Title: The harp player / 1 Samuel 16:23
“When the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David took the harp and played it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and healed, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Samuel 16:23).
There is an anecdote when Maria Anderson, who overcame coldness and contempt as a black woman and emerged as a brilliant star in American vocal music, was given a performance in a small town. A poor girl fell asleep while doing chores in a hotel, and when she woke up, a black middle-aged woman was standing there saying, "You look lonely." "Yes. There was a concert by Maria Anderson that I wanted to see so much today. But I had to work and I didn't have the money..." As the girl said sadly, the middle-aged woman took her hand and sang softly. The girl cried and said. "You are Maria Anderson."
There are so many people in the world who need comfort. There are many who need a simple word, who need someone to cry with, and who need help. As there are many such people, there are also many people who can comfort and help. Those who sensed this social need tried to be comforters, and they tried to raise their children like that. When Lamech gave birth to a son, he named it as a sign to be a comforter to the world. The famous Noah was born with .
Our Father, God, is a God of comfort. And that God wants us, His children, to live as people who comfort the world. We too must become the Noahs of today. So, who can comfort you?
God appointed Saul to be the first king of Israel. At that time, the people of Israel suffered a lot from neighboring countries and were depressed in their hearts. They asked Samuel to give us a king so that we could secure the country's security and ensure a comfortable life. So the person who was appointed was Saul. Looking back, the mission given to Saul was to comfort the people.
However, the text sees that the person who should be comforted is in a situation that needs to be comforted. Saul was no longer a comforter. He was showing signs of hysteria, had seizures, and was emotionally unstable. He needed treatment. The storm needed someone to comfort his heart. When the person to be comforted is in a situation that should be comforted, the family or country is unhappy. Israel did.
So, who comforted King Saul? It was none other than the boy David. He had a talent for playing the harp. When he played the harp, King Saul was refreshed. We see something strange in this scene. It's kind of awkward to see a child comforting an adult, and a humble country shepherd comforting the king of a country. Why did this reversal happen?
According to the text, the cause of Saul's troubles was an evil spirit. Evil spirits enter an empty soul just as they enter an empty house. The evil spirit invaded Saul because his soul was empty. If not filled, it will be empty. Saul's soul was not filled with the spirit of God. Then an evil spirit worked in that place. At one time, the god of God was with him as well. But not now (16:14). On the other hand, when David was anointed by Samuel, the Spirit of God was with him (16:13).
In the end, it becomes clear who is comforting whom. A person who is moved by the Spirit of God comforts a person who has not been with the Spirit of God. This is an absolute spiritual order. It's not about being comforted by those in power. The rich don't comfort them. A person of the Holy Spirit can comfort you. Therefore, in order to fulfill our mission of comforter toward the world, we must become people of the Holy Spirit. It is recorded that Barnabas, who was nicknamed the Comforter, was a man full of the Holy Spirit and faith. First, let's become people of the Holy Spirit. Then, naturally, you can become a comforter. I pray that there will be more comforters through the Holy Spirit in our church and society.