to bring Samuel from the dead so that he could consult with him as to what he should do in his pres ent dire circumstances. The woman was no fool. She responded, "Be hold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those who are mediums, and the wizards out of the land. Why then layest thou a snare (trap) for my life, to cause me to die?" She was afraid for her life. In return, the wayward king promised that nothing would happen to her. How sad to see the depths of degradation to which this once powerful leader had slipped. When Saul told the witch of Endor he wanted her to bring back Samuel she screamed with a loud voice; she was transfixed with terror. Evidentally, what had hap pened was that Samuel miraculous ly appeared even before she called. As a fraud she was horrified. Such had never happened before. Sam uel talked directly to the king, not through the medium. Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer observes, "Apart from this one instance in the ex perience of King Saul, there is no evidence that any contact has ever been set up between the departed and those who remain in this life. A demon can easily impersonate a human spirit. And that, if any con tact is ever formed, must account for the phenomenon. The case of the witch of Endor is apparently an exceptional incident intended of God to bring King Saul in judg ment." Here we see God intervene (vrs. 12-14) by means of a supernatural miracle. When Samuel does ap pear, the witch knows the reality of it and asks the king, "Why hast thou deceived me?" The backslid den ruler tries to assure her, "Be not afraid; for what sawest thou?"
get that Cod has given us a power to break that power, for "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." Although Saul, the first king of Israel began well, his life ended in tragic suicide. We see how these events came about in I Samuel 28. His testimony is sadly given. "Be hold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly" (vs. 21). His final plunge into sin came as he requested his servants, "Seek me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her, and inquire of her" (vs. 7). Since he could not get the answer he sought from the Lord (vs. 6) he turned away in des peration. He was in a sad backslid den condition. Here was a woman who tried to make contacts be tween the living and the dead. She was dabbling in necromancy and apparently was the mistress of a divining demon. She lived at Endor which was just about eight miles from Gilboa where the king was encamped. Saul thought he would get away with his plan by disguis ing himself. His royal robes were set aside, and he took on ordinary clothes. Like so many Christians of our day, he thought he could fool others through his deceit. Some church members change their clothes of the world on Sunday thinking thereby everything will be all right. Let us remember that all things are naked and open unto the eyes with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13). To follow Saul's reasoning can be fatal. You are on ly fooling yourself. What you sow you will also reap (Galatians 6:7). When Saul appears before the witch he asks, "I pray thee, divine unto me as a medium, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee." What he wanted was
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