In back-translating this passage from the tribal language into simplified English for my students, I came to some startling and questionable conclusions. Does anyone have input? Am I reading this wrong?
1. From the entire story of Saul, evidently he was reprobate.
2. At this time the Spirit of God had left Saul and lived in David for the most part. Saul was intermittently possessed.
3. Presumably the episode of Saul’s prophesying was to assure David that Yahweh was perfectly capable of disabling his enemy. Can’t you imagine Samuel and David smiling as they watched their naked king, amazed at the power of God to totally disable the man?
4. Saul’s prophesying was under the influence of the Spirit of God.
5. Presumably whatever he said was inspired/infallible/true since it was divinely inspired. Does anyone disagree?
6. Is this the only OT example of divinely-inspired prophecy uttered by a reprobate who was intermittently possessed? Is there some other explanation of this narrative? Is Caiphas’ statement about one man dying for the nation a NT equivalent? Is this related to the NT passage about the reprobates saying, in the last day, "In Thy name we prophesied"?
1. From the entire story of Saul, evidently he was reprobate.
2. At this time the Spirit of God had left Saul and lived in David for the most part. Saul was intermittently possessed.
3. Presumably the episode of Saul’s prophesying was to assure David that Yahweh was perfectly capable of disabling his enemy. Can’t you imagine Samuel and David smiling as they watched their naked king, amazed at the power of God to totally disable the man?
4. Saul’s prophesying was under the influence of the Spirit of God.
5. Presumably whatever he said was inspired/infallible/true since it was divinely inspired. Does anyone disagree?
6. Is this the only OT example of divinely-inspired prophecy uttered by a reprobate who was intermittently possessed? Is there some other explanation of this narrative? Is Caiphas’ statement about one man dying for the nation a NT equivalent? Is this related to the NT passage about the reprobates saying, in the last day, "In Thy name we prophesied"?