Exordium
On Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit fifty days after Easter. Jesus had told his disciples, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). This is most certainly true!
We learn that on the Day of Pentecost—suddenly there was a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire upon each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit who caused them to speak in languages that they had never spoken (Acts 2). Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and more heard the Gospel in their own language!
Yet, the greatness of Pentecost was not in the visible power of wind and tongues of fire, but in the peace given by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit transformed these disciples from timid and confused followers of Jesus to bold proclaimers of the Word. They would spread the Gospel regardless of personal harm and danger, because they knew the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. The Holy Spirit dwelt in their hearts, and they knew that they were forgiven. Now even death was no longer a threat.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, about three thousand souls were added on Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Yet, this was not the end of the Spirit’s work. Throughout the book of Acts, we see salvation given to many more including the Ethiopian eunuch who was brought to faith and baptized (Acts 8) and the jailor at Philippi who went from about to end his life to being preached and comforted by Paul and Silas, and baptized along with his entire family (Acts 16). The Holy Spirit created faith in these people to repent of their sins and receive forgiveness that Jesus won on the cross. We will see them in heaven!
But the miracle of Pentecost continues today—in this church, in this world, wherever the Gospel is preached and the Sacraments are properly administered! You and I are beneficiaries of the Spirit’s work, who has given us new hearts of faith. We have been given a peace that the world cannot give. We are here this morning is because we believe in Jesus—this is proof of Holy Spirit’s work among us!
With this truth in mind, let us rise and sing our festival anthem, #399.
O Light of God’s most wondrous love,
Who dost our darkness brighten,
Shed on Thy Church from heav’n above,
Our eye of faith enlighten!
As in Thy light we gather here,
Show us that Christ’s own promise clear
Is Yea and Amen ever.
O risen and ascended Lord,
We wait fulfillment of Thy Word;
O bless us with Thy favor!
1 Samuel 16:14–23
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
The Lord Sends the Holy Spirit
Dear Fellow Redeemed,
Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew 10:29). King Solomon wrote, “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?” (Lamentations 3:37). Not only is God aware of all things, but he is in control of all things. There is nothing that is done in this world without God’s hand in it. While God does not cause evil or tempt us to sin, no evil can harm us unless he permits it. So, whether you say God permits something or sends something, it is really one and the same. But this can be hard for us to handle. Our lesson is a great example. The Holy Spirit departed from Saul and he was then tormented by a harmful spirit from the Lord. This is a tough verse. A concerning verse of Scripture! How can this be? Why would God do this?
As people who live in a fallen world, we sometimes wonder—how can God let bad things happen? Doesn’t he love us? Sometimes we are tempted to blame God and think that he is unloving and uncaring. This is certainly what the devil would have us believe and think. But regardless of how we might struggle to understand God’s will or permittance of certain things in this world—we must realize that he did not create evil. He created the world holy and good. The evil we see in this world is all a result of man’s sin, not God’s. What’s more, every hardship, difficulty, and evil that we may face is less than what we deserve because of our sin. Yet, God did not abandon us. He didn’t want to give us what we deserve—he wants to save us, which is why he sent a Savior to redeem us and rescue us from this fallen evil world. By his Son, he has made it possible for us to live in a new heaven and a new earth where there is no sin or sadness. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.”
We know God loves us. We know that he wants all men to be saved. So, how do we properly think about and understand a verse like the one we have before us today? It would help us to remember what led up to the Holy Spirit departing from Saul.
The Lord had chosen Saul to be the first king in Israel. Saul was an ideal candidate—humble, handsome, and a head taller than anyone else (I Samuel 9:2, 21). After he was anointed as king the Spirit of the Lord was with him, he even prophesied with the prophets (I Samuel 10:10). He listened to the Word of God. Saul was setting out to be a great king. So, what happened?
In the chapters leading up to our lesson we learn about how Saul had repeatedly disobeyed the Word of God spoken directly to him and instead followed his own thinking. While there are many examples, there are two that stand out. The first major offense was when Saul offered an unlawful sacrifice. Before going into battle with the Philistines, Samuel had told Saul to wait for him so that that he could offer a sacrifice according to God’s command. But Saul got impatient. So, instead of waiting for Samuel who was the one whom God had chosen to offer sacrifices, Saul offered a burnt offering. The second major rejection of God’s word was when he failed to obey God’s command to destroy the wicked king of Amalek along with all his possessions. Saul had destroyed some, but it was only the worst of his flocks and so forth—he kept the best for himself and let Agag live. Saul claimed that he had saved these animals to make burnt offerings. But Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice… stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD; He also has rejected you from being king.” God doesn’t want our good intentions or sacrifices, but obedience to his Word.
The Lord gave Saul every chance to repent, but instead of admitting his wrongdoing, he made excuses and did not repent. Because the Holy Spirit cannot dwell with those who reject him, he departed from Saul. When the Holy Spirit leaves a person, we are vulnerable to evil spirits (Matthew 12:43–45). This evil spirit was a sign of God’s judgement of Saul. One theologian notes, “Even the evil spirits must serve God’s purposes when he calls upon them to do so. Saul became a man tormented, suffering from insecurity and bouts of dark depression” (p. 91).
Light cannot dwell in darkness. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a person where sin and rebellion against God resides. This is why the Lord urges us to repent of our sins when the Holy Spirit works through the Law to show them to us. Don’t let sin take hold of you. Don’t let that grudge, anger, jealousy, covetousness, pride, or whatever it may be dwell in your heart. Is it worth it?
God doesn’t want the Holy Spirit to depart from us. He wants us to listen to his Word. He wants to bless us. Even when the Holy Spirit left Saul, the Lord still blessed Saul through David to grant him relief and comfort through his harp.
The Lord now sent his Spirit upon David. He would bless him and be with him. The Lord chose David as the next king of Israel. But just like Saul, David didn’t deserve it or earn it. Samuel the prophet didn’t even know that David was one of Jesse’s sons. This teaches us another important truth—God doesn’t choose us or send his Holy Spirit to us because we are great or important in the eyes of the world. We are saved entirely by God’s grace alone.
Our heavenly Father sent Jesus to win our redemption. Jesus perfectly fulfilled every one of God’s commandments. He loved the Father perfectly and his neighbor as himself, which is why he went to the cross to pay for the sins of the world. He paid for every sin that was ever committed in thought, word, and deed. He has paid for the sins of the world! Jesus wants all people to have his forgiveness—which is why he sends us not an evil spirit, but the Holy Spirit.
Jesus won our salvation on the cross, but it does us no good unless we believe it. And so, the Lord sends the Holy Spirit to us—that he might work faith in us to believe in Jesus and receive the forgiveness of all our sins.
The Holy Spirit is just as active today as he was on Pentecost. He creates faith in us because we are by nature dead in trespasses and sins. We confess in the Small Catechism, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith” (Explanation to the Third Article).
The Lord earnestly calls all people to believe in him through his Word. While there will always be some who reject his work like we see at Pentecost, there are those who believe and they will be saved. Christians still struggle in this life as saint and sinner. Sometimes our battles with the old Adam in us can bring us doubt and worry about our faith—especially, when you have made the same mistakes and sins. But it is important for you to know, that if you are troubled by your sins, if you know you need God’s help—then it is proof that you are a Christian. An unbeliever is not worried about their sins.
The apostle John comforts our troubled hearts with these words, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart” (I John 3:20).
The reason the Holy Spirit shows you your sins is so that you might learn to love Jesus even more. Jesus died for a sinner like me. He wants me to be saved. When we look at ourselves, we worry because we see our sin and weakness. But when the Holy Spirit moves us to look to Jesus—then all our worries and fears fall like water through our hands—because Jesus did everything perfectly for me and for you. This is our comfort. He is our hope. This is the great hidden work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which glorifies Jesus. Amen.