In the New Testament the Holy Spirit is poured out on the entire Church. We see that many people are filled with the Holy Spirit, especially in the book of Acts. But what about before Christ's coming and the official pouring out of the Spirit? What was it like in the Old Testament?
We see that in the Old Testament only a few chosen prophets and such people were filled with God's Spirit. One such case was the first King of Israel. Saul was a tall man, humble and God-fearing, when he was selected by God to rule the nation. He was handsome. So handsome, in fact, that it says there was no man who was better looking than he. However, he was truly humble, willing to serve God.
When he was anointed by Samuel as King of Israel, God gave him a new heart. He became a prophet of God. In fact, it says in I Samuel 10:10 that the Spirit of God rushed upon him. We see as we go further that the Spirit of God was indeed upon Saul and God blessed many things that Saul did.
But wait a minute. Is this not Saul, the evil tempered king, who tried to kill David, the man after God's own heart? Tragically, yes. Then the question arises, why would a man filled with God's Spirit try to kill a man after God's own heart? The answer is all too simple. He wouldn't. Saul did not continue to be filled with God's Spirit. Let's take a look at where this all fell apart.
In the thirteenth chapter of this book, we see where Saul makes a grave error. He was waiting for Samuel, God's prophet, in order to make a sacrifice. He waited awhile; in fact, he waited a whole week for the prophet to show up. But he didn't, so Saul decides to take matters into his own hands. He officiates the sacrifice in place of the prophet. God is not pleased. Samuel tells Saul that and Saul repents and lives happily ever after as a obedient King of Israel.
Sadly, that is not the case. Saul does not repent, he does not obey. He has become proud. No longer humble, no longer feeling the need to obey the call of God. His kingdom is large and prosperous, he is handsome, tall, and King of the country. Life is good. And that is usually when we forget God.
And that is what happened. Saul forgot God. Oh, I'm sure he didn't literally forget the name of God. I'm sure there were still sacrifices made to God; I Samuel 14 shows us this. But God was not Saul's priority any longer. Saul did not care, he was too busy and comfortable. Where did that lead Saul?
Well in chapter 15 we find that Saul had disobeyed God again. When he is found out by the prophet, he asks the prophet to forgive him of his sin. He pleads for forgiveness with Samuel. He is rejected. Saul is told that he has been rejected not only in this regard and on this occasion, but also as King of Israel. Samuel, speaking as God's prophet, does not forgive King Saul for this error. Why?
Well, if we look at the context of the apology we see that Saul only apologizes so he may bow to the Lord before the people with the prophet. We do not have the details here, but it seems as if it is merely a political move, a way to win approval from the people.
God's Spirit left Saul. It fell upon a humble shepherd boy in the wilderness. But that is not all. When the Spirit of God left Saul, he was not left without a spirit. Not at all. Saul might have wished for a lack of spirit after what he received. We are told that a harmful spirit was sent by God to torment Saul. Note that God's Spirit is one thing and a spirit sent by God is quite another. Saul was tortured by this spirit for a long time; in fact, we do not have a record of this spirit ever leaving Saul.
Conclusion
So, what can we draw from this morbid tale? God is not mocked. (Galatians 6:7) Saul was anointed by God, was given the very Spirit of God, yet he was rejected in the end. I will not go into TULIP Theology or such overly debated issues. Instead, let us look at the story we have before us and take only what we have directly from Scripture. Saul was filled with the Spirit but he lost it, due to his disobedience and hardness of heart. So yes, it is possible to be filled with God's Spirit and loose it. But let us not go about and judge other people in our time too quickly. God is the Judge, and He will judge perfectly. After all, it is His Spirit we are talking about isn't it? I'm sure He knows where He is. As for personal application, let us take note that David also sinned, but was forgiven. Why? He was not only sorry he was caught, but truly repented from the heart. Let us do the same.
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