King Saul was desperate. The Philistine army had gathered for war against him. Samuel was dead. Now he was on his own. He went to the LORD once more and inquired what he should do. He needed answers. He had expelled all the mediums and those who practiced dark arts. He asked the prophets and the priests. God did not answer the prophets or the priests on his behalf. There were no dreams. There was only silence. The LORD had turned away from him.

King Saul started out with promise and potential. Samuel was led by the Lord to him when Israel demanded a king so they would be like nations around them. Saul had a kingly bearing and stood taller than those around him. At first everything went well, and he and Samuel had a good relationship and Saul sought the Lord. Soon, however, Saul began to change. He took matters into his own hands and did not consult the Lord as he once did. He did not wait for Samuel to come and give God’s wisdom. His actions were brash and hurried. He offered the offerings that should have been offered by Samuel or the priests. These things led up to God rejecting him as king and leading Samuel to his replacement.

Saul now performs his last act of defiance. Saul is feeling abandoned, alone and frightened. He needs answers now. He decides to consult a medium. He disguised himself and took two of his men and went by night to Endor where a woman was who was a practicing medium and asked her to bring up someone.

Saul assured her she would be safe and asked her to bring up Samuel. It is here that Bible scholars believe she did not summon anything, but that God stepped in. God himself sent Samuel at this moment to deliver this message to Saul. This was no ghostly visit. This was no demonic encounter. God sent Samuel with a message that only he could deliver. This is believed largely by the woman’s response when she sees Samuel. She cries out with a loud voice and knew Saul was her visitor. The truth of her situation had been revealed to her and now she feared for her life. Saul encouraged her to continue. Apparently, only she could see the vision, since Saul asked her what she could see. She described what she saw, and Samuel delivered his final message to Saul from beyond the grave.

This action in Saul is a flaw in his character. Instead of trusting the Lord to provide answers and help, he rushed to the opposite extreme and sought occultic help in the form of a medium. Saul knew that God was against any form of witchcraft, divination or occult practices. Whatever name we try to put on it to make it acceptable it is still abominable to him. He had done the right thing in expelling them from the land, yet when he had nowhere else to look, he turned to the very thing God had forbidden. Here are some things God says about mediums and the like.

Exodus 22:18

You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

Leviticus 19:31

Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 20:6

As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the prostitute with them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Isaiah 8:19

When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should a people not consult their God? Should they consult the dead in behalf of the living?

Galatians 5:19-21

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 21:8

But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

They can all be summed up with the simple instruction: Do not consult them.

We are not to have anything to do with those who practice such things. They are the tools of Satan and those who think they are dabbling innocently into these mysteries are opening doors that are better left shut.

Our society makes it easy to become involved with the occult without even realizing it. We can listen to paranormal experiences on podcasts. Watch the latest “technology” hunt for ghosts on television. Get the life scared out of us at the movies. Each time we allow ourselves one of these things we suspend our belief just a little more in the name of entertainment and open a door we should never know existed. We call it entertainment all the while saying we don’t believe the nonsense spouted at us. Yet, we listen with eagerness to tales of hauntings curious about the “other side.”

There is a verse I remind myself of when I come across these things. You should consider marking it in your bible and committing it to memory. Deuteronomy 29:29

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, so that we may follow all the words of this Law.”

There are things we need have no knowledge of and there are things that God has revealed to us. The things that God has revealed to us, these are the things that are life and truth. He has brought these things into the light. What is in the darkness is best left in the darkness until He exposes them. They belong to Him. Don’t get trapped by the ghosts, goblins and the darkness. Bring the light that God has given to us into the darkness. The “witch” of Endor cried out when she saw Samuel. She knew right away Saul had tricked her. She wasn’t dealing with familiar spirits, but with God. Let’s make sure this spooky season we bring God’s terror on those who are of the darkness and expose them to the light.

Angela