How does 1 Samuel 28:7 demonstrate Saul's spiritual decline and desperation? The Setting That Makes Verse 7 So Striking Israel’s army is massing against the Philistines (1 Samuel 28:1–5). Samuel is dead, the prophet’s voice is silent, and “Saul inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him” (v. 6). This emotional, political, and spiritual vacuum sets up the shock of v. 7. What 1 Samuel 28:7 Says “Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.’ ‘There is a medium at Endor,’ his servants replied.” Layers of Spiritual Decline Revealed in One Sentence • Turning from God’s voice to forbidden voices – Contradicts Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 19:31; 20:6; Deuteronomy 18:10-12. – Undermines his own earlier purge of occultists (1 Samuel 28:3). • Abandoning the covenant after repeated warnings – After disobedience (1 Samuel 13; 15), the Spirit departed (1 Samuel 16:14). – Still, God allowed legitimate means—prophets, Urim, dreams (v. 6)—but Saul willfully bypasses them. • Preferring human solutions over repentance – No fasting, confession, or renewed trust; instead, immediate recourse to a psychic. • Dragging others into sin – Commands his servants to locate the medium, spreading compromise through his court. Marks of Desperation Embedded in the Verse 1. “Find me…”—an urgent imperative; fear now dictates policy. 2. “A woman who is a medium”—Saul narrows the search to what God forbids, showing he already resolved to disobey. 3. “So I may inquire of her”—places occult counsel above divine revelation, a complete role-reversal from earlier battles when he sought God’s word first (1 Samuel 14:36-37). 4. “There is a medium at Endor”—his servants answer without protest, revealing how Saul’s desperation has normalized sin in his leadership circle. Ignored Warnings That Amplify His Guilt • Leviticus 20:6 – “I will set My face against that person and cut him off…” • Deuteronomy 18:12 – “Everyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD.” • 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 – Later commentary: “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness… and for consulting a medium.” • Galatians 5:19-21 – New-covenant reminder that “sorcery” marks the works of the flesh. Snapshot: From Anointed King to Endor’s Night Visitor • Anointed with the Spirit (1 Samuel 10:1-10) • Disobeyed clear commands (chapters 13 & 15) • Lost God’s guiding presence (16:14) • Fell into chronic fear (18:10-12; 28:5) • Sought a medium (28:7) The downward spiral is complete: rejecting God’s word, he now seeks word from the dead. Takeaways for Our Walk • Unchecked compromise snowballs; today’s small disobedience can become tomorrow’s outright rebellion. • When God seems silent, the solution is repentance and renewed trust, not alternative spiritual voices. • Leadership influences others; Saul’s servants quickly complied—our choices ripple outward. • Confidence in Scripture guards against the lure of any “Endor” that promises quick answers outside God’s will. 1 Samuel 28:7 is more than historical detail; it is a flashing warning light showing how fear plus unrepentant sin pushes a soul from divine counsel to demonic counterfeit—proof of Saul’s steep spiritual decline and sheer desperation. |
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