1 Samuel 28:15 says, And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Though we are told Samuel answered Saul and asked him what he wanted, we know that it really wasn't Samuel. Even if the spirits of the dead could be called back, which they cannot, the spirits of the righteous wouldn't be called back by witches. Saul then told him about the Philistines coming and his being unable to find a prophet or to hear from God what to do. Had Saul truly repented and trusted God, he wouldn't have had this problem. Verse sixteen adds, Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? Even though this wasn't Samuel, Saul was asked a good question. If Saul was outside of God's will, then why did he think Samuel who was dead was going to be able to answer him. If we have turned our back on God and He is not answering us, no one living or dead is going to be able to tell us what God would have us do, other than to repent and ask His forgiveness. Verse seventeen continues, And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Again, as Matthew Henry says, this apparition told Saul what Samuel had already told him God had said. The kingdom was going to be taken from him, but God had not said it was going to be given to the Philistines, but to David. This apparition never mentioned repentance nor God's mercy to those who do repent, but only added to Saul’s fear. The people of the world are never going to point us to God and His forgiveness, but will always portray Him in a negative way. Verse eighteen states, Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. This spirit seemed to know a lot about Saul, just as Satan knows a lot about Christians and their weaknesses today. When we are attacked by Satan it will be at our weakest point and designed to lead us away from doing God's will or even seeking His forgiveness. Verse nineteen adds, Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Saul was told tomorrow, which Matthew Henry says meant soon and not necessarily the very next day, that the Philistines would be victorious and Saul and his sons would be killed. This just made Saul even more afraid. I don't believe that God will ever tell us things that make us more afraid if we are truly followers of Christ, and even the gospel is not deigned to make us afraid but to lead us to salvation, hope and a fearlessness in the face of adversity. Verse twenty says, Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. When Saul heard this ,he fell to the ground, partly in fear and partly because he had eaten nothing all day. Fear can keep us from eating or sleeping if we allow it to, making us even more susceptible to the lies of Satan. Verse twenty-one adds, And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. The woman came to Saul and said she had put her life in his hands by doing what he asked, and she may have really thought she had. There are still people in the world today who think they have some sort of psychic ability, and there are also people who believe them. Verse twenty-two continues, Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way. She then begged Saul to let her feed him before he left. Whatever she was, she did have compassion for Saul and wanted to feed him so that his strength would return. Even those who are living contrary to God's word can have compassion on others. Verse twenty-three states, But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed. Saul at first refused to eat, but his servants and the woman compelled him to eat. Saul was the king of Israel, but he was so weak physically that he had to be compelled to eat, but he was even weaker spiritually and there was no Bread of Life in his eating the food. Having our physical needs met is never going to feed and strengthen us spiritually. Verse fourteen adds, And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: The woman to her credit prepared a good meal for Saul. It is possible she was doing this out of fear that Saul might decide to banish or kill her, but whatever her motive, she was concerned about Saul. Verse twenty-five continues, And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night. She fed Saul and his servants, and they went away that night. Saul may have been physically strengthened, but he was spiritually weaker than ever. We may be physically strengthened today while at the same time being spiritually starving.
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