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I’ve always had lots of questions about 1 Samuel 28. Was David actually going to fight with the Philistines? Why did Saul think that he could contact Samuel through a witch? Was it even Samuel he saw?
It is a puzzling chapter. The irony of Saul’s life can be summarized by verse 10.
Then Saul made a sacred vow. “By the living LORD I promise that you will not be punished for doing this,” he told her.
1 Samuel 28:10 GNB
Saul vowed by the living God in order to convince a witch to tell him the future. Unfortunately, this is what Saul did all throughout his life. He used God to get what he wanted. He didn’t operate with God as the Lord of his life, but rather, tacked on His Name when he needed something.
We may wonder if this was really Samuel, and if so, how was the witch able to conjure him up?
It seems best to follow the early view that this was a genuine appearance of Samuel which God Himself brought about. Several points favor this interpretation: (1) The medium was surprised (v. 1Sa 28:12). (2) Saul identified the figure as Samuel (v. 1Sa 28:14). (3) The message Samuel spoke was clearly from God (vv. 1Sa 28:16-19). (4) The text says that the figure was Samuel (vv. 1Sa 28:12, 1Sa 28:15-16). There is no inherent difficulty with God bringing back the spirit of Samuel from heaven and allowing him to appear to Saul, in spite of the woman’s evil profession.
Nelson’s Commentary
This is what happens to our heart when we feed it jealousy instead of Jehovah. This is what happens when we trust in men instead of God. Saul chose to consult the dead and because of his disobedience, he would soon join them.
“While the king sat on that divan, what memories must have passed through his mind! The first happy days of his reign, Jabesh-gilead, the loyalty of his people. Then he saw how, step by step, that cursed jealousy of David had dragged him down into the turbid current that was now bearing him to a suicide’s end. It is one of the most pitiful spectacles in history. But let us be warned; let us watch and pray; let us guard against the first tiny rift within the lute of life!”
F.B. Meyer
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1 Samuel 28:19) states,
, The spirit of Samuel tells Saul, “Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.”
The explanation _:
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(Ecclesiastes 12:7) says,
' The spirit shall return to
God who gave it.' Jesus committed His spirit to
God.(Luke 23 : 46) &
Stephen also :(Acts 7: 59 )
As the Bible teaches:' The dead cannot return to the living.' (2 Samuel 12:23).
This spirit can not be of Samuel.A demonic spirit spoke to Saul. This was
the tact of satan.lf he him self masquerades as an angel of light.(2 Corinth.11:14).,he can easily do
this.This satan' s spirit
came from Hades whose existence is beneath the earth ;as it is written," why hast thou disquieted me,
to bring me up?
(1 Sam.28:15)
As, God is against all such
evil practices.' (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27).' How He
will send the spirit of Samuel from heaven,
when the witch orders?
'Satan does signs & lying wonders '(2 Thess. 2:9)
He uses every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction. '
(2 Thessalonians 2:10).
This demon impersonating Samuel told Saul only part
of the truth.That is, Jona than too, will reach Hades.
About Saul reaching
Hades after his death _:
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King Saul did these sins _:
1)Saul disobeyed God in making the fight. For it
he enquired of the LORD,
& the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, by Urim or by the prophets
(1 Samuel 28:6).
2)'The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul & an
evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.'(1Sam16 :14)
& he tried to kill Jonathan. '
( 1 Samuel 20:33 )
3) Saul visited the witch.
against the command.
' You shall not practice augury or witchcraft, Do
not turn to mediums or
seek out spiritis, for you
will be defiled by them. I
am the LORD your God. '(Leviticus 19:26,31)
4) Saul ended his life by
committing suicide.
(1 Samuel 31:4)As written,
'The soul who sins die.'
(Ezekiel 18 : 4 )
( 1 Chro.10:13) says,
'So Saul died for his trans
gression which he committed against the
LORD, even against the
word of the LORD, which
he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it.'
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