What does this mean? And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. (1 Samuel 18:10)
How can it be that an evil spirit came from God? For context, God had already rejected Saul, the first king, from remaining as king because of his disobedience. This is the beginning of the downfall of Saul as king and the rising of David to become king.
God can use anything to accomplish His punishments and judgments. Everything is in God’s arsenal—in physical and spiritual realms. In the physical, He caused the earth to open up and swallow people; snakes to bite people; all the plagues in Exodus; fire and brimstone to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah; a flood; draught; enemy armies to get confused and kill each other; and much more.
He also can use things in the spirit world to accomplish His punishments and judgements. He can use evil as handily as He uses good. Saul wasn’t the only king to whom God sent a questionable spirit. Ahab was also a wicked king in Israel who needed to be taken down.
And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. (1 Kings 22:20-23)
Why would God send an evil and a lying spirit? Apparently, sometimes it’s part of His strategy. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Just note that the verse says that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul. This does not imply that God created the evil. He sent it. If I send someone a dozen roses, they are from me, but I didn’t grow them. If an evil spirit comes from God, it means He sent it. The spirits are subject to Him. That’s not difficult to understand. The spirits were also subject to the disciples through Jesus’s name (Luke 10:17).
So, in summary, everything in the physical and spiritual realms are subject to God. He can and does use anything to accomplish His punishments and judgments.
Tell me what you think.
Jody