We read in this chapter that Saul is again tormented by an evil spirit and yet again he tries to kill David. We should also remember that this evil spirit is said previously to have been “from the Lord” (16:14). The evil spirit is being used by God in some sense to amplify Saul’s obsessive jealousy of David. Saul’s jealousy is not caused by the demon but merely creates a foothold for demonic influence. The evil spirit simply compounds what is already there. Why is God doing this? We often find examples in Scripture of God amplifying evil to make it more apparent. It is like bringing an infection to the surface so it can be recognised and dealt with. Jesus did this constantly. He sought to make the rebellion in people’s hearts more apparent. Alongside this, however, he also drew faith and devotion from the most unlikely people. This brings about a kind of polarisation where the difference between the faithful and the unfaithful becomes manifest. That is what we see here in the case of Saul and David: an increasingly polarised picture. As God brings out the worst in Saul, he, at the same time, brings out the best in David. If there is some kind of bad attitude in you, God will often create circumstances that serve to amplify this. This is not to ruin you but to save you. If you recognise what God is showing you and seek his help and healing, then God can begin to bring out his best in you.
Ask God to bring out the worst in you and the best in you.
Read 1 Samuel 19
