The Spear in God's Hand: Text: 1 Samuel 18:10-11
Introduction: The Meticulous Sovereignty of God
We live in a sentimental age, an age that wants a God who is nice before He is holy, a God who is manageable before He is sovereign. The modern evangelical mind has constructed a deity who is a celestial consultant, a divine butler, a God who is powerful enough to help you find a parking spot but certainly not powerful enough to be in charge of anything genuinely unpleasant. We want a God who is on our side, but not a God who is in control of all sides. We want a God who is good, as we define good, which usually means a God who would never, ever do anything that makes us uncomfortable.
And then we come to a passage like this one. This text is a rock, and our sentimentalism is the thin glass bottle we throw against it. An "evil spirit from God." Let that phrase sink in. Our temptation is to immediately try to explain it away, to soften the edges, to put God back in the safe, respectable box we have built for Him. We might say, "Well, God didn't send it, He just permitted it." But this is a word game we play to protect our own sensibilities, not to honor the text. The scripture says what it says. God is not a passive observer of the universe He created; He is the absolute sovereign. He is not wringing His hands in heaven, hoping things turn out all right. He is working all things, and I mean all things, according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).
This includes the rise and fall of kings. It includes the jealousy of a rejected monarch. It includes the murderous rage that fills a man's heart. And yes, it includes the sending of spirits, both good and evil, to accomplish His purposes. To say this is not to make God the author of sin. God is holy; He cannot sin, nor can He be tempted by evil. But it is to say that God, in His infinite wisdom and power, ordains and governs the sinful acts of men and demons for His own holy ends, without Himself being stained by that sin. He draws straight with crooked lines. The cross of Christ is the ultimate example of this. The most wicked act in human history, the murder of the perfect Son of God, was at the same time the most glorious act of God's predetermined plan of salvation (Acts 2:23).
In this short, violent scene in the court of King Saul, we see this principle in miniature. We see the collision of three wills: the malicious will of a tormented king, the malevolent will of a demonic spirit, and the meticulous, sovereign will of Almighty God. And in the middle of it all, we see the man after God's own heart, David, faithfully doing his duty, and being preserved not by his own quickness, but by the very hand of the God who sent the trouble in the first place.
The Text
Now it happened on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house. Now David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand. Then Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice.
(1 Samuel 18:10-11 LSB)
The Divine Agitator and the Faithful Musician (v. 10)
We begin with the source of the conflict in verse 10:
"Now it happened on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house. Now David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand." (1 Samuel 18:10)
The context is crucial. The day before, the women of Israel had come out singing, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." This lit a fire of envy and paranoia in Saul's heart. He saw David not as a loyal servant, but as a rival for the throne he knew he was unworthy to keep. Saul's sin of envy opened the door wide for what came next. God's judgments often work this way; He gives us over to the sins we cherish (Romans 1).
So, "an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul." This is not the first time. Back in chapter 16, after the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, this same distressing spirit began to torment him. And what is this spirit? It is a demonic agent, a messenger of misery. But notice its leash. It is a spirit "from God." It is not a rogue agent. It is not a power equal and opposite to God. It is a tool, an instrument of judgment, sent by the sovereign God to afflict the king He had rejected. God is the one who whistles for the fly from Egypt and the bee from Assyria (Isaiah 7:18). He is the one who puts a lying spirit in the mouths of false prophets (1 Kings 22:23). This is strong medicine, but it is biblical medicine. God is in charge of the spiritual realm, and He uses it to accomplish His will on earth.
The result is that Saul "raved in the midst of the house." The Hebrew word can also be translated "prophesied." It describes a state of ecstatic, uncontrolled speech. But this is not the true prophecy of the Holy Spirit; it is a dark, demonic parody. It is the madness of a man whose mind is unhinged by jealousy and divine judgment. In his rebellion, Saul has become a vessel for chaos, a fountain of incoherent rage.
And what is David doing in this chaotic scene? He is "playing the harp with his hand, as usual." Notice the beautiful, stark contrast. Saul is raving; David is playing. Saul is in a frenzy; David is performing his ordinary, faithful duty. David's job was to soothe the king, to bring order through his music. Here we see a picture of the Christian's calling in a world gone mad. We are not to join the raving. We are to continue our faithful, ordinary, God-given tasks, playing our music of obedience and peace in the midst of the chaos. David is a picture of Christ, bringing the harmony of heaven into a world tormented by demons.
And one last detail: "a spear was in Saul's hand." The spear was a symbol of his kingship, his authority, his power to make war. But in his hand, it is no longer a tool of justice, but a weapon of personal vengeance. When a leader turns from God, the very instruments of his office become tools of oppression.
The Murderous Intent and the Divine Deliverance (v. 11)
The rage in Saul's heart now manifests in a violent, physical act in verse 11.
"Then Saul hurled the spear for he thought, 'I will pin David to the wall.' But David escaped from his presence twice." (1 Samuel 18:11 LSB)
The evil spirit may have been the agitator, but Saul is the one who throws the spear. He is not a mindless puppet. He is morally responsible for his actions. The text even gives us his internal thought: "I will pin David to the wall." This is premeditated. It is a conscious choice born of his own wicked heart. The presence of temptation, even supernatural temptation, never removes our culpability. The devil made me do it is never a valid excuse.
Saul's action is a picture of the carnal man's response to the work of the Spirit. David, the anointed of God, is ministering peace, and Saul, the rejected king, responds with violence. The world cannot stand the presence of God's anointed. It crucified the Lord Jesus, and it will persecute His people. The music of the gospel is a soothing balm to the repentant, but it is an intolerable irritant to the proud and rebellious heart. It makes them want to throw spears.
But the spear misses. "David escaped from his presence twice." Was David just quick on his feet? Was it a lucky duck? Not at all. This is the providence of God in action. The same God who sent the evil spirit to test the situation is the same God who preserved His chosen servant in the midst of it. Saul's spear is no match for God's purpose. God had anointed David to be the next king, and no spear, no army, no plot of man or demon could thwart that decree. David was, you might say, immortal until God's plan for his life was complete.
This is a profound comfort for the believer. We will face spears. They may be words of slander, acts of betrayal, or open persecution. But not one of them can touch us apart from the sovereign will of our Father. He who is for us is greater than he who is in the world. The spear may be in Saul's hand, but Saul's hand is in God's hand. The Lord is our shield and our protector. He delivers us, not always from the trial, but always through the trial, until our work is done.
Conclusion: Our Refuge in the Sovereign King
This scene is more than just a dramatic episode in the life of David. It is a paradigm for understanding how God works in the world. God is not afraid of the mess. He is not afraid of evil. He harnesses it. He yokes it to His own triumphal chariot and makes it pull His purposes down the corridors of history.
For Saul, this is a story of tragic decline. He nursed his envy, resisted God's will, and became a vessel for demonic rage. His story is a terrifying warning against trifling with sin and resisting the clear will of God. When we refuse to repent, God's judgment can take the form of handing us over to the very darkness we desire.
For David, this is a story of preservation. He was faithful in his calling, even when it meant serving a man who wanted to kill him. And in his faithfulness, he was protected by God's invisible hand. He learned in the court of Saul what he would later write in the psalms: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1).
And for us, this is a story that points us to the greater David, Jesus Christ. He entered a world raving with madness, a world ruled by the prince of the power of the air. He faithfully played the music of His Father's will, and the world hurled its spear at Him. But they did not simply miss. In God's perfect, sovereign plan, the spear found its mark at Calvary. And in that moment, when it seemed that evil had won, God was performing His greatest work of redemption. He used the spear of man's sin to disarm the powers of darkness and purchase our salvation.
Therefore, do not be afraid of the Sauls of this world. Do not be afraid of the spears they throw. Be faithful in your calling. Play the music God has given you to play. And trust in the meticulous, absolute, and glorious sovereignty of the God who sends the spirits, who preserves His people, and who holds every spear in His hand.