“When Saul saw the vast army of the Philistines, he was frantic with fear and asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by Urim, or by the prophets. Saul then instructed his aids to find a medium so that he could ask her what to do and they found one at Endor. Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. He went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men…” I Samuel 28:5-8 (TLB)
Saul had been walking outside the counsel of Jehovah for some time now. He has spent most of his time trying to kill David, who he knows is God’s anointed replacement for him. By doing this he places himself in direct opposition to the will of God. And when you do something as foolish as that, you should not be surprised when you begin to suffer for it.
King Saul also disobeyed the Father’s orders to annihilate the entire tribe of the Amalekites, once Israel had earned peace. The Amalekites had killed and robbed Hebrews at the back end of the procession across the desert to the Promised Land. Instead Saul had shown mercy when God wanted vengeance on those who opposed his chosen people as they migrated across the desert.
The Witch of Endor called up the recently departed Samuel, who announced that Saul and his sons would die in battle the next day, and the Philistines would rout the Hebrew Nation. Saul’s reign ended because he disobeyed God in several matters, so God stopped speaking to Him. Then, he tried to take a shortcut through black magic. Thus, the sower of inequity reaped a bitter harvest. We should all remember the story of Saul when we ignore God’s commands in our life, and try to take a shortcut to God’s Will for our lives.
Copyright 2007 Timothy E. Davis