What can we learn from Saul's fear and desperation in this passage? The Setting: A King at His Lowest Israel’s first monarch stands on the eve of battle with the Philistines. Cut off from divine guidance because of long-term disobedience, Saul crosses God’s clear line (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) and consults a medium. The scene reaches its tragic climax in 1 Samuel 28:21: “When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified, she said to him, ‘Look, your maidservant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hands and done what you told me.’” What Saul’s Fear Reveals • Fear is the natural fruit of disconnected fellowship with God (1 Samuel 16:14). • Terror replaces courage when past sin remains unconfessed (1 Samuel 15:24-26). • Even a king becomes powerless when he bypasses God’s appointed means of guidance (1 Samuel 28:6). • The world’s solutions offer no real comfort; the medium herself ends up trying to steady Saul. Roots of His Desperation 1. Disobedience piled on disobedience – Rejection of God’s command to destroy Amalek (1 Samuel 15:9-23). – Jealous attempts to kill David (1 Samuel 18:10-11; 19:10). 2. Silence from heaven – “The LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or Urim or prophets” (1 Samuel 28:6). 3. Forbidden counsel – Turning to what God calls detestable (Isaiah 8:19). 4. Isolation – Jonathan, Samuel, and David are gone; the king now stands spiritually alone. Consequences Worth Noting • Physical collapse (28:20) mirrors spiritual collapse. • Loss of moral authority—an outlawed medium now lectures the king (28:9 vs. 28:21). • National vulnerability; the shepherdless army is left trembling (1 Samuel 28:5). • No lasting relief; the séance ends with Saul’s doom sealed (1 Samuel 28:19). Lessons for Our Walk • Small compromises eventually produce large crises (Galatians 6:7-8). • When God’s Word is neglected, counterfeit voices rush in (2 Timothy 4:3-4). • The safest refuge is obedience; the surest path to fear is rebellion (Proverbs 28:1). • Confession remains open even after failure (1 John 1:9); Saul’s tragedy warns us to repent early, not late. Grace in Contrast • David, pursued by Saul, strengthened himself “in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). • Christ offers what Saul forfeited—access to the Father, freedom from fear (Hebrews 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:7). • “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1). God’s presence still displaces terror for every heart that seeks Him. |
    |