THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
Question 50. Why did the messengers that Saul sent to David and Samuel prophesy, and ultimately, Saul himself prophesied as well? (1 Sam. 19:20-23) The Lord employs various methods to capture hearts. Some He draws in through the influence of others, while others He strikes with spiritual blindness; we see this exemplified in the case of Elisha. In contrast, the messengers were overtaken by a gracious prophetic Spirit, which served to protect David from being slain. However, this divine intervention did not transform Saul's murderous heart. After twice sending for David and realizing that divine restraints acted upon those he dispatched, as mentioned in Scripture, he sought to send others (1 Sam. 19:21).
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When these new envoys were similarly rendered powerless by grace, Saul ultimately decided to go himself. Yet, he too encountered the same limitations of humanity. Although he entered into a state of prophecy, Saul’s experience was different from that of the others; he lacked the requisite worthiness of grace. As a result, he removed his royal garments and lay down for an entire day, which symbolized the stripping away of his kingship.