In 1 Samuel 16, our passage from Sunday, we read that God sent an evil spirit to torment Saul. What? If you or I were writing that passage, we would probably say, “God allowed an evil spirit to torment Saul.” But that is not what the text actually says.
What does it mean that God sent an evil spirit?
God is sovereign over all things, including evil spirits. This means that even evil spirits can be used by God to accomplish his purposes. While God is never the author of evil, he sometimes uses evil to accomplish his plan.
In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says to his brothers who sold him into captivity, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Somehow, the evil act of selling Joseph into slavery was intended by God for good. Again, the language of “God intended” is stronger than saying “God allowed.”
Perhaps another parallel can be seen in 1 Corinthians 5 when Paul instructs the Corinthian church regarding a sinning brother. Paul tells them to “hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.” The language of “hand over to Satan” is more active than merely “allow Satan.”
In each of these cases there is a sense that God is sovereign over evil, using it for his purposes. What an amazing God we serve – even evil must obey him!