26. Saul And The Witch Of Endor Series

Saul and the Witch of Endor

October 1, 2025

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

1 Samuel 28:3-25

Introduction: Seeking Light in the Darkest Places

This past week, in several churches across America, an experiment took place that should shake us to the core. Congregations gathered, not to hear the Word of God preached by a living shepherd, but to watch an AI-generated version of Charlie Kirk—preaching from the grave.

Think about that: a man who tragically died, digitally reanimated by artificial intelligence, standing in the pulpit as though death could be bypassed with technology. The crowd was wowed, the screens lit up, and many called it “innovative.” But in reality, it was nothing more than a twenty-first-century séance, dressed up with code and algorithms.

And that brings us right into our text tonight—1 Samuel 28. Saul, facing silence from God, seeks affirmation beyond God’s promises. He runs, not to the living God, but to the witch of Endor, trying to drag Samuel up from the grave for counsel. And like those churches last week, Saul discovered that when you look for guidance from the dead, you will only find despair.

History has a way of repeating itself, though the costumes change. What was once a witch at Endor is now an algorithm on a screen. In 1 Samuel 28, we see the tragic unraveling of Saul, Israel’s first king. He was once chosen, anointed, and equipped—but now he is abandoned, desperate, and willing to seek forbidden counsel.

This passage is more than a historical curiosity. It is a mirror of our present moment. Just last week, churches streamed an AI-generated “sermon from the grave” of Charlie Kirk—a man recently killed, but resurrected digitally to “preach” from beyond. People applauded, marveled, even justified it as a ministry tool. But in reality, this is the same old sin: consulting the dead instead of the living God.

The story of Saul and the witch of Endor warns us about the dangers of desperation, deception, and divination. It teaches us the sobering truth: when we refuse to listen to God’s Word, we will inevitably seek guidance from dead places.

1. God’s Silence and Saul’s Desperation (vv. 3–6)

Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. (1 Samuel 28:3–6)

The text begins by reminding us of a significant loss: “Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city” (v. 3). Samuel had been Saul’s prophet, guide, and anchor. With him gone, Israel faced not only the Philistines but also a crisis of leadership.

The verse also notes Saul’s earlier obedience: he had “put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.” This was in line with the Law of God (Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:10–12). Ironically, Saul once upheld God’s command against occult practices. But as the Philistine armies assembled and pressed in, Saul grew desperate.

“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:31)

Verses 5–6 record Saul’s fear: “When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.” God’s silence is deafening. This was not a casual silence but a judicial silence—God had already rejected Saul as king (1 Sam. 15:26–28).

Our age hates silence. If God doesn’t respond instantly, people run to substitutes. Today it isn’t a witch’s hut in Endor—it’s TikTok astrologers, tarot apps, AI chatbots, and yes, AI necromancy in churches.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)

When God seems silent, the right response is repentance, not rebellion. Silence tests whether we will wait on Him or invent our own answers. Saul’s mistake was assuming that if heaven was closed, hell might help.

Ask yourself:

When heaven feels silent, where do I turn first?

Do I run to God’s Word and Spirit, or do I grasp at the world’s substitutes?

2. Seeking Counsel in Forbidden Places (vv. 7–10)

Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?”10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” (1 Samuel 28:7–10)