Spirit of God E6 — In the biblical story, God's Spirit fills specific characters. They are to lead and organize Israel, to be priestly mediators of God's covenant, and to prophetically speak God's words to the people. We’re calling the Spirit’s special anointing on these prophet-priest-kings, “the Spirit of the messiah.” In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the Spirit of the messiah in King Saul and King David,  two very different portraits of a Spirit-filled ruler.
CHAPTERS

Recap and Setup for Saul and David (0:00-12:13)
The Spirit Rushing on Corrupt Saul (12:13-33:43)
An Anointing Spirit for David and a Bad Spirit for Saul  (33:43-49:18)
The Power of the Spirit and a God-Aligned Heart (49:18-1:01:21)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
View this episode’s official transcript.
REFERENCED RESOURCES

The First Book of Samuel (New International Commentary on the Old Testament) by David Toshio Tsumura
Correction: in chapter 3 of this episode, Tim accidentally cites 1 Samuel 13:15 as the place where Samuel says “the LORD has sought for Himself a man after his own heart.” This sentence actually appears in 1 Samuel 13:14.
Correction: also in chapter 3 of, Tim accidentally cites 1 Samuel 15:22 as the place where Samuel says “You, Saul, have rejected the word of Yahweh. Just like the people rejected me by choosing a king, now you, their king, have rejected me, and so he rejects you from being their king.” This sentence actually appears in 1 Samuel 15:23.
Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Refuge” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
“Warm Hugs” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin
“Fellowship” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Released on 24 Aug 2026