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The solution to Saul's bad precedent, part 17

King Saul was a religious man who thought he was being obedient to God. God held a different opinion, of course, but Saul disagreed with God and with Samuel who conveyed God’s view to him. God said that Saul was in rebellion, which He placed in the same category as witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23 KJV).

It was perhaps on account of this accusation that Saul tried to exonerate himself by persecuting witches and spiritist mediums in Israel as the law seems to command (Deuteronomy 18:9, 10). 1 Samuel 28:3 says,

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists.

Samuel himself was not impressed with Saul’s religious zealotry, for he would not talk to Saul after the Amalekite war (1 Samuel 15:35). Perhaps Saul’s attempt to rid the land of mediums and spiritists was inspired by the same “evil spirit from God” (1 Samuel 18:10, 11 19:9, 10) that had inspired him to hurl his spear at David.

For a demonic king to persecute mediums and spiritists is a futile effort. Luke 1:17, 18 says,

¹⁷ … “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. ¹⁸ If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.”

When religious men fail to hear the word of the Lord, both personally and through genuine prophets, they invariably fall into rebellion against God—usually without realizing it. They live in a contradiction, wanting to hear the word of the Lord, and yet not wanting to obey His voice. Scripture shows how kings then resolve this contradiction by surrounding themselves with prophets who tell them what they want to hear. This creates a problem that God calls heart idolatry (Ezekiel 14:3, 4), where God answers their inquiries according to the idols of their heart.

This is the most fundamental problem that the feast of Pentecost is supposed to overcome by the baptism of fire. I believe that heart idolatry is a problem that is shared by all men, and Pentecost was given primarily to overthrow those hidden idols that work in our lives to turn our hearts away from hearing the word. Saul’s example and precedent suggests that the majority of the church in the Pentecostal Age fail to overthrow those idols of the heart. They substitute religious activity in place of hearing the word.

(See chapter 2 of my book, Hearing God’s Voice.)

https://godskingdom.org/studies/books/hearing-gods-voice/

I was not exempt from such idolatry. An important part of my early training (1981-1993) included overcoming heart idolatry through personal experience. This was probably the most difficult part of that “wilderness” experience; yet God was faithful to preserve me, and it made me sympathize with all others who struggle to overcome.

I learned that only the Holy Spirit can reveal those hidden idols in the heart. Hence, the solution is not to be paranoid or guilt-ridden but to pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal them. The Holy Spirit will then begin to work situations so that heart idols fall the moment they are revealed to you. I believe we are totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to accomplish this. Success does not depend on increasing one’s religious zeal—as Saul believed.

King Achish Prepares for Battle

1 Samuel 28:1 says,

¹ Now it came about in those days that the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.” ² David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

David became one of the most trusted men in King Achish’s army. David was appointed as head of the king’s personal bodyguards. Later, of course, the commanders of the Philistine army objected strenuously (1 Samuel 29:4). We read in 1 Samuel 29:6, 7,

⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord liveth, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords. ⁷ Now therefore return and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

David was in no position to refuse the king’s desire, but God intervened in the situation so that David would not bear any responsibility for Saul’s death. I suspect that David discerned that God would intervene, because he already knew that he should not help to kill God’s anointed king.

1 Samuel 29:11 concludes,

¹¹ So David arose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Consulting the Witch of En-dor

As Saul prepared for war, he became desperate, knowing that the end of his life was drawing near. No doubt he believed that David would fight on the side of the Philistines, and in his more lucid moments, he knew that David would soon succeed him as king (1 Samuel 24:20).

Saul desperately needed to hear the word of the Lord. But Samuel had died, and the high priest that he had appointed did not have the ephod with the Urim and Thummim to inquire of God. So he told one of his servants to find a spiritist medium (1 Samuel 28:7). For some reason the witch of En-dor had escaped Saul’s persecution of mediums and spiritists. It appears that she had ceased her practice as a spiritist medium (1 Samuel 28:9) in order to hide from Saul’s spies.

Saul disguised himself, so as not to alarm the witch. He then requested a séance, “Conjure up for me, please, and bring up for me whom I shall name to you.” (1 Samuel 28:8). In verse 11 he told her, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

Remarkably, her efforts appeared to succeed. 1 Samuel 28:12 says,

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul.”

Seeing Samuel caused her to discern Saul even through his disguise. This is what alarmed her most, because she then thought her life was in danger. 1 Samuel 28:15-17 says,

¹⁵ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed, for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” ¹⁶ Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has departed from you and has become your adversary? ¹⁷ The Lord has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.”

Furthermore, Samuel told him that he would lose the battle and that “tomorrow you and your sons will be with me” (1 Samuel 28:18).

Was This Truly Samuel?

Because of the unusual nature of this incident, many have assumed that the medium had conjured up a counterfeit spirit pretending to be Samuel. However, the biblical account calls him Samuel, and when Samuel speaks, he says things like “as He spoke through me” (years earlier). Did the medium actually know that she was conjuring up Samuel? Or was she surprised at her own success? Is this the real reason why she was frightened when he appeared? Did God intervene and send Samuel from the grave (or from heaven) in spite of her inability?

These are questions that many have asked. Scripture does not answer most of these questions, but it seems clear that Samuel did indeed appear and talk to Saul.

As for the state of the dead, Jesus said in Matthew 22:32,

³² I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living.

This principle applies also to Samuel. Though dead, they are “the living” in God’s sight. Hence, if God decides to send someone who has died, that is His right to do so.

Urdu Translation