What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 28:12? When the woman saw Samuel - Scripture records that “the woman saw Samuel,” not a trick or hallucination. God, who alone rules the unseen realm (Deuteronomy 18:10–12; Isaiah 8:19), sovereignly permitted the genuine prophet to appear. - The scene underscores that even the occult is under God’s authority. Much as Balaam could speak only what God allowed (Numbers 22:38), so this medium’s encounter unfolded only by divine permission. - Saul had sought a word apart from God’s approved means (1 Chronicles 10:13–14). Yet, in mercy mixed with judgment, the Lord let Samuel appear one last time to confront the king. She cried out in a loud voice - Her shriek signals shock, not stagecraft. She expected familiar spirits she could manipulate, but the true prophet shattered her control. Similar fear erupts when people face holy realities: the disciples thought they’d seen a ghost and “cried out” (Matthew 14:26); the Gerasene demoniac “shouted in a loud voice” when Jesus arrived (Mark 5:7). - The outcry highlights the gulf between counterfeit spirituality and the genuine power of God. What she practiced daily suddenly felt terrifyingly real. Why have you deceived me? - Moments earlier she had demanded Saul’s oath for protection (1 Samuel 28:9–10). Now, realizing who her client is, she accuses him of deception. - Ironically, Saul is the one long deceived—thinking he could bypass God’s silence by illicit means (Proverbs 14:12). His disguise (v. 8) typifies how sin tries to hide, yet God brings all to light (Hebrews 4:13). - The question exposes the futility of maneuvering around divine commands: deception breeds more fear and chaos (Genesis 3:8–10). You are Saul! - God unmasks Saul through the woman’s revelation. Like Nathan’s “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7), the statement confronts him with personal accountability. - Saul had once been recognized publicly as king by God’s prophet (1 Samuel 10:1). Now he is exposed by an outlawed medium—a tragic reversal showing how far he has fallen. - The moment anticipates the final judgment when every disguise fails and each person stands revealed (2 Corinthians 5:10). Summary 1 Samuel 28:12 records a literal event in which God permits Samuel to appear, jolting both the medium and Saul. The woman’s shock, her accusation of deception, and the abrupt unveiling of Saul all spotlight God’s absolute authority, the emptiness of occult pursuits, and the inevitability of truth exposing sin. |
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