1 Samuel 28:7 says, Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. Saul couldn't get an answer from God, so he told his servants to find a witch, though he had banished all of them. I believe the only prayer that God hears from those who are not his people spiritually is the prayer of repentance asking for forgiveness. People will always be looking for answers elsewhere when they don't acknowledge God. Saul was told that there was a witch at Endor. Verse eight adds, And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. Saul went to her in disguise at night. He didn't want people to know what he was doing evidently and he may have also thought she would be afraid of him if she knew who he was. People still often want to go disguised in the darkness of night seeking answers to life's problems instead of going into the light of Christ where they can be found. Verse nine continues, And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? The woman asked Saul if he knew of Saul's edict to cut off all those who had a familiar spirit from the land and asked if he were trying to trap her so that she too would die. Either she didn't recognize Saul and thought that he was someone who was sent to get her to reveal that she was a witch, or she did recognize him and wanted to find out his motive for coming to her. Matthew Henry points out that she was more afraid of Saul's edict than she was of God's law. Many people today are still the same way, more afraid of man's laws than God's laws. Verse ten states, And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Saul made an oath to God that nothing would happen to her because of her doing what she asked him to do. Of course, since Saul no longer really put his faith in God, invoking His name in the oath really meant very little. If people don't believe in God today, they make take oaths or make vows invoking His name, but they really have no meaning. A person cannot swear by the name of God if they don't believe in Him and are not spiritually a part of His family and it have any real meaning. Verse eleven adds, Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. The woman then asked Saul who he wanted her to bring up, and he said Samuel. Instead of repenting and going to the God of the living, Saul had was seeking God's will among the dead. The woman really couldn't call up Samuel after he died, and no one can call up the dead today though many claim to have that ability. We do all have the ability to call on the Living God by faith though. Verse twelve says, And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. The woman at least thought she had called up Samuel, but as Matthew Henry points out, Satan is the great deceiver and can make things appear to be true that aren't. Still, the vision she saw revealed to her who Saul was. This would at least lead Saul to believe that she was in contact with the spirits of the dead. She was still more afraid of Saul than she was of God. Too many people still fear earthly authorities more than they fear God. Verse thirteen says, And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. When Saul told her not to be afraid, she then said that she saw gods ascending out of the earth. Of course, we know that there is but one God, and He is in Heaven and not buried in the earth. Verse fourteen adds, And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. Saul asked her what the person she had called up looked like, and she said he was an old man covered with a mantle. Of course, living in Israel and having been told by Saul to bring up Samuel, it would have been easy for her to describe what he looked like whether she saw anything or not. Saul believed this to be Samuel, and he stooped himself to the ground before the woman. Of course, we as Christians are never to worship anyone, living or dead, except for God Himself. We never have to go to anyone else to speak to God for us. As a matter of fact, if we do, then we really don't understand Who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us. If we put our faith in Him, we have direct access to God, because the Holy Spirit indwells us. Saul would have had that same access had he repented and turned to God by faith.
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