Jim Gallagher

1 Samuel 16:14

“But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.“

1 Samuel 16:16

“Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

The word distressing that describes Saul’s condition could also be translated as bad, evil, sad, or even as being in a state of misery. The writer wants us to understand that King Saul was being plagued by his emotions. The chapters leading up to this reveal that the cause of Saul’s condition was his disobedience to the Lord. Pride, self will, and fear of man, have been the driving forces behind Saul’s actions, and he is…