1 Samuel 16:14-23--David in Saul's Service

1 Samuel 16:14-23
English Standard Version

David in Saul's Service
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15 And Saul's servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.

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We saw last time that the Spirit of the LORD "rushed upon" David (the same wording as used when the Spirit of the LORD came upon Saul in 1 Samuel 10:10 and 11:6 and it will be the same wording used about the harmful spirit from the LORD that will rush upon Saul in 18:10).  We saw though last time that the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward, and now we see the Spirit of the LORD leaving Saul.

The servants of Saul noticed the change and knew that a harmful spirit from God was tormenting him and their best solution to this was to find someone skilled at playing the lyre to play for Saul when the harmful spirit came upon him so that his spirit would be soothed.

So Saul commanded his servants to do as they had suggested and one of the men said that he had seen David play and not only was he skilled in music, but he was a man of valor, a man of war, a man prudent in speech, a man of good presence, and it was obvious to all that the LORD was with him.  This was quite the resume, so Saul immediately sent messengers to Jesse to have David sent to him.  Jesse sent David with a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and young goat (probably for them to sacrifice and eat), and this is how the LORD brought David into the palace and Saul's service.  Remember David knows he has already been anointed to be king over all of Israel and the temptation would be there to take the throne from Saul, but David will not do this--for he leaves the timing and the means of Saul's death (as well as of his sons) to the LORD so that it will be obvious that the LORD has given the throne to David and that David has not stolen it or taken it by force, for if he takes it by force, then it would send the message that it anyone else who could take it by force from him would have a right to it.  No, the LORD had chosen him and anointed Him and he only needed to wait on the LORD's timing.

David performed his duties well so that Saul sent word back to Jesse that David was to remain in his service, for David had found favor in Saul's sight (that was high praise from a king).  David became Saul's armor-bearer (a very close and trusted advisor who was one trusted to protect the life of the king).  I would assume that David not only played the lyre but probably also sang some of the Psalms to Saul and it was when David played (and probably sang) that Saul's spirit was refreshed and the tormenting spirit would leave him for a time.  We'll see later though that this tormenting spirit gains more and more control over Saul and it would become near impossible to calm him and the spirit would not leave him so easily.