How does 1 Samuel 28:13 illustrate the dangers of seeking guidance outside God? Setting the Scene Saul has shut himself off from God by persistent disobedience (1 Samuel 15:23). Prophets are silent, dreams are gone, the Urim gives no answer (1 Samuel 28:6). Cornered by Philistine armies, he crosses a clear biblical line and consults the medium of Endor. Verse in Focus “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the king said to her. ‘What do you see?’ The woman replied, ‘I see a god coming up out of the earth.’” A Snapshot of the Occult Encounter • Saul, once anointed, now needs the reassurance of a witch to calm her fear. • The medium’s vision rises “out of the earth,” not down from heaven—hinting at a source opposed to God. • Saul himself sees nothing; he must trust the words of someone already condemned by the Law (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Five Dangers Highlighted 1. Spiritual Blindness • Saul’s deliberate sin cuts him off from divine light (Isaiah 59:2). • Depending on the medium’s eyes, he literally cannot see what he has asked for—an arresting picture of lost discernment. 2. Fear Replacing Faith • The first words spoken are “Don’t be afraid.” Fear dominates every participant except the spirits. • Hebrews 11:6 reminds us “without faith it is impossible to please God,” yet Saul trades faith for terror. 3. Deceptive Appearances • “I see a god…” The Hebrew word elohim can mean “spirit” or “specter,” but the medium’s term blurs reality. • 2 Corinthians 11:14 warns that even Satan “masquerades as an angel of light.” What looks impressive is often lethal. 4. Misplaced Authority • Saul, Israel’s king, bows to the account of a law-breaking medium rather than the living God. • Isaiah 8:19: “Should not a people consult their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” • Choosing forbidden counsel always dethrones God in the heart. 5. Inevitable Judgment • The chapter ends with Saul’s death (1 Samuel 31). The occult episode accelerates a tragic spiral already set by disobedience. • Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Scripture that Confirms the Risks • Deuteronomy 18:10-12 — God calls occult practice “detestable.” • 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 — Saul died “because he was unfaithful… and inquired of a spiritist.” • Acts 16:16-18 — Paul drives out a spirit of divination, showing God’s power is superior and exclusive. • 1 John 4:1 — “Test the spirits” rather than embracing every supernatural claim. A Better Way to Seek Guidance • Ask for wisdom directly: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God” (James 1:5). • Listen to Scripture; it is “a lamp to my feet” (Psalm 119:105). • Seek counsel from mature believers (Proverbs 11:14). • Submit to the Holy Spirit, who “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). 1 Samuel 28:13 stands as a vivid caution: when God’s voice is rejected, counterfeit voices rush in. The safest, surest, and only righteous path is to keep our ears tuned to the Lord alone. |
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