Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - The Day the Music Delivered | Historical Books | 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

Why did God send a spirit to torment Saul? What is the purpose of David's musical talent? How is God at work through King David? In today's episode, Jeff shares how 1 Samuel 16:14-23 points to the true anointed King, Jesus. If you're listening on Spotify, comment below one takeaway from today's episode! Read the Bible with us in 2025! This year, we’re exploring the Historical Books—Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Welcome to 10 minute Bible talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jeff Parrott. Sometimes music is more than just something that you listen to. That's the claim that Daniel Levitin makes in his 2024 book, I heard there was a secret chord, music as medicine. Levitin is a neuroscientist and a musician who researches the restorative power of music and the presence of human suffering. He explores how the power of music can impact specific parts of our bodies and minds by influencing neurotransmitters and neural pathways.

But he also describes the effect of music on a larger, more personal scale. He tells the story of a man with Alzheimer's, who is vastly limited with his movement and his communication. But upon listening to music, he could sing as if he was a young man. again. Something about music has this therapeutic effect on us as human beings. It revives us. It re-humanizes us. I've even experienced this firsthand while spending time with music therapists in nursing homes and hospice care facilities. When someone who seems closed off to the world hears a familiar tune or a pleasing chord, it's like the door of life is finally opened again. A dark room is illuminated.

The presence of that music draws out the presence of the person who hears it. So far from just being a collection of sounds that we hear, music can be something that moves us. The end of 1st Samuel 16 presents us with a kind of therapeutic effect of music in the life of King Saul. But as we'll consider the interactions between David and Saul here and the beauty. beauty of David's music here will come to see that the healing power of music points to something far bigger than the music itself to another presence that draws out our presence and moves us toward life. As we get ready to approach God's word together, let's slow down and just ask for his grace for his presence to be with us. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of life

and breath, and we thank you for your word. We bring before. you, our joys and our sorrows, everything that we're feeling, our anxiety, our excitement, our calendars, and our contingencies. Meet us in the space by your grace. Jesus, help us abide in you as we engage with and grapple with your truth. Holy Spirit, we ask you to move in and through this time in 1st Samuel 16. As we read these words of yours, would they also read us and restore us in Jesus name. Amen. Let's set the scene for the ending of 1 Samuel chapter 16. So we have just finished reading about how David was anointed as the king of Israel by Samuel. In verse 13, we read about how the spirit of God rushed upon David from that day forward. But here's the kicker. David isn't serving as the king

of Israel just yet. Saul is still on the throne. And he has a major problem. Our passage picks up in verse 14 where we learned that the Spirit of the Lord departed Saul. On top of that, a harmful spirit from the Lord torments him. Now, this might cause some concern for some of us. What's going on? Why is the Spirit of the Lord leaving Saul? Does that happen often to other people? Could that happen to me? Theologians note how the point of the departure of God's spirit here isn't about individual salvation, but about the reign of the king. It's an act of judgment against Saul's failure as Israel's king, which stands in stark contrast to the hope of the recent anointing of David.

We know that because the text gives us a really intentional contrast when we look at David and Saul in verses 13 and 14. So in verse 13, the spirit rushes upon David. But here in verse 14, it departs from Saul and is replaced with a spirit that torments him. So the point of this moment isn't to make us question our salvation as individuals. It's meant to make us clarify our view of David as the future sovereign of Israel. We might then wonder, why does God send this other spirit to harm Saul?

In one sense, that spirit is meant to serve as a form of judgment against Saul, to humble him in his untethered hubris. But as 1 Samuel 16 continues, we'll see that there's another reason that God allows this spirit to torment Saul, one that highlights another important feature of God's reign as the one true king. Now, as the passage goes on, this harmful spirit is tormenting Saul, and his servants look for someone to relieve his suffering through the healing power of music. Q. Daniel Levitton for this part of the chapter. In verse 18, one of Saul's servants mentions David as a viable option for Saul's music therapy.

What we should notice is the way that David is described. He is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence. All of these are descriptors that matter for someone who will serve the king, but they all pale in comparison to the final statement in verse 18. and the Lord is with him. That is a huge statement here. Take out an imaginary highlighter for your brain

and highlight that trait of David. And the Lord is with him. That really, really matters because as this scene unfolds, we need to remember that everything David does is done because God is working through him. Wherever David goes, God goes. whatever David does

God does okay put down the imaginary highlighter for now let's keep going after David journeys to Saul we read in verse 21 that Saul loved him greatly and even put him in the very trusted role of serving as Saul's armor bear

it's a big deal and we can see why Saul loves David so much because the effect of David's presence and his music is remarkable the last verse in chapter 16 gives us a little window into the therapeutic effect that David has on Saul. We read this in verse 23.

And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the liar, just a string instrument, and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed him. Now, did you catch the effect of David's presence on Saul? when God's anointed shows up the door of life that was once shut it opens the dark room is illuminated the presence of David and his music draws out the presence of Saul and it brings life the music of the true king creates life okay let's pause and remember where we used that imaginary highlighter a moment ago. The Lord is the one who's with David. In an ultimate sense, we have to say that

the Lord himself is working through David to bring restoration and life to this rebellious and hard-hearted king. Our attention here shouldn't be on the liar or on its player, David. Our attention should be on the Lord. This is how he works through the presence of his anointed. That's the big takeaway for an Israelite living in the time of the kings or in the time of exile. God is at work restoring life through his anointed. We walk away from this passage amazed at how powerful God's restorative presence is through the king that Israel really needs. If even Saul can experience restoration through the anointed one, then how much more can we? Just as this passage would have enhanced an ancient Israelites longing for a good and faithful king. It should enhance our longing for one as well. It should enhance our longing for

King Jesus. 1 Samuel 16 tells us something important about the chorus of restoration and refreshing that comes through the presence of Jesus, the king who lived and died and rose again for us. I'm reminded of Peter's speech in Acts 3, where he says this, repent therefore and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, the times of refreshing may come from the Lord, that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you, even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God

to restore everything, as he promised long ago through His Holy Prophets. The music of the true and ultimate king creates true and ultimate life. And if that's the kind of King, Jesus is. It's also a picture of the kind of people we should be. And whatever lies before you today, the Lord is with you. He intends for his presence with you to bring about refreshing, to be a little living example of music therapy with the sound waves of your presence,

to open the doors that are shut, to illuminate the dark places, to bring restoration everywhere your feet go and everywhere your voice is heard, all because the Lord is with you. God help us remember that you are with us. We want to depend on you and delight in you as we walk into your purposes for us today. Help us do this by your grace for your glory in your story. In Jesus' name, amen.