Saul Consults a Medium
1 Samuel 28:1-11 NLT
Saul Consults a Medium
28:1 About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, “You and your men will be expected to join me in battle.”
2 “Very well!” David agreed. “Now you will see for yourself what we can do.”
Then Achish told David, “I will make you my personal bodyguard for life.”
3 Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.
4 The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. 6 He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets. 7 Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.”
His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.”
8 So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.
“I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”
9 “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”
10 But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”
11 Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”
“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 28:1-11 NLT
Saul Consults a Medium
28:1 About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel.
Another war.
War between the Israelites and Philistines was becoming routine.
2 Samuel 11:1 NLT
David and Bathsheba
11:1 In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
- In Old Testament times, in the Near East, war with surrounding nations was a common occurrence.
- The Philistines decided to attack Israel. Apparently they wanted to gain control over the northern Jezreel Valley, a wide agriculturally rich plain. (v. 4)
King Achish told David, “You and your men will be expected to join me in battle.”
As mercenaries paid by Achish, David and him men would be expected to do as Achish requests.
Also, in ancient Near East accepting sanctuary in a country involved obligations of military service.
- In ancient Near East countries accepting sanctuary involved obligations of military service.
2 “Very well!” David agreed. “Now you will see for yourself what we can do.”
David’s response was ambiguous.
The same verse in other translations.
David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” (ESV)
David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.” (NIV)
“Excellent,” David answered Achish. “Now you’ll see for yourself what your servant can do.” (CEB)
- David’s response to King Achish was ambiguous.
Then Achish told David, “I will make you my personal bodyguard for life.”
Clearly, Achish mistakenly believed David was going to be loyal to the Philistines for the rest of his life.
David may have been doing some things for the benefit of Israel, but he was in fact living a life of deception and lies.
Proverbs 6:16-19 NLT
16 There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.
Proverbs 12:22 NLT
22 The Lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in those who tell the truth.
If King Achish had learned what was really happening, David would have found himself in a very precarious situation.
- David was living a life of deception and lies.
- King Achish mistakenly believed David was going to be loyal to the Philistines for the rest of his life.
Back to Saul
3 Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown.
The person Samuel was no longer an option available to Saul for counsel.
And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.
Here Saul did something right in the eyes of the Lord.
Saul would have known that Mosaic Law spoke against mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.
Leviticus 19:31 NLT
31 “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 20:27 NLT
27 “Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.”
Deuteronomy 18:9-13 NLT
A Call to Holy Living
9 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. 10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the Lord your God.
- Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.
Question
Are people able to practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead?
Note:
Mediums are successful, at times, communicating with evil (Satanic) spirits posing as people who have died not the people themselves.
Demonic practices do take place.
4 The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem,
Repeat: Apparently, they wanted to gain control over the northern Jezreel Valley, a wide agriculturally rich plain.
and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.
Gilboa was in the vicinity of Mount Gilboa.
5 When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.
Saul faced overwhelming odds as the Philistines prepared to attack.
Being estranged from the Lord would have added anxiety to Saul’s emotions.
If the Philistines successfully gained control over the northern Jezreel Valley, the nation of Israel would be cut in half geographically.
- When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.
6 He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.
Dreams, sacred lots (Urim), or prophets were allowable means of determining the will of the Lord.
Saul knew of a time earlier in his life when God refused to answer him and at that time he suspected the reason for God’s refusal to answer his request.
1 Samuel 14:37 NLT
37 So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day.
38 Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. 39 I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!” But no one would tell him what the trouble was.
1 Samuel 15:23 NLT
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
- Saul asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him.
7 Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.”
Saul turns to a pagan practice that he himself had outlawed.
Saul chooses to do something that he knows is wrong.
Saul is acting like a hypocrite, by saying one thing and doing something different.
Choices have consequences.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 NLT
13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium 14 instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
Saul’s behavior was not only wrong, but it was also foolish!
His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.”
Saul’s advisors knew where to find a medium.
The location of the ancient site of Endor is widely debated and many locations have been suggested. From the biblical accounts, an Endor that is located on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley seems to fit best. (Wikipedia) Our map locates Endor north of Shunem.
- Saul turns to the pagan practice of consulting mediums that he himself had outlawed. Saul’s behavior was not only wrong, it was foolish!
8 So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.
If Endor was located north of Shunem, as our map shows, Saul would have had to pass through the territory occupied by the Philistines.
“I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”
9 “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”
The woman knew that Saul had banned all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead from the land of Israel.
Mediums caught “consulting the spirits of the dead” faced execution.
Leviticus 20:27 NLT
27 “Men and women among you who act as mediums or who consult the spirits of the dead must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.”
10 But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”
While blatantly walking in disobedience to God, Saul uses the phrase “As surely as the Lord lives.” An oath like this invokes the Lord’s involvement. Saul really doesn’t want this.
Scripture tells us not to take an oath.
James 5:12 NLT
12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
Repeat Leviticus 20:27
Apparently Saul’s oath put the woman at ease.
11 Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”
“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.
