Joel M Bradshaw

And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”—1 Samuel 19

God worked spiritually in two distinct ways in today’s chapter. First, he sent a harmful spirit to Saul. This simply highlighted the break between Saul and God. second, God’s Spirit supernaturally came upon various individuals causing immediate prophetic moments.

The first enabled David to be away from Saul’s court and on the run. The second sovereignly showed God’s power to be glorified by even those who reject him. It also protected Samuel and fugitive David. Saul couldn’t fly into a rage and pin David with a spear if he was in a prophetic trance.

The only application for today is that God works in our lives and accomplishes his purposes. God also uses unbelievers to accomplish his plan. God also has an ironic sense of humor. I was reminded of the older Balaam story in Numbers 22 with the talking donkey.

Christians have the Holy Spirit full time as Immanuel, God with Us. In David’s day before the work of Christ, the Spirit would only occasionally rest upon individuals. See today’s text therefore as descriptive rather than prescriptive.—JMB