What does 1 Samuel 28:25 reveal about Saul's spiritual state? Scriptural Text “Then she set it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. And that night they arose and departed.” — 1 Samuel 28:25 Literary Setting The verse closes the episode of Saul’s clandestine visit to the medium at Endor (28:3-25). He has been cut off from prophetic revelation (28:6) because of long-standing disobedience (13:13-14; 15:22-23). The meal follows Samuel’s pronouncement that Saul and his sons will die the next day (28:19). Cultural Weight of the Meal a) Ancient Near-Eastern hospitality made a shared meal a covenant-like act, signaling identification with one’s host (cf. Genesis 18:8; 2 Samuel 9:7). b) Here the host is a proscribed necromancer (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:10-12). By accepting her food Saul seals his alignment with forbidden spiritual practice, the antithesis of fellowship with Yahweh. Physical Weakness Mirrors Spiritual Collapse Verses 20-23 stress Saul’s “great fear” and total loss of strength. The food temporarily revives his body but cannot heal his severed relationship with God. The scene dramatizes Proverbs 28:9—when one turns away from hearing the law, even prayer is abhorrent. Silence of God, Voice of the Dead Saul has exhausted legitimate channels—dreams, Urim, prophets (28:6). Choosing a medium manifests apostasy: “Man shall not... seek the dead on behalf of the living” (Isaiah 8:19). The verse therefore displays the tragic outcome of self-chosen autonomy: a king feeding on occult hospitality the night before divine judgment. Irony with Saul’s Earlier Sacred Meal In 1 Samuel 9:22-24 Saul once feasted on a choice portion set apart by Samuel, inaugurating his kingship under God’s favor. In 28:25 he eats common fare provided by an outlawed spiritist, signaling the forfeiture of that favor. The narrative uses parallel meals to bracket Saul’s rise and fall. Foreshadowing of Impending Death The phrase “that night they arose and departed” evokes the Passover motif (Exodus 12:29-31) but inverted: instead of deliverance, destruction awaits. The darkness underscores Saul’s spiritual night; contrast Jesus’ post-resurrection meals at dawn that announce life (John 21:4-14). Archaeological Corroboration Excavations at Tel En-Dor (near modern Endur) reveal Late Iron Age domestic pits consistent with necromantic practice described by ancient texts (e.g., Ugaritic KTU 1.6). This locates the narrative in verifiable geography and cultic milieu, strengthening its historical credibility. Theological Verdict on Saul’s Spiritual State • Estranged: God no longer answers him (28:6). • Defiant: he knowingly violates Torah’s ban on mediums. • Fatalistic: he accepts the verdict of death without repentance. • Displaced allegiance: he communes with darkness instead of light (1 John 1:6). Practical Warning 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 interprets the event: “Saul died for his unfaithfulness... he consulted a medium... and did not seek the LORD.” 1 Samuel 28:25 therefore stands as a sobering marker: external rituals or last-minute efforts cannot substitute for a lifetime of surrendered obedience to Yahweh. Conclusion The verse portrays a king who, having rejected God, ends his final night nourished by illicit counsel, sustained only long enough to face judgment. It encapsulates spiritual abandonment, moral inversion, and the tragic inevitability that when one feasts at the table of the occult, one forfeits the banquet of the Lord. |
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