Written by: Roz Dawson – Action Partners
1 Samuel 28 v 1-7
Later, the Philistines gathered their armies to fight against Israel. Achish
said to David, “You understand that you and your men must join my army.”
David answered, “You will see for yourself what I, your servant, can do!”
Achish said, “Fine, I’ll make you my bodyguard for life.”
Now Samuel was dead, and all the Israelites had shown their sadness for him.
They had buried Samuel in his home town of Ramah.
And Saul had forced out the mediums and fortune-tellers from the land.
The Philistines came together and made camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all the
Israelites and made camp at Gilboa. When he saw the Philistine army, he was
afraid, and his heart pounded with fear. He prayed to the LORD, but the LORD
did not answer him through dreams, Urim or prophets. Then Saul said to his servants,
“Find me a woman who is a medium so I may go and ask her what will happen.”
His servants answered, “There is a medium in Endor.”
Notes
Have you ever noticed the tendency we humans have to suddenly turn “religious”
in times of crisis? This was the situation in which Saul found himself. Having
lived in rebellion against God for so long, he now found himself in need of
God’s help.
Saul was a frightened man. The sight of the enemy forces amassing made his blood run cold. In panic, he tried all the accepted ways of hearing from God. But he had forgotten that in order to come into God’s presence he needed first to confess his sin and seek forgiveness.
In Psalm 66 v 18 we read: “If I had known of any sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened to me.” Saul discovered to his cost the truth of these words. Finding no answer from God, he resorted to more desperate measures.
Early in his reign, Saul had tried to serve God. He had zealously rid the land of all occult practitioners. Now, in desperation, he sent his servants to find a spiritist medium to consult, despite the fact that he knew such practices were an abomination to the Lord and forbidden to God’s people.
In times of stress we can be tempted to try to force an answer out of God, or turn to unorthodox methods to try to discover his will. We live in an increasingly stressful society and one, too, which expects instant gratification. But God is seldom in a hurry! Often, when there is no immediate answer apparent, what he is really saying is, “Wait!”
Such times can be painful and difficult, but as we look back on them we realise they have been times of great spiritual growth – opportunities to learn to persevere through the tough times and opportunities to prove the faithfulness of God.
Prayer
Father, help me to keep short accounts with you, to keep my heart right, so
that I can always come boldly into your presence. Teach me to trust you more.
In times when it feels as though you are not listening, help me to wait patiently
for your answer. Amen
1 Samuel 28 v 8-14
Then Saul put on other clothes to disguise himself, and at night he and two
of his men went to see the woman. Saul said to her, “Talk to a spirit for me.
Bring up the person I name.”
But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has forced
the mediums and fortune-tellers from the land. You are trying to trap me and
get me killed.”
Saul made a promise to the woman in the name of the LORD. He said, “As surely
as the LORD lives, you won’t be punished for this.”
The woman asked, “Whom do you want me to bring up?”
He answered, “Bring up Samuel.”
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “Why have you tricked me?
You are Saul!”
The king said to the woman, “Don’t be afraid! What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.”
Saul asked, “What does he look like?”
The woman answered, “An old man wearing a coat is coming up.”
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed face down on the ground.
Notes
Early on in his reign, Saul had rid the land of occult practitioners. Now, as
the camera zooms in on him today, we find him getting dressed, preparing to
attend a séance. It is fairly obvious why he found it necessary to disguise
his identity!
It is, however, worthwhile reflecting just how often sin causes people to operate in secret, in the darkness. Sin has to be concealed through lies and pretence, and soon people are trapped. As someone put it so well, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.”
One of the greatest joys of our new life in Jesus is the liberty of knowing that we have absolutely nothing left to hide. We may be far from perfect but, having chosen to bring everything into the light of Christ, we know our life is open to scrutiny. We can experience for ourselves the truth of the words in John 8 v 36: “So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.” The need for deceit has gone and we are free for ever from the prison of sin.
Saul was still trying to get an answer from God. In life, Samuel had always heard from God. In desperation, Saul decided to try to call him up from the dead, knowing full well that God had strictly forbidden such practices.
In one such passage, God warns: “Do not go to mediums or fortune-tellers for advice, or you will become unclean” (Leviticus 19 v 31). Nevertheless, our reading today ends with a picture of Saul bowing face down on the ground – not to God, but before what he believed to be the spirit of Samuel.
Prayer
Father, let your Holy Spirit shine light into every corner of my life. Help
me always to be truthful with you and with other people, so that I may know
the freedom that only comes from walking in the light. Amen
1 Samuel 28 v 15-19
Samuel asked Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”
Saul said, “I am greatly troubled. The Philistines are fighting against me,
and God has left me. He won’t answer me any more, either by prophets or in dreams.
That’s why I called for you. Tell me what to do.”
Samuel said, “The LORD has left you and has become your enemy. So why do you
call on me? He has done what he said he would do—the things he said through
me. He has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbours,
David. You did not obey the LORD; you did not show the Amalekites how angry
he was with them. That’s why he has done this to you today. The LORD will hand
over both Israel and you to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will
be with me. The LORD will hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.”
Notes
This passage can be problematic when we know that God hates all occult practices
and strictly forbids his people to engage in them. One could ask whether it
really was the spirit of Samuel that Saul encountered. Would God ever go against
his own word?
In fact, the story recorded here pretty much describes a spiritist séance, rather than a biblical revelation. We know from other biblical accounts that even demonic spirits speak the truth on occasion! Whatever our personal interpretation, however, we should not allow speculation to overshadow the important truths in this account.
In Leviticus 20 v 6 God says, “I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and fortune-tellers for advice, because that person is being unfaithful to me. So I will cut him off from his people.”
There can be no more graphic illustration of the truth of this promise than the word Saul received that day. Because of Saul’s disobedience, his kingdom was to be taken from him and given to David. Saul’s army was to suffer defeat and the very next day both Saul and his sons would die. “The Lord has left you” was the message.
In his youth Saul had the world at his feet. Tall, good-looking and athletic, he was said to be without equal. He was Israel’s very first king, appointed by God and admired by all the people.
Now here we find him in fear for his life, sneaking off in disguise to consult a medium in one last desperate attempt to twist God’s arm. He uttered what must surely rank amongst the saddest words in Scripture: “God has left me.”
From destiny to defeat - a tragic end to a promising life. How
different things might have been had he chosen, instead, to follow the Lord!
Prayer
Father God, your word tells me that I have a destiny in you. But I know that
I will only fulfil my destiny if I live my life in accordance with your word.
Please help me always to have a heart that is obedient to you. Amen
1 Samuel 28 v 20-24
Saul quickly fell flat on the ground and was afraid of what Samuel had said.
He was also very weak because he had eaten nothing all that day and night.
Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was really frightened. She said,
“Look, I, your servant, have obeyed you. I have risked my life and done what
you told me to do. Now please listen to me. Let me give you some food so you
may eat and have enough strength to go on your way.”
But Saul refused, saying, “I won’t eat.”
His servants joined the woman in asking him to eat, and he listened to them.
So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
At the house the woman had a fat calf, which she quickly killed. She took some
flour and mixed dough with her hands. Then she baked some bread without yeast.
She put the food before them, and they ate. That same night they got up and
left.
Notes
Predictably, Saul’s visit to the medium brought him nothing but trouble. The
message could not have been worse. It was so bad, in fact, that when he received
the news he collapsed to the ground in terror. He must have remained in that
state for a long time, because we are told that he grew weak, having eaten nothing
all that day and night.
At this point, there is a touching scene where his hostess became concerned for him and urged him to eat something to regain his strength. At first he refused but later gave in and agreed to have something to eat. The woman then prepared a meal, which they shared, after which Saul and his party took their leave.
Saul’s hostess was a spiritist medium. Her life was anything but godly and yet, when she saw how afraid Saul was, her heart went out to him. She really cared. The meal she gave them showed that she was giving of her very best and she must have spent some hours preparing it for them.
Do you know anyone like this? Someone who is not a believer, yet is a really good and kind person? The world is filled with countless such examples.
As Christians we need to have a balanced view. On the one hand, we should recognise and affirm such kind and good acts wherever we find them. But on the other hand we need to understand clearly that good deeds can never get a person to heaven. Even those we view as “good” people are in need of salvation through Jesus alone, and we need to pray for them and take the opportunities God provides to share the gospel message with them.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please help me to see others as you see them and to love them
with your love. Help me to be warm and affirming, but also give me the opportunities
and the boldness to share my faith with those with whom you bring me in contact.
Amen
1 Samuel 29 v 1-3
The Philistines gathered all their soldiers at Aphek. Israel camped by the spring
at Jezreel. The Philistine kings were marching with their groups of 100 and
1,000 men. David and his men were marching behind Achish. The Philistine commanders
asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”
Achish told them, “This is David. He served Saul king of Israel, but he has
been with me for over a year now. I have found nothing wrong in David since
the time he left Saul.”
Notes
It was over a year since David had first sought refuge from Saul with Achish,
a Philistine king. Now, as they were marching to battle against Israel, David
and his 600 men were with them marching behind Achish, who had made David his
bodyguard.
As might be expected, the other Philistine commanders questioned the presence of David and his men, naturally fearing they might turn against them in the battle with Israel. They were angry with Achish for bringing “these Hebrews” along. But Achish justified his actions, declaring that he had found nothing wrong in David since his defection from Saul.
He might have felt very differently, had he known how David really felt about Israel. David might have fled into the land of the Philistines, but this was only as a last resort to escape Saul’s fury and to escape the inevitable confrontation that must one day occur if he chose to remain in Israel.
Although Saul was intent on killing him, David never retaliated even though on two occasions he had the opportunity of killing Saul. And it is certain that David only had to say the word and his men would have killed king Saul. But right to the last David regarded Saul as the Lord’s anointed and refused to do him any harm.
We can learn from David’s loyalty to Saul. How do we regard those whom God has appointed to positions of leadership over his people?
Prayer
Lord, I pray for my vicar/pastor today. Help me to recognise him/her as one
of your anointed servants. Help me always to be loyal and, wherever I can, to
be a help and encouragement to him/her in his/her ministry. Amen
1 Samuel 29 v 4-7
But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send David back
to the city you gave him. He cannot go with us into battle. If he does, we’ll
have an enemy in our own camp. He could please his king by killing our own men.
David is the one the Israelites dance and sing about, saying:
‘Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands.’”
So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you are
loyal. I would be pleased to have you serve in my army. Since the day you came
to me, I have found no wrong in you. But the other kings don’t trust you. Go
back in peace. Don’t do anything to displease the Philistine kings.”
Notes
The Philistine commanders were not ready to give in. They insisted that Achish
should send David back to Ziklag, fearing that if he remained they would have
a fifth column in their midst. They reminded Achish of the song sung by the
Israelite maidens when David used to return from his battles: “Saul has killed
thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands.” Eventually
Achish gave in to their insistence and ordered David to return to Ziklag. So
it was that David and his men were prevented from taking part in the battle.
At this time, David knew he was destined to be the future king of Israel. We know that despite Saul’s murderous plans towards him, David had steadfastly refused to touch a hair on Saul’s head. Saul’s son Jonathan, who was like a brother to David, was in the army about to be attacked by the Philistines.
For all these reasons, it is certain that what the Philistine commanders feared is precisely what would have happened. David and his men would have turned on the Philistines and fought on the side of Israel. David was anxious to get involved. No doubt he thought the future of Israel may depend on his participation.
Could it be that God was behind Achish’s decision to send David away? God knew the outcome of the battle before it was fought. The fighting would be fierce. The Israelites would be overcome by the Philistines. Many would be slain, including Saul and his sons.
But David, future king of Israel, and his army were safely on their way home to Ziklag when all of this took place.
Prayer
Sometimes, Lord, I feel as David did – that you need my help to get things done.
Help me to recognise that you have everything under control, and that in all
things you work for the good of those who love you, who have been called according
to your purpose. Amen
1 Samuel 29 v 8-11
David asked, “What wrong have I done? What evil have you found in me from the
day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight your enemies, my lord
and king?”
Achish answered, “I know you are as good as an angel from God. But the Philistine
commanders have said, ‘David must not go with us into battle.’ Early in the
morning you and your master’s servants should leave. Get up as soon as it is
light and go.”
So David and his men got up early in the morning and went back to the country
of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
Notes
So strong was David’s conviction that Israel needed him in the battle, he practically
begged to be allowed to accompany the Philistine troops. But Achish remained
resolute and David and his men left next morning at first light. Little did
David know, but at the very time he was begging to be allowed to stay, back
home in Ziklag his wife and family, and the families of his men, were in grave
danger.
We shall look at that story another day, but the account of how David was sent away by Achish once again reveals God’s mighty acts on behalf of those he loves. If David and his men had stayed with the Philistine army, their families would have met a dreadful fate. By arranging for them to be sent away, God ensured that they arrived home in the nick of time to rescue their loved ones and their possessions.
Like David, we often see only half the picture. Isn’t it good to know we serve a God who sees it all and who watches over our loved ones and ourselves all the time, no matter where we are or what is happening in our lives.
Prayer
Thank you for your mighty power, Father God, and for your care and provision
always. Thank you that, as the psalmist says, you will keep me from all harm,
you will watch over my life and you will watch over my coming and going, both
now and for evermore. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken
from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993
by Word Publishing Milton Keynes