What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 28:15? Then Samuel said to Saul • The narrative treats Samuel’s appearance as genuine, not an illusion (cf. 1 Samuel 28:12, 15; Matthew 17:3). • Even in death, God’s prophet still speaks with authority; Saul cannot silence the word he once rejected (1 Samuel 15:26). • God alone controls the realm of the dead (Deuteronomy 32:39); the medium is merely a forbidden conduit that He overrides to confront Saul (Leviticus 19:31). Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up? • Samuel’s first words underline the unnatural, wrongful nature of Saul’s act (Isaiah 8:19). • The verb “disturbed” exposes necromancy as an intrusion, not a harmless curiosity (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). • Samuel is not flattered by being summoned; he is grieved, mirroring God’s own displeasure (Ephesians 4:30). I am deeply distressed • Saul confesses his turmoil, yet his sorrow is self-focused rather than repentant (2 Corinthians 7:10; Proverbs 28:13). • Genuine distress should drive a person toward God in humble submission; Saul turns to forbidden means instead (Psalm 34:18). The Philistines are fighting against me • The immediate threat is military, but the deeper issue is spiritual (1 Samuel 13:5; 17:4). • Saul’s earlier victories (1 Samuel 14:47–48) came when he still sought the Lord’s favor; now the same enemy exposes his moral bankruptcy (Judges 16:20). God has turned away from me • Scripture records the moment the Spirit departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). • Divine rejection is the inevitable consequence of persistent disobedience (1 Samuel 15:23; Hosea 4:17). He no longer answers me • Silence from heaven is a severe judgment (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 1:28). • Saul had silenced God’s voice in his life long before God stopped speaking (1 Samuel 13:13; 15:24). Either by prophets or by dreams • Prophets (Numbers 12:6; Amos 3:7) and dreams (Genesis 20:3; Matthew 1:20) were ordinary channels of revelation. • Saul himself once prophesied (1 Samuel 10:10–11); his loss of that privilege underscores how far he has fallen (Psalm 51:11). So I have called on you to tell me what to do • Instead of repentance, Saul seeks a quick fix—guidance without submission (1 Samuel 28:6 contrasts). • He treats Samuel like a spiritual consultant, not a holy messenger; this mirrors our own temptation to seek answers without surrender (Isaiah 30:1–2). • Saul’s request is tragically ironic: the man who refused to obey Samuel in life now begs his counsel in death (1 Samuel 15:19). summary Saul’s words in 1 Samuel 28:15 expose a heart that longs for relief but not for righteousness. Cut off from divine guidance because of repeated rebellion, he violates God’s law to reach the very prophet he once ignored. Samuel’s question, “Why have you disturbed me?” highlights the gravity of dabbling in forbidden practices, while Saul’s litany of fears reveals the cost of living outside God’s fellowship. True guidance is never found through disobedience; it flows from humble repentance and a restored relationship with the living God. |
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