, but verses 14-23 give us a sample of how God providentially brings about what He indicates through His prophet.

Very obviously, Saul has no idea of what has taken place as recorded in verses 1-13 of this chapter. If he believes Samuel’s words (as well he may not, especially as time passes and he remains on as Israel’s king), he will indeed be set aside and replaced by a man of God’s choosing.

He does not know Samuel has designated and anointed David as his replacement, or that the Spirit which God had given him has now been given to David. What he does know is that things are very different than they were. He never sees Samuel (see 15:35). He does not sense the Lord’s presence and power, through the Spirit. He does experience a very different spiritual phenomenon though.
An “evil spirit from God” now comes upon Saul, terrorizing him. He seems to have spells where the terrorizing of this spirit is present and times that are more normal.
We read the sad and distressing words in 1 Samuel 16:14, “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.” When he was anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel, the Spirit of God had come upon him and he had become “another man.”
In pride, self-will, disobedience and stubbornness, Saul had rejected God and God’s Word. Because of this, the Spirit of God had left him and an evil spirit possessed him. As king he had great earthly possessions. He possessed everything, and yet in his choice to reject God, he had nothing. He now lived continually aware of blight and condemnation upon all his apparent prosperity and enjoyment.
Continual, willful disobedience grieves and quenches the Spirit of God. God will not violate our free choice. He knows the truth of our heart’s condition apart from any profession, words or deeds. Either God in His grace, or Satan and his malignity, must ultimately rule every heart. The choice is yours and mine. The final result is ours by choice. It seems an easy way out to blame our circumstances, the church, our parents, or anyone but ourselves for our dilemmas rather than accept our God-given tasks and count on His enabling.
As one might expect, there are different theories about this “evil spirit from God.” The appearance of this “spirit,” like the disappearance of the Holy Spirit, is from the Lord. That is, it is the Lord who directs the Holy Spirit to forsake Saul. Is it possible that David’s plea that God not let His Spirit depart from him (Psalm 51:11) is, in some measure, the result of what David beholds with his own eyes while in Saul’s service? The evil spirit is also from the Lord. This should not be surprising, because God is sovereign. Satan cannot do anything to anyone without God’s permission (see, for example, Job 1 and 2).
To Saul’s servants, this “evil spirit” is not new or unusual. They have seen this before, and they recognize it in his life and know what the best treatment for his condition is. All of this inclines me to conclude that this is a demonic spirit which now oppresses Saul.
Saul’s servants believe that soothing music will have a beneficial effect on Saul, and they recommend that Saul find a man skilled at playing the harp so that when the spirit overtakes him, the musician can play soothing music and calm his troubled spirit. Saul approves of this idea. He, above all, is terrified by the spirit’s oppression in his life.
One of Saul’s servants suddenly thinks of a man who perfectly fits Saul’s need. He has somewhere seen and heard about David in Bethlehem. David is not only a gifted musician who skillfully plays the harp (most translations rendered Hebrew word harp but best translation would be lyre, a smaller instrument with fewer strings…a cross between a hard and a guitar), he is also a valiant warrior (as seen, perhaps in his “battles” with the bear and the lion), a man of good looks and godly wisdom.
Most importantly, he is a man with whom the Lord is present. The very things which qualify David to serve as king are the things which qualify him to serve the king. Already David’s kingly qualities are becoming evident, even to those in the palace.

Caring for the sheep involved long hours, many of them dull, boring hours. Once the sheep were properly cared for, the shepherd had little to do on a hillside watching them…not uncommon for them to entertain themelves by playing an instrument.

During the lonely days David wrote poems and set them to music. Then he played and sang. Keep these things in mind as you read through this chapter.
The reference to the evil spirit upon Saul gives us the reason for David’s coming to the king’s court. He was brought there to relieve Saul’s melancholy with his soothing, beautiful music. Here we discover that David was not only a musician but also a valiant man, a courageous soldier, and a man who walked with God. Even Saul was favorably impressed. It is recorded that “Saul loved David greatly.” David’s music gave temporary relief to Saul, but it could not remove the anguish of a troubled heart.
Saul summons David in a polite way, but it is also an offer no one dares to refuse the king. The request is made of Jesse, since David still lives under his roof. From Saul’s words spoken to Jesse, it is evident that Saul is aware of David’s role as the sheep-tender too (see verse 19). Jesse sends David, along with gifts of food, to the king where David begins to serve as the king’s attendant.
As David’s character and skills become more evident to Saul, he is promoted to the position of Saul’s armor bearer, probably the most intimate and personal job of any of Saul’s staff. Saul not only comes to respect David’s abilities, he comes to love him as well. He is perhaps almost like a son to Saul.
David’s probationary service ends, and he is given tenure, so to speak, with the king. Saul properly requests of Jesse that David be allowed to enter into permanent service with him. So it is that whenever Saul is oppressed by the evil spirit, David plays his harp and soothes the troubled spirit of the king.
The Spirit of God in David brings about the departure, for a time, of the evil spirit. How does Saul spell relief? D A V I D. The word “evil” here should be thought of as “punishing” rather than “sinful.” “From the Lord” can either mean God allowed Satan to use one of his workers to torment Saul or that God sent directly this Spirit to punish Saul. Either way, we can be sure that God’s purpose was a good one. Saul was bring disciplined to bring him back to the Lord.