SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR
This account found in 1Samuel 28 is one the most intriguing passages in the Bible. Though Saul started well, he slowly drifted away from having God as the center of his life. As disobedience to the will of God, jealousy of David and pride took center stage in his life, God’s sustenance faded. Finding himself in dire straits as the enemy pressed against him, he desperately seeks counsel and eventually turns to a witch, despite the fact that he himself had banned witches from the land.
Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said. 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!” (v11,12)
The question arises, ‘is it possible to bring up the spirits of those who are dead?’ More often than not, when people see spirits of those who have died, it is an impersonation by the devil to satisfy the emotional longings of people and deceive them. Those who die are meant to remain dead in the physical realm even though their spirits enter into the spiritual realm. The Bible condemned witches and mediums in the strongest terms and counted them worthy of death during the Old Testament era. In this case however, not only does the witch try to bring up Samuel, the one who comes up indeed appears to be Samuel and not an impersonation. This was certainly an aberration that God allowed. Samuel himself appears irritated at this attempt and says to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” (v15)
While mediums navigate the spiritual realm and can summon evil spirits, it is worthwhile remembering that God and his spiritual forces dominate the spiritual realm. We see examples of how demons tremble when they saw Jesus and of the awe and fear that God and his angels invoke when their presence is felt. Here when Samuel makes an appearance, he dominates one and all. Saul is prostrate before him, the witch is filled with fear and no longer under any deception and he makes authoritative proclamations about the day to come and Saul’s end in battle.
Saul’s story is a tragic one. He could have been great for God and in fact started well only to fall away. The final proclamation of Samuel, ‘tomorrow you and your sons will be with me’ (v19) does evoke hope that perhaps at the last moment, with an unusual appearance by the dead Samuel, his spiritual father, Saul did have a change of heart and in death, did so turning back to God. The Bible does not specify, but without doubt, Samuel was in the godly realm, and Jonathan with his amazing faith would have gone into the presence of God at death. For Saul and the rest of his sons to be with Samuel in death, could it mean that they too perhaps, hopefully…….did make it to eternal life?
