1 Samuel 28: Spiritism and God

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In this chapter we have one of the most curious accounts in the whole Bible. It is, I believe, the only time that there is direct communication between the living and the dead. There is dialogue with spirits recorded in other places and there is the story of the rich man and Lazarus, wherein Jesus made us privy to a conversation between a man in hell and Abraham. But as for direct communication between the living and the dead—a true act of necromancy—this is the only story.

Different views exist about whether the medium consulted by Saul had regular communication with the dead or was a fraud who stumbled upon this divine act. Regardless, there was a real apparition of Samuel and true chilling words that came from his mouth.

Why would Saul, who in verse 3 is described as having put the mediums and spiritists out of the land, himself go to a medium for advice? The answer can be found in the awful judgment that God had sent upon Saul: the word of the LORD had departed from him and become his enemy! He simply had nowhere else to turn for advice. So in a perverted attempt to reverse God’s irrevocable judgment, he repairs to the house of a diviner to wrestle from the dead prophet a word from God. And O did he get it! Samuel reiterated to him that the judgment first pronounced in chapter 15, verse 26 was in full force and effect. What more terrible pronouncement from a prophet of God could be uttered against a living man?

There is a dark humor in the words of Samuel to Saul when he asks why Saul has disturbed him (v. 15). Samuel had suffered the oppression of Saul for years, and now, even in death, he was still not rid of this blasphemer! (Side note: God sometimes call us to extraordinary of service to Him, even interruption of the bliss of paradise for a post-mortem rebuke of an ungodly king.)
We recently heard at church about the dangers of dabbling in the occult. Resort to spiritism is harshly condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. A Christian should have no part of the occult. In contrast with the spiritual desperation of the world, we have the Holy Spirit of God who guides our thoughts into all wisdom (Jn. 16:13). Any act that seeks wisdom from a spirit other than the Holy Spirit is an act of rebellion. And come to think of it, Samuel himself warned Saul that rebellion was the equivalent of witchcraft (I Sam. 15:23).

There is much more that could be said about this chapter, but let it suffice that we be reminded that witchcraft, although abhorrent, is no sort of special sin into which we could fall, although perhaps more destructive to our physical bodies (viz. Mk. 5:1-5). Any rebellion against God is equivalent to witchcraft and injures our souls. And of this warning from Samuel we should take heed.

Posted by Aaron Martin