Week 6 1 Samuel 28
Chapter 28 tells the story of Saul’s last night on earth. Of course Saul didn’t know he was that close to his point-of-no-return. But he knew that tomorrow he’d be facing-off against the Philistines in battle. And he was desperate to have some kind of premonitory tip-off about how things would pan-out. So on that last night he consulted a witch.
Under normal circumstances he likely wouldn’t have tried that but Saul had burned all his legitimate information-providing bridges. When he had tried consulting him the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. All that Saul had left were the dark-arts.
I checked a couple of cross-references in the margin of my bible:
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists
I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists (the Lord speaking)
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
In spite of warnings like this Saul asked the medium at Endor to call up Samuel from the place of the dead. Which – eerily & frighteningly & amazingly– she was able to do. So her seance was a real success. But it spelled doom for Saul.
Note: quotes from 1 Samuel 28:6 Leviticus 19:31 & 20:6 Deuteronomy 18:10-11 (NIV)