1 Samuel 28 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Sam 28:3-19

3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He enquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go and enquire of her.’

‘There is one in Endor,’ they said.

8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. ‘Consult a spirit for me,’ he said, ‘and bring up for me the one I name.’

9 But the woman said to him, ‘Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?’

10 Saul swore to her by the Lord, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.’

11 Then the woman asked, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’

‘Bring up Samuel,’ he said.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!’

13 The king said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. What do you see?’

The woman said, ‘I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth.’

14 ‘What does he look like?’ he asked.

‘An old man wearing a robe is coming up,’ she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

15 Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’

‘I am in great distress,’ Saul said. ‘The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.’

16 Samuel said, ‘Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbours – to David. 18 Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.’

A. Find Out:    

1. Why did Saul resort to a medium? v.4-7
2. Yet what was a problem? v.3,9
3. What was the woman’s response when she saw Samuel? v.12
4. What did Saul confess? v.15
5. What did Samuel say the Lord had done and would do? v.17-19
6. Read 1 Chronicles 10:13 ,14 and Leviticus 19:31 & 20:6

B. Think:

1. Why did Saul turn to a medium?
2. What in turn was the reason for that?
3. What was the outcome?

C. Comment:

     A strange incident with many lessons.

    First note the basics of what happened. Saul sinned against God and rejected Him. When he needed help he selfishly turned to the Lord but the Lord had by then rejected him and so did not answer. Saul petulantly decided if God would not answer he would get an answer some other way, so turned to a medium. To the medium’s total horror, a spirit DOES appear (which means that she probably usually deceived people) and it does seem to be Samuel who appears, rebukes and condemns Saul.

     The fact that the Lord does appear to allow a representation of Samuel to appear and speak the truth should not make us think this justifies calling on a medium; it says more about the grace of God giving Saul a further chance to hear the truth and repent. Tragically he didn’t!

     The key things to remember here are:

a) Saul was in completely disobedience to God and

b) that was why he was not hearing the Lord.

      The answer is not to go chasing mediums who are forbidden but to trust in and seek the Lord. Seeking a medium in the Bible is seen as disobedience and rebellion against God and the penalty was death. Allowing this “manifestation” of Samuel was simply an act of grace by God.

D. Application:

1. Seeking to by-pass God is rebellion. Repentance is needed.
2. Unrepented rebellion against God brings the death penalty.