How does 1 Samuel 28:3 connect with Deuteronomy 18:10-12 about occult practices? Setting the Passages Side by Side • 1 Samuel 28:3 — “Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had expelled from the land the mediums and spiritists.” • Deuteronomy 18:10-12 — “Let no one be found among you who… practices divination or sorcery, who interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD…” What Deuteronomy Commands • Absolute prohibition: no divination, sorcery, witchcraft, mediums, spiritists, or consulting the dead. • Moral reason: such practices are “detestable to the LORD.” • National consequence: because of these sins the Canaanite nations were expelled; Israel must remain separate (Leviticus 19:31; Isaiah 8:19). How 1 Samuel 28:3 Reflects That Command • Saul “expelled” (root: sur) mediums and spiritists—active obedience to the Deuteronomy mandate. • The verse records this purge immediately before Saul’s final battle, showing his awareness of God’s law. • The wording (“mediums and spiritists”) precisely echoes Deuteronomy 18, signaling intentional conformity. The Tragic Disconnect in Saul’s Story • Just three verses later Saul reverses himself and seeks a medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-8). • His action violates the very law he once upheld, illustrating James 1:22—hearing without doing brings self-deception. • 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 ties Saul’s death to this sin: “Saul died for… asking counsel of one with a familiar spirit… He did not inquire of the LORD.” Key Takeaways • Deuteronomy sets the unchanging divine standard; 1 Samuel 28:3 shows temporary obedience to it. • Superficial compliance cannot replace steadfast loyalty; compromise invites judgment (Galatians 6:7). • God’s people are called to sustain the same separation from occult influences today (2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Ephesians 5:11). |
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