1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28

Saul continues to show why he was rejected by God in 1 Samuel 28. When the Philistines gathered to go to war against Israel (and Saul), Saul believed that they were in great trouble. Unsure of their victory, Saul went to God for help and advice. This was a wise decision on Saul’s part. He knew that he could not win the battle under his own strength, and he went to the one who could give him the victory. He knew that God was ultimately in control, and He was the true King of Israel. However, as we have seen previously, Saul did not have enough patience. When God did not answer His prayers as quickly as he had wished, he went to see a medium at En-dor. His first mistake was that he was not patient with God and expected God to work on his time table. God had His reasons for not answering Saul’s request, but that did not give Saul the right to turn his back (again) on God. His next mistake was consulting the medium. Not only did he break a law set forth by God, but he also broke a law that he had set over Israel when he drove all of the mediums out of the land.


It is sad to see someone who had so much potential go down so quickly. When Saul was first chosen to be the king of Israel, it seemed as if he was the right man for the job. Even though God made it clear that the end would not turn out so great, Saul began his reign as a very great king. He led Israel to victory and did nothing that would cause any of the Israelites to think that he would reject God. But as time went on, Saul quickly fell away. All his past mistakes culminate in his actions before this great battle. For one of the last times Saul rejected God, and he would soon pay the consequences. His story should be a warning to all of us. Any of us could slip and find ourselves drifting from God. However, we can take comfort in the fact that God will receive us back if we come to Him in repentance. Saul’s story did not turn out so well, but it does not have to turn out the same way for us.

Saul’s mistakes continue when he meets with the medium at En-dor. First, he disguises himself so that the woman would not recognize him. She actually calls him out on his request because she knew that Saul had put forth the law that mediums could no longer practice in Israel. Then Saul swears by God’s name that she will not be punished for her actions. While it is true that he would not punish her (for he was breaking his own law), he was forgetting the fact that God also had a law that spoke against mediums. He pulled someone else into his evil deeds not considering what ramifications they would have on her life.

He then requests that Samuel be brought back so that he can get advice from Samuel. He confesses that God had left him and was not answering his prayers. But Samuel reminded him that God had turned away from Saul, taking the kingdom away from him. When Samuel was alive, he had told Saul that his family would not continue to reign over Israel because of Saul’s actions. This was the primary reason that Saul wanted David dead. Now, Saul seems shocked that God had indeed turned His back on him. Samuel also tells him that God will not help him in the battle, and the Philistines will indeed win. They will take over the land of Israel, and Saul, along with his sons, will die in the process. At that moment, reality finally sat in for Saul. He knew that this day was coming. Samuel had warned him previously. But after that last conversation with Samuel, it seemed like he finally realized the consequences for his mistakes. The end was near for Saul, and he was going to have to pay for all he had done.

Matt