1st SAMUEL 28 ----- Saul Consults a Medium

Bill Fritz

Adult Education

Fellowship Bible Church

Table of Contents

David Strikes a Deal with Achish Verses 1&2. 1

Saul Seeks a Medium Verses 3-25. 1

Saul seeks out a Medium.. 2

Verse 7-9. 2

Saul Breaks His Law.. 3

Verses 10-20. 3

In Conclusion. 4

David Strikes a Deal with Achish
Verses 1&2

1. In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.”

2. David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

The king knew of David and his flight from Saul’s vengeance.  Achish also knew of David’s prowess as a warrior. 

Knowing these facts and knowing David was seeking asylum, the king thought he had a powerful ally.

David could not bring himself to go against Israel’s army.  However, he had to continue the ruse of friendship towards king Achish.

David’s response in verse two caused the king to reassess his choice for David’s assignment.  The king decided to have David be his body guard.

Often ruthless kings would bring in mercenaries (paid soldiers) to be their protector (bodyguards).  These kings selected soldiers outside their armies because they feared their soldiers might turn on the king.

Saul Seeks a Medium
Verses 3-25

3. Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.

Saul had expelled all of the mediums –those who practiced the dark arts.

 Saul could not turn to God because God had withdrew himself from Saul and Samuel had died. 

There are thirty-three verses in the Bible addressing the subject of consulting with those who practice the dark arts.  One such reference is found in Isaiah 8:19, which reads …"Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?”.

When in doubt as to what to do, turn to God for your answers.  [Isa 8:20 ESV] “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”

4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.

Where are Shunem and Gilboa located?

It was located in the possession of the Tribe of Issachar, near the Jezreel Valley and south of Mount Gilboa (Joshua 19,18). [1]

They were about fifteen miles apart however, Saul could see the Philistines from his high vantage point.

5. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets

After Samuel’s death Saul had no prophets to consult.  The Urim had been removed by the only survivor of the NOB massacre.  The Urim is a stone on the breast plate of the high priest.  This stone or Urim was said to be used by God to communicate with the high priest. 

Saul must have felt alone at this point.  He had all the priests killed at NOB, Samuel had died, and God had left him.  Fear was a natural result of God withdrawing from Saul and seeing the armies of the Philistines.

Praise the LORD we never have to feel alone.  The LORD will never leave or forsake us as promised in (Deuteronomy 31: 6-8).

Saul seeks out a Medium

Verse 7-9

7 Then 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.”

God did not want Israel to have kings (1 Samuel 8).  God wanted to be Israel’s king, and to lead them.  However Israel wanted to be like other nations who were ruled by human kings.

Is your life ruled by God or by chance?  (Mat 7:7 ESV)  “…seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

8. “So 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.”

This women was known for contacting the dead and communicating with them.  They called such a person a necromance today we call them clairvoyants.

Either she recognized Saul through his disguise or thought this fellow before her would tell Saul.   Either way this women was looking for assurance of immunity.  

9. The 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?”
Medium conjures up Samuel

Saul Breaks His Law

Verses 10-20

10. But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

Saul had made a decree that those who practiced divination and anyone seeking their counsel were to be put to death.  Saul had to inquire of a servant the whereabouts of a soothsayer.  

Saul was breaking his own command in his desperation for guidance. 

We will see in the next verse who Saul wanted her to conjure.

11. Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

Instead of trying reconciliation with God Saul put his faith in a dead prophet.  Saul knew the LORD abhorred his people consulting with those who practiced the dark arts.  Saul broke God’s law when he asked this witch for it was written in the book of laws "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.” (Lev 19:31 ESV)

Those who consult the stars or their daily horoscopes (even in “fun”) should take head of Jeremiah 10:2 ESV “Thus says the LORD: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens [the practice of astrology] because the nations are dismayed at them,”

12. When 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.”
13. The 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.”

Now being recognized by this women king Saul gave her the immunity she had requested. 

Did she want Saul to believe she saw Samuel and it was he who told her the man before her was Saul?

I think she wanted him to feel so but in reality I believe she recognized him as King Saul from the beginning.  She probably just wanted to give herself some credibility with Saul.

14. He 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.

We know from scripture the God considers divination as evil, and warns us to steer clear.  If as God has said divination is evil then it follows that messages from such a source would also be evil.

In the New King James translation robe is called a mantle.  This would be recognized as a priestly outer garment like the one Saul had torn (1 Samuel 27).  By the wording in this verse (“And Saul knew that it was Samuel”) Saul did not see a vision of Samuel but instead accepted that the women saw him. 

15. Then 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."

Here again I don’t believe Saul was talking directly to Samuel but rather through the witch.

16. And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy?
17. The 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.

In verse 16 we see Samuel asking a perfectly understandable question of the witch, saying in other words, what do you want me to do about what the LORD has done?

In 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 27 we read the following: (1 Samuel 15:27 ESV) “As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore.”  As I have said in the comments of that verse, this was symbolic of the kings rule being ripped from him.

18. Because 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.

The Lord gave Saul specific instructions “Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"(1Samuel 15:3 ESV)

If you recall Saul spared king Agag and took him prisoner (1 Samuel 15:8).  Saul also did not destroy the animals of the Amalekites, and to make matters worse Saul told Samuel he intended to sacrifice them to the LORD (1 Samuel 15:21).  These acts of disobedience brought about God’s wrath against Saul.

God had His reasons in ordering this mass slaughter.  He knew anything kept from the Amalekites would corrupt His people.  Even one sin will corrupt those who allow it to remain in their lives.  Remember the old adage one rotten apple (sin) will indeed spoil the whole barrel.

19. Because 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.
20. Then 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.

In Conclusion

Lack of food will cause a person’s blood sugar to fall, causing that person to be weak and perhaps faint.  However, one day without food should not have lowered Saul’s blood sugar to such a dangerous level.    However, I believe it more likely that fear, brought about from what he had been told by the medium, is what brought about the fainting spell. (Diabetes Association, Copyright 1995-2018)

BE AWARE -Satan has powers can and does use his human servants to do his work, such as the practice of the forbidden “black arts”. 

21. And 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.
22 Now 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. “
23. He 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.

The women reminds Saul of his promise to her (v 10).  Saul swore by the LORD he would not harm her.

She offered Saul food.  I don’t believe this was an act of hospitality but rather an enticement.  Saul was initially weary of her food offer.  However hunger got the best of him and he eat. 

One of Satan’s temptations to Jesus was a challenge by Satan to “change these stones into bread”. (Matthew 4:1-4)

24.  Now 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,
25.  and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

Saul had now sunken to the lowest of the low.  Not only did he sin by seeking the future through this woman but he dined with her as well.

There is no mention here on how she prepared the calf.  Depending how she prepared it, this too might have been another sin (possibly blood still remained in the animal).  When an animal is slaughtered the blood is drain from the animal.  Leviticus 17:14 KJV states “For [it is] the life of all flesh; the blood of it [is] for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh [is] the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.”

Citations and End Notes

[1]  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunem

[2]  Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Glucose). American Diabetes Association. Copyright 1995-2018 http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html . (accessed February 12, 2018)

End notes:  All scripture references, unless otherwise stated, are taken from The blue Letter Bible.