1
Saul Consults A Necromancer, the lady of Endor, to Summon the Spirit of dead Samuel, I Samuel 28
Background Information:
I Samuel 10:1-2-- Samuel is anointed King
I Samuel 11:15-- Samuel and the people make Saul king in Gilgal.
I Samuel 13: 8-14-- God becomesdisgusted with Saul and his unfaithfulness when he offers a sacrifice instead of waiting for Samuel to arrive and do it according to the Law. So Samuel announces that God has found someone else “after His heart” to be the new king.
I Samuel 13:14-- 14But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
Jonathan wins one battle against some Philistines, and the Lord wins another for Saul and the Israelites.
I Samuel 14:23--So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.
Saul battles the Philistines repeatedly.
I Samuel 15:52--God orders Saul through Samuel to crush the Amalekites for their opposition to Israel under Moses. But Saul allows the people to keep the good things instead of devoting it all to destruction as commanded by God. God is furious and so is Samuel, and again God announces that Saul’s kingdom will not endure.
I Samuel 15:28--And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
I Samuel 16:13--At God’s direction, Samuel anoints David in Bethlehem above all his brothers to be the next king. Saul is distressed by an “evil spirit” and his servants secure David to play his harp to soothe his spirit.
I Samuel 16:23: So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
I Samuel 17—David defeats Goliath and is successful in all his battles against Israel’s enemies. The women praise him:
I Samuel 18:7--“Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
Saul becomes jealous of David. The more successful David is, the more Saul wants to kill him. David flees and Saul pursues him. David seeks refuge with Achish, king in Gath, feigning insanity when threatened.
David continues successful battles with people who have gathered with him. Saul keeps pursuing him and twice, David finds Saul sleeping and vulnerable but refuses to kill him and informs him afterward that he had the chance but did not hurt his Sovereign.
David moves into Philistia, and King Achish of the Philistines, gives him Ziklag, where his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmelthen live. David and his followers dwell at Gath with Achish. When Saul hears that news, he stops hunting David.
I Samuel 28:1-2--Achish wants to make David his personal body guard and have David and his soldiers fight with him in an attack on Israel. David answers Achish ambiguously.
Samuel dies and is buried and grieved by Israel. I Samuel 25:1 andI Samuel 28:3.
I Samuel 28:3--Saul had banished all mediums and necromancers from the land
1)Mediums – the word is “ob” and originally meant “sacrificial pit” which took on the personality of the god of the underworld known as “dA-a-Bi”. A necromancer.
2)Spiritists – “yidd-oni” which literally means “one who has knowledge”. Most likely referring to knowledge of the normally unknown spiritual realm through their knowledge of the occult
(Commentary from GenerationWord.com)
God condemns all mediums, necromancers and people who try to summon the spirits of the dead.
Deuteronomy18:10 -- There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.
Leviticus 19:31--“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 20:6---“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
Leviticus 20:27---“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Leviticus 21:27---“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Isaiah 8:19---“And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?”
II Kings 23:24---“Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.”
Locating the Battle between Saul and the Philistines
1 Samuel 28:4---4The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. (Where Elisha raised the woman’s dead son—II Kings 4:8-37)And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.
Looking south at Mt. Gilboa across Jezreel Valley
Footnote: From an elevation of about twelve hundred feet on Mt. Gilboa, Saul could see the Philistine camp, which was about four miles distant across the Jezreel Valley.
1 Samuel 28:6---Saul prayed to God. No answer. He consulted the Urim & Thumim---no result
He hoped for dreams or a message from prophets. Nothing.
I Samuel 28:7-24--7Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”
8So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.”
Question: God condemned mediums. Saul had driven them out. Why did he think one was left to help?
Question: How could the same Saul who drove out all the mediums now ask his servants to find one?
Question: Can mediums and necromancers really summon dead people to talk with them?
9The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
Note: The woman knows what Saul has done. How did she escape?
10But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
Question: Has Saul sinned against the Second Commandment?
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.
Question: Was this really the dead Samuel or a demon impersonating him?
Question: Did the woman bring up Samuel? Or did God do it? Hints in the text?
Question: What details indicate that this was Samuel and not an imposter spirit?
15Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.”
Question: Are there other Scriptures that suggest that the “dead” are still alive?
Question: After God refused through every means to answer Saul, why does he think God’s servant will?
16And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”
Question: What does the Bible say is the standard for judging if a prophet is true or false?
Deuteronomy 18:19-24---19And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
20Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.”(continued next page)
23He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. 24Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
Question: What does the size of the butchered animal communicate? About cultural respect for
royal people of status? The size of Saul’s entourage?
Question: Is there any evidence of repentance in the reaction of Saul to Samuel’s message?
I Samuel 31:1-5---As prophesied by Samuel, the next day, the Philistines conquer Israel and kill Saul’s three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua, and when his armor bearer refuses his request to kill him so the Philistines won’t have the chance, Saul falls on his own sword and so does his servant.
Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.
Summary of God’s judgment on Saul in I Chronicles 10:13-14
13So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.[1]
Concluding Questions:
- Is consulting mediums and the dead also condemned in the New Testament?
- Are OuiJa Boards, séances, fortune tellers, horoscopes, “gateway” activities into the
the world of darkness or just innocent fun?
II Corinthians 6:14--Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Ephesians 5:11---Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 6:12--For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
II Peter 2:4---For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
Jude 6---And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper
dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day
[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Ch 10:13–14). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.