SAUL, SAMUEL, AND THE WITCH

Do you know the story of how King Saul went to a witch so that he could speak to the prophet Samuel's spirit from the dead? Do you believe that it was actually Samuel's spirit that Saul spoke to? After all, the Bible does say "And Samuel said"? Wouldn't that make it conclusive? I don't think so.

I used to believe that is was actually Samuel's spirit that Saul spoke to, but not anymore. 

One day I was reading the story (I Samuel 29:4-25), it seemed like God opened my eyes. Here is what I believe that God showed me:

God wouldn't have anything to do with Saul, not in dreams or through the prophets. He had totally rejected him and the devil knew this.

Saul asked some of his men to see if they could find someone who could speak to the dead. He then disguised himself, and went to her.

When he got there, the woman told him that Saul had "cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?" She was afraid that this was a trap to kill her.

Saul, in his disguise, had to assure her that nothing would happen to her. She, then, asked who it was he wanted to speak to. He told her "Samuel".

Well, she did her thing, whatever it was and screamed and said, "why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul."

Now, some have said that the reason she screamed was because this was the first time she had seen a spirit. I don't agree. I believe that she screamed because she feared for her life when she found out that Saul was there.

Saul, again, had to reassure her that she would not die. He, then, asked her what she saw and she described "An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle." The Bible, then, says that Saul
"perceived that it was Samuel,".

Where did he get this perception? He couldn't have gotten it from God because he wouldn't speak to him. He got it simply from what this woman described as seeing.

Saul then proceeded to have a conversation with who he believed to be Samuel. I believe that this conversation was written from man's (particular Saul's) perception. He BELIEVED he was talking to Samuel, but that doesn't mean that he was.

Now, I don't know how this conversation took place. Whether, there was a voice in the air or what. But, if you read the conversation, you will see that this "spirit" said everything that Samuel had said when he was alive, with exception of one thing - that Saul and his sons would be killed in the battle with the Philistines.

It is possible that this "spirit", which I believe to be a demon impersonating Samuel, knew that Saul was going to be killed at the battle just like the devil knew about Ahab falling at
Ramothgilead.

I, also, thought of this: When Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom - a place of peace and comfort. God's Spirit is the only Spirit that can be everywhere at once. Our spirits can only be in one place at a time. I believe that Samuel's spirit was in Abraham's bosom just like Lazarus. I do not believe that God would have Samuel's spirit leave a place of comfort and peace to go and talk with Saul.

Someone may say that God can do anything he wants. True. But, somehow, that just doesn't make sense to me.

God Bless,

Douglas