1 Samuel 28:3-24 (CSB)
Today we are looking at another event in King Saul’s life. This is a passage of Scripture that has baffled many people. It is often referred to as the time when Saul visited the Witch of Endor. Let’s begin by reading the first four verses, starting in verse 3:
“3 By this time Samuel had died, all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his city, and Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land. 4 The Philistines gathered and camped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel, and they camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine camp, he was afraid and his heart pounded. 6 He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.”
I want to pause here and mention something. If you don’t know what an urim is, it was a way for the Israelites to know the will of God. The first time we hear that term is in Exodus 28:30, which says, “Place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.”
We don’t know much more than that. In Ellicott’s commentary, he says that, “It has been already shown (see Note on Exodus 28:16) that the breastplate was a bag, and so capable of being used as a receptacle. The words ‘Urim and Thummim’ mean literally, ‘lights and perfections.’ The question arises, what do these two words, as here used, designate? Do they designate material objects; if so, what objects? [The way they are mentioned makes it seem] as if they were familiar objects, well known at the time to the people generally.”
It semes like they were well known in Saul’s time, but we, today, have such a limited understanding of what they were. All we really know is they were used as a tool to discern God’s will, and as Ellicott concludes, they “were small images, by which God had been consulted in the past, and by which Moses was now authorized to state that He would be consulted in the future.”
So, wanting help to defeat the Philistines, Saul tries consulting the Lord. It seems implied that he consulted the Urim, or maybe surprisingly he didn’t even try that method, but whatever he tried, the Lord did not answer him.
Picking back up in verse 7:
7 Saul then said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.”
His servants replied, “There is a woman at En-dor who is a medium.”
8 Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes and set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I tell you.”
9 But the woman said to him, “You surely know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you setting a trap for me to get me killed?”
10 Then Saul swore to her by the Lord: “As surely as the Lord lives, no punishment will come to you from this.”
I don’t know about you, but to me, this passage of Scripture reads like a scene out of a book or movie. There is an army gathered to attack. The king’s life is in danger. All seems lost, so the king disguises himself in order to break the very law he passed: the law that banned all “spiritists” or, as we might say today, all witchcraft. He dresses up like someone else and meets with a witch. She’s rightfully leery of him: is this stranger going to get her in trouble? This is a perfect example of the adage that ‘truth is stranger than fiction,’ isn’t it?
Back to the text, verse 11 says:
11 “Who is it that you want me to bring up for you?” the woman asked.
“Bring up Samuel for me,” he answered.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, “Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!”
13 But the king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”
“I see a spirit form coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.
14 Then Saul asked her, “What does he look like?”
“An old man is coming up,” she replied. “He’s wearing a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.
Did Saul really talk with Samuel’s ghost? Can a witch or medium call up people who have died and talk with them? Did you know that there are Christians who believe that we can talk with the spirits of those who have died? That is another topic, but I must say that those Christians are in grave error in thinking it is okay to try to do so.
Was this Samuel who appeared? While it’s impossible to be certain, I do not believe it was Samuel. My primary reason for thinking so is because of verse 6, which tells us that, “He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.” If the Lord wouldn’t respond to him in those ways, why would He now respond to him when he consults a witch? I think because the Lord would not answer him before, this must not be Samuel, but is rather an evil spirit pretending to be Samuel.
If you read last week’s sermon, or remember the story, Saul had already disobeyed God’s command to him through Samuel. Saul made a burnt offering to the Lord when he was not supposed to, and God had told him that He was taking the throne away from him and his children; that He had chosen a new person who would become king in his place. God had turned away from Saul. So, if Samuel had still been alive, he would not have answered Saul, either. Since God was silent, Samuel would have nothing more to tell Saul.
And again, why would God now answer him when he’s committed an even greater disobedience by consulting a medium? Leviticus 19:26b,31 says, “You are not to practice divination or witchcraft. Do not turn to mediums or consult spiritists, or you will be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God.”
Why would God indulge Saul’s further disobedience by sending Samuel to him? That doesn’t seem consistent with God’s behavior.
But, people who disagree with me and do think this was really Samuel from beyond the grave, point out verse 12, and note that the woman screamed. Was that because it really was Samuel? Or, rather, was her reaction such because she realized that the man she was helping was none other than Saul the king, who could have her killed for practicing witchcraft? In response to the scream, verse 13 says, “But the king said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. What do you see?’
‘I see a spirit form coming up out of the earth,’ the woman answered.”
The woman says she sees a “spirit form,” but according to Strong’s Concordance, the word she uses is elohim, which means God or god. Interestingly, she doesn’t say, “I see a man.” Instead, she uses the word for a god, which makes me think she knew it was a spiritual being, not a human.
Another reason I do not think it was truly Samuel is because verse 14 says, “Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.” Even though it says, he “knew it was Samuel,” I think Saul thought it was Samuel, and it appeared to be Samuel, but it wasn’t, because I don’t think Samuel would have allowed Saul to kneel before him. Saul believed it was Samuel, though, and so the text says Saul “knew that it was Samuel” but we have to remember, too, that the Bible tells us that Satan can disguise himself. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 says, “And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.”
While it is always possible that it was truly Samuel, sent by God, I think it was Satan or another demon impersonating Samuel. Back to the text, let’s read what happens next. Starting in verse 15, it says:
15 “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Samuel asked Saul.
“I’m in serious trouble,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He doesn’t answer me anymore, either through the prophets or in dreams. So I’ve called on you to tell me what I should do.”
16 Samuel answered, “Since the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me? 17 The Lord has done exactly what he said through me: The Lord has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David. 18 You did not obey the Lord and did not carry out his burning anger against Amalek; therefore the Lord has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the Lord will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”
The spirit asks Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Granted, that does sound like Samuel and what he might say; he spoke gruffly to Saul in the past. But isn’t it strange that the form rose out of the ground and even says, “bringing me up”? Was this spirit in the depths of hell? I don’t think we see language about those who are with the Lord being brought up out of the ground. His body was not physically raised, so he was not raised up out of the grave. Those who think it was Samuel, though, say that Samuel would have come up out of the earth, for they believe he was in Abraham’s Bosom, which is the name of the place they believe that followers of God dwelled in before Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. They reference Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus. This, of course, is yet another topic.
Setting that aside, we see that the only information “Samuel” gives to Saul that is new, is that he and his sons will soon die. But even with that information, I don’t know if that proves it was Samuel, for we know that Saul’s death was the goal of Satan. He was wanting to use the Philistines to destroy Israel. And technically, Saul did not die at the hand of the Philistines. He was merely wounded, and then he attempted to commit suicide. Let’s read the account of what happened. 1 Samuel 31:1-6 says, “The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!’ But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men.”
Then, in 2 Samuel 1:6-10 we learn even more details about how Saul died. An Amalekite soldier who had been captured and then escaped from the Israelite camp, went to David and told him: “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear. At that very moment the chariots and the cavalry were closing in on him. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, so I answered: I’m at your service. He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him: I’m an Amalekite. Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for I’m mortally wounded, but my life still lingers.’ So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he couldn’t survive. I took the crown that was on his head and the armband that was on his arm, and I’ve brought them here to my lord.”
The words that were spoken about Saul’s impending death came true. He and his three sons died. But what if Saul had not consulted the witch and heard the words that tomorrow he would die? Would he have been so quick to attempt to kill himself? He believed the spirit’s words that he would die, so he must have been hopeless and assumed it was over for himself. What if the spirit had told him he wouldn’t die? Then would he have tried to survive and have hoped that he would live? But Saul listened to the wrong voice. He again took matters into his own hands. He again disobeyed God’s command. And again, he suffered the consequences, but this time, more than losing his crown, he loses his life. And although it is God alone who knows each person’s heart, I think the sad truth is that Saul was not saved when he died. I know that verse 19 says, “Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me,” but isn’t that more proof that was not Samuel speaking? For would Saul really go and join Samuel when he died? Saul was not following God, and he never repented. Even if the location of Samuel was in “Abraham’s Bosom,” can we think that Saul would join him there? Wouldn’t Saul be where the rich man from Jesus’ parable was: in torment? I think 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 clearly sums up Saul’s death and indicates his lack of faith in God. It says, “Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”
I do want to mention again that quite a few Bible scholars disagree with me. They think that the witch of Endor was able to call up Samuel from the dead. They say that God allowed her to do this. I agree with them on one point. For this to have been Samuel, God would have indeed had to allow Samuel to return to earth. Witches or necromancers do not have the power to summon people from the dead. But I doubt that this was truly Samuel. Since Samuel had already delivered this message once before, I don’t see why God would send Samuel again. I think it is more accurate to assume this “ghost” is not Samuel, but a demon in disguise. And it is merely repeating what Samuel had already spoken, and then it further condemns Saul, offering him no hope and urging no repentance. Proof this message is most likely not from God, is the effect it has. Saul collapses. He is crushed by the message, but he is not crushed to a place where he repents. He is crushed by hopelessness.
Let’s read the end of this story. Starting in verse 20, it says:
20 Immediately, Saul fell flat on the ground. He was terrified by Samuel’s words and was also weak because he had not eaten anything all day and all night. 21 The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. 22 Now please listen to your servant. Let me set some food in front of you. Eat and it will give you strength so you can go on your way.”
23 He refused, saying, “I won’t eat,” but when his servants and the woman urged him, he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.
24 The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. 25 She served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Afterward, they got up and left that night.
Then, as we already read, Saul and his sons do die. There is no happy ending. Saul never repents. If this ghost is nothing more than a demon, it certainly achieved its goal, for the devil wants nothing more than to destroy all people. Whereas we see throughout the Old Testament, when a prophet delivers a judgment from God, there is a call to repentance. Jeremiah 18:11 is just one of many examples. It says, “So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds.’”
But perhaps the most conclusive proof of why this spirit was not Samuel is what 1 Samuel 15:35 tells us. After Samuel had told Saul that he would no longer be king, for he had disobeyed the Lord, it says, “Even to the day of his death, Samuel never saw Saul again. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted he had made Saul king over Israel.” If this ghost was truly Samuel, then that verse would not be true. I think it is true, though, and it was not Samuel who spoke to Saul that night, but rather an evil spirit.
Since this incredible story is no mere fantasy or movie scene, but really did happen and is included in the Old Testament, what is the lesson for us today? I think there are many lessons to learn by Saul’s misdeeds; many warnings to heed. But I would like to ask a question of us all today. When we need to hear from the Lord, who do we turn to? I doubt we will go to fortune tellers or witches, yet I’m afraid we go to equally poor places for advice. How many times do Christians turn to unbelievers for help? Many Christians seek council from psychologists or counselors, thinking the world’s psychology will help them. But if we need to hear from the Lord, or find out what God wants us to do, we need to go to the source. We need to turn to God’s word. Over the years, I’ve found that when I feel like God is silent and I don’t know what God wants me to do, there is often something that He has already spoken to me about that I have not completed yet, and that’s why He seems silent to me. He’d already spoken, but I hadn’t done the thing He already spoke to me about. When I obeyed Him, then He was not silent any longer. If we want God to lead us, we must first follow the guidance He’s already given us.
Saul had so many opportunities to turn from his disobedience. He could have repented and followed God. Yet he never did. He continued to make decisions that went against God’s expressed commands, and because of that, he died unfaithful to the Lord. Let us take this warning to heart. Let us seek forgiveness from the Lord for the times when we take matters into our own hands. Let us be careful to seek wisdom and council from God’s Word and from godly people the Lord brings into our lives. Let us not turn to the world for help or council. Let us seek the Lord, for as Deuteronomy 4:29 promises us, “search for the Lord your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.”
Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your great love for us. Please help us to follow Your Word. Help us, by Your Holy Spirit, to seek You with all our heart and soul. We confess that we haven’t always sought Your help, but rather have tried to do things on our own. Please forgive us and help us to seek You first. We love You and thank You for the forgiveness You have provided to us through Jesus our Savior, and it’s by His name we pray, amen.
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