1 Samuel 16:14-23 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.”
So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”
Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
PERSONAL COMMENTARY
I was taught that God is the source of good and the devil was the source of evil. However, this is one scripture of many that shows that God is the source of evil.
The UnHoly Bible 
February 22nd, 2007 at 5:22 am
…. then you were taught wrong. End of story.
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:04 pm
lol Now, now. 🙂 Roopster’s point is a good one.
God made everything so in that sense one could say God is the source of everything: dogs, rain, hair, good, evil, darkness, hunger, etc. However, this doesn’t mean that God is evil any more then God is hunger.
God sometimes sends evil upon a person for a specific reason. For example, if God hadn’t sent Saul an evil spirit (and who knows what “evil” means – maybe it was something as simple as a bad migraine), then David would never have met Saul and made the impact he did. So God’s “evil” in this sense was working for an ultimate good: the eventual kingship of David.
These posts are all very good. Keep up the good work.
February 23rd, 2007 at 4:02 am
Roopster, you were taught right. God is the source of good, the enemy is the source of bad.
But. God does discipline and He does punish. And to us I guess punishment – when it involves someone’s death or a curse – seems like it’s “bad”.
But when a parent punishes a child, is that parent being “bad”?
God bless,
Mark.
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:56 am
In the verses Roopster provided, Saul wasn’t being punished, and I think that’s part of his point.
Although I could be wrong 🙂
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I think his issue is with the statement “an evil spirit from God”.
February 23rd, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Ah, yes. Right.
So what’s an “evil spirit”? A headache? Insomnia? An anxiety attack? Whatever it was, it would seem it was a health thing since Saul’s servants suggested someone play soothing music for him so he could “feel better”.
March 16th, 2007 at 8:30 am
God created the water in the pool, but he did not pee in it. He left that to us, and it has ruined everything.