1 Samuel 28 NIV
Saul and the Witch of Endor
1 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army."
2 David said, "Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do."
Achish replied, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.
4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."
"There is one in Endor," they said.
8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."
9 But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?"
10 Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this."
11 Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
"Bring up Samuel," he said.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
13 The king said to her, "Dont be afraid. What do you see?"
The woman said, "I see a spirit [a] coming up out of the ground."
14 "What does he look like?" he asked.
"An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
15 Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"
"I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."
16 Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors to David. 18 Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. 19 The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuels words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and night.
21 When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. 22 Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way."
23 He refused and said, "I will not eat."
But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.
24 The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. 25 Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.
Sermon
Hocus Pocus
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, Dorothy ...Hocus Pocus
Nowadays the word is applied to anything, speech or action, thats designed to stop you seeing what the politician or salesman is really up to or whats actually happening.
It is known that the word appeared in the seventeenth century as a mock-Latin formula or incantation used by conjurors.
Thomas Ady wrote in his book of 1655, Treatise Concerning the Nature of Witches and Witchcraft:
I will speak of one man ... that went about in King James time ... who called himself, The Kings Majesties most excellent Hocus Pocus, and so was called, because that at the playing of every Trick, he used to say, Hocus pocus, tontus talontus, vade celeriter jubeo, a dark composure of words, to blinde the eyes of the beholders, to make his Trick pass the more currantly without discovery.
Many people today believe that the phrase originated in a corrupted form of the words of the consecration of the host in the old Latin mass: hoc est (enim) corpus (meum), this is my body, an idea that was first aired by John Tillotson, who was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1691 and 1694.
Whatever the source, hocus-pocus was at first a general name for jugglers and conjurers and then later in the seventeenth century it became a term for a trick or deception.
Its also the source of another common English word, since at the end of the following century it was contracted to make hoax.
Well we are almost to Halloween or All Hallows Eve or All Saints Day depending on what you are celebrating. In todays scripture passage we see that ghosts, witches, spells, mediums and the black arts were a real issue in King Sauls reign. They were an issue in old testament times and they remain an issue in our time as well.
The king took the necessary measures to rid the kingdom of such vile practitioners. Yet he was so afraid of the enemy before him that he would break his own law and Gods law concerning divination.
This all came about because of King Sauls failure to obey Gods directions concerning wiping out the Amalekites a few chapters back. God had ordered a scorched earth policy but King Saul took bounty and prisoners when he should not have.
So this brings us to his present calamity. He was about to go to war against the Philistines, they were Goliaths relatives. King Saul was shaking in his boots. He tried to get the Living God to give him some advice or direction but God was not answering.
King Saul used all kinds of means in order to get Gods attention. He used dreams, Urim which was a kind of crystal transmitter built into the Sacred breastplate that was worn by the Priest he also tried the prophets. But nothing worked God was still not answering him.
1 Samuel 15:23 NIV
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
This reminds me of many of the American presidents who have used mediums and spiritualists to gain an insight into their future and their countries. Clearly this is sin.
Leviticus 19
31 " Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritist, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
The Believers Bible Commentary states "The battle was about to take place at the plain of Esdraelon. (which is the valley of Armageddon) When Saul failed to get a response from the Lord he sought out a spirit medium. Earlier he had ordered all the mediums in Israel killed or exiled, according to the law."
Leviticus 20
27 " A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads."
Saul disguised himself and went to seek counsel from the dead through the Witch of En Dor. This is the last of many acts of lawlessness committed by King Saul.
The stage is now set, we have a terrified king who no longer has the ear of the living God disguising himself in order to break his own law and Gods law as he seeks out information from the dead through divination. The Witch who knows she is suppose to be out of business even trying to get the King to reconsider his request. She knows that if she conjures up a spirit that she is breaking the law and she was afraid of being caught in a trap. She was concerned for her own skin not the disguised king.
The next part of the story we have King Saul convince her to go ahead and to try to conjure up the late Prophet Samuel who had given King Saul so much advice in the past.
The next thing that happens scares the Witch and King Saul. The Witch cries out at the top of her voice even she is surprised by what she sees.
1 Samuel NIV
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
It seems that the spirit that was present in the room was not the one the Witch expected. You see Witches who practice the black arts work with what is called familiar spirits. These familiar spirits pretend to be whom ever the witch desires and are not the actual spirits of the dead. Only God can raise the dead and cross that divide between life and death.
In this case bible scholars are divided. Some think the Witch was surprised by the actual spirit of Samuel being manifested in the room and others think that an evil spirit impersonated Samuel. Still others believe that God interrupted the seance unexpectedly by allowing the real Samuel to appear. (Believers Bible Commentary)
I go with the latter opinion as it is consistent with Gods power.
Now the real show begins, the Witch realizes she is found out and that a REAL spirit is in the room, one that she did not expect. The King is thrilled that his little act of divination and disguise has brought about the desired results.
But the news from the ghost of Samuel is not good news. Samuel confirms Sauls deepest fears. The kingdom will be taken from him, the Philistines would defeat Israel, and Saul and his sons would join Samuel in death.
Any bonus the Witch might have thought was coming her way disappeared before her eyes. Poof!
So what do we take from this passage of scripture.
Obey God concerning Witches, mediums, divination and the like.
Do not expect an answer from God if you are asking for sinful reasons.
Know that God is a SPIRIT and He is the Almighty Holy Spirit to which all spirits must submit.
John 4:23-24
23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Within each one of us dwells and eternal spirit placed there by God. How we care for that eternal spirit depends on where we spend eternity.
Today there are still people playing with spirits, channeling, crystals, spells, spirit guides, neo-paganism, Wicca and the black arts as well as Satanism.
A few months ago a young man at work asked me for help as he had a dilemma. It seems his life long friend and buddy could not act as his best man for his wedding. His life long friend had a spiritual conflict. He did not serve the living God and felt he might upset his buddy if he showed up at the wedding pretending to be a Christian.
He had in fact become a new-ager and was using spirit guides and crystals to make his own religion. He at least had a conscience. Maybe he was afraid to step into a church I do not know. But here were life long friends who had gone two very different paths and my friend had no idea how it happened.
Ive read several books on the subject the last few weeks and Ive learned that this is a growing concern for young people. They are not satisfied with church as it has been presented to them. They are not inspired by Christians who are among them and they want an experience. So they like King Saul are seeking out mediums and divination.
Few are into full blown Satanic worship they prefer instead white magic or Wicca or create their own belief system. Some have dabbled on the dark side only to be frightened to their core at what they discovered.
Now it is up to us to repeat the words of Samuel and to witness to this generation as Christians who believe what the bible says and Christians who actually live what the bible says. If we do this they will see that Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
All you need do to be aware of this phenomenon is to watch a little television. There are numerous shows depicting empowered teens fighting vampires, demons and they also learn to cast spells. We also have illusionists walking on water and passing through glass windows without breaking the glass. A generation is being encouraged to play with a spiritual power that God forbids. We need to warn them of the consequences.
This power being displayed is not the power of the love of Christ but a power which many seek who feel they are powerless in a so called Christian society that they see as failed. This is all the more reason for us to live out our faith actively.
Now I dont mean to put a damper on your Halloween festivities as far as Im concerned is just a silly romp of costumes and candy. It is meant to be a fun thing not a spiritual thing. But the more serious side of spiritual warfare is very real and you should be aware and inform yourself as to the extent of the conflict.
Ephesians 6
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Romans 8
37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let us pray.
