How does this verse connect to God's warnings in Deuteronomy 18:10-12? The setting of 1 Samuel 15:23 “ ‘For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.’ ” • Samuel confronts Saul after the king spares Agag and the best livestock. • The prophet equates Saul’s disobedience with occult practices the Lord detests, setting up a direct link to Deuteronomy 18:10-12. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 revisited “ ‘Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.’ ” Key words that bridge the passages • Divination – Deuteronomy calls it “detestable”; Samuel says rebellion is “like” it. • Detestable/Wicked – Both passages label the behavior abhorrent to God. • Rejection – The Canaanites are expelled for occult sin; Saul is rejected for disobedience, which God views in the same category. Why rebellion equals divination • Both replace God’s voice with a rival source. • Occult practices seek hidden knowledge or power outside God’s revelation; rebellion trusts self over God’s clear command. • At heart, each is a refusal to submit to the Lord’s authority (cf. Isaiah 30:1; James 4:6-7). Shared consequences • Loss of inheritance—Canaan’s nations lose their land (Deuteronomy 18:12); Saul loses the throne (1 Samuel 15:23). • Broken fellowship—both texts underline separation from God’s blessing (cf. 2 Chronicles 33:1-10; Galatians 5:19-21). New Testament echoes • Acts 16:16-18—Paul casts out a spirit of divination, reaffirming that such powers stand opposed to the gospel. • Revelation 21:8—“the sorcerers” share the lake of fire with the unrepentant, showing continuity in God’s judgment. Takeaways for today • God views any resistance to His word as seriously as overt occultism. • Partial obedience is disobedience; Saul obeyed “most” of the command yet was condemned. • Guard the heart: pride and self-will open the same door that occult practices do—excluding God’s rightful rule. |
    |