A Spiritually Dark Place
1 Samuel 28:3-20 ESV
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. The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 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.” 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.” 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?” But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 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.” 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.” 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. 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.” And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 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. 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. Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel.
1. Ignore the warning signs in your life.
1st Saul didn’t obey what God told him to do
1 Samuel 15:19, & 23 NKJV
Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?…For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
2nd Saul didn’t repent when confronted.
1 Samuel 15:30
Saul replied (to Samuel), “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.”
3rd Saul had an evil spirit working in his life and STILL didn’t repent.
1 Samuel 16:14 NLT
Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
4th Saul was controlled by fear
1 Samuel 28:5 NIV
When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.
5th Saul was not hearing from God
{note}
1 Samuel 28:6 ESV
And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
6th Saul was open to many forms of spirituality.
1 Samuel 28:7 ESV
Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium
Medium - a person who claims to be able to communicate with spirits or other non-physical entities. They are believed to serve as a connection or intermediary between the living and the spirit world, often during a séance.
בוֹא - ob (Medium)
necromancer, spiritist, ghost, familiar spirit
1 Samuel 28:7 KJV
Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
Eshbaal - Man of Baal
1 Samuel 28:7 ESV
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.”
Religious pluralism - the belief that multiple religions, and even non-religious belief systems, can coexist and hold valid truths.
The witchcraft generation
> Do you practice yoga? Meditate? Get daily nudges from the astrology Co-Star app? Looks like you belong to the “DIY spirituality” generation too. Witchcraft is one form of alternative spirituality … #witchtok has more than 45 billion views on TikTok. Witch influencers proliferate on social media. What was for centuries fringe and at times heretical is becoming accepted, even revered, particularly among the young. Faith is not fading. It’s just manifesting in different, witchier ways. ---Jessica Rawnsley The New Statesman
Any spiritual experience for the purposes of entertainment, satisfying curiosity, seeking wisdom or power outside of the Bible is demonic.
Deuteronomy 18:10-14 ESV
There shall not be found among you… anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.
1 Samuel 28:3 ESV
Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.
2. You take sinful action
1st You move from “openness” to actually seeking out demonic sin.
1 Samuel 28:7 ESV
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.”
2nd You are secretive and hiding
1 Samuel 28:8 ESV
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.
3rd You go out of your way to pursue sin
1 Samuel 28:8 ESV
So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him.
4th You push through any roadblocks to get what you want
1 Samuel 18:9-10 ESV
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?” But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
3. You will experience consequences
1 Samuel 18:11-14 ESV
Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 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.” 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.” 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.
> The Bible does seem to state that Samuel was summoned, yet it could not have been by the demonic power of the medium that this happened. Therefore, it is most likely that Samuel came not at the command of the witch but at the unexpected will of God. This would explain why the woman cried out in shock when she saw the spirit, whom she initially identified as a “god” ---Reformed Expository Commentary (1 Samuel) Richard D. Phillips
1 Samuel 28:17-20 ESV
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. 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. Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” 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
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 ESV
So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
1. Occult activity brings demonic power into your life and has real consequences.
2. If you are walking in Spiritual Darkness... Repent.
3. If you are afraid... good! This passage should scare you. God doesn’t mess around.
4. If you need grace, turn to Jesus today and you can find grace, freedom, and life.
1 Samuel 28:19b ESV
“tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me.”
