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)
Desperation drives Saul into hypocrisy. He commands his servants: “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her” (v. 7). They direct him to Endor.
Notice the disguise: Saul takes off his royal robes and goes under cover of night. The king who had outlawed mediums now secretly seeks one. Fear always breeds hypocrisy. His words to the woman are dripping with irony: “Divine for me by a spirit” (v. 8). He is asking for guidance from hell because he cannot get it from heaven.
The woman is suspicious, fearing a trap, but Saul reassures her with an oath: “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing” (v. 10). The irony is painful—Saul swears by the name of the very LORD whose commands he is breaking.
This is cultural déjà vu. How often do we see leaders, even church leaders, disguising compromise? They mask it with clever justifications: “It’s just entertainment,” “It’s just technology,” “It’s just a tool.” But at its core, it’s the same rebellion. Churches have hosted “Christian yoga,” contemplative prayer labyrinths, or enneagram workshops—borrowing straight from pagan mysticism but masking it as “discipline” or “self-discovery.” That’s Saul in disguise: cloaking rebellion in religious robes.Whether through horoscopes, Ouija boards, yoga spirituality, or AI necromancy, the hunger for secret knowledge leads people into forbidden places. Even in the church, some rationalize the occult if it draws a crowd. But compromise always wears a mask first.
Where am I tempted to disguise my disobedience? Am I pretending holiness in public while secretly seeking the world’s solutions in private? Compromise is never sudden—it creeps in under cover of disguise.
3. Samuel’s Appearance and the Message of Judgment (vv. 11–19)
Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. 15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” (1 Samuel 28:11–19)
This is the climactic scene. The woman, expecting to conjure up a spirit, screams when Samuel actually appears (v. 12). This shows us that she had no power—God sovereignly allowed Samuel to rise and speak.
Saul bows low and asks for guidance. But Samuel gives no new message. Instead, he confirms what Saul already knows: “The LORD has turned from you and become your enemy” (v. 16). Samuel reminds him of God’s word in chapter 15: the kingdom has been torn from him and given to David.
The message is devastating: tomorrow Saul and his sons will die, and Israel will fall to the Philistines. There is no comfort, only judgment. Saul wanted guidance, but what he got was a death sentence.
This scene is one of the most debated in the Old Testament: Did Samuel actually appear, or was this a demonic impersonation?
View 1: It Really Was Samuel
Textual Evidence: The passage consistently calls him Samuel (vv. 12, 14, 15, 16). The narrator doesn’t insert any hint of deception.
The Woman’s Shock: The medium cries out loudly (v. 12), suggesting she wasn’t expecting the real Samuel. This implies something outside her control occurred.
Divine Intervention: The text implies God allowed Samuel to appear as an act of judgment. Saul wanted forbidden counsel; God gave him truth, but truth that condemned him.
Content of the Message: The words line up with Samuel’s prior prophecies (1 Sam. 15:26–28). No new revelation, only confirmation of judgment. Demons typically distort or contradict God’s Word; here, the message is consistent with God’s prior word.
View 2: It Was a Demonic Impersonation
The Source: Consulting mediums was forbidden by God (Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:10–12). Some argue God would not respond through a forbidden channel.
Necromancy’s Nature: Satan and his demons are deceivers (John 8:44). Many believe this was a demonic spirit allowed to impersonate Samuel in order to deepen Saul’s despair.
Outcome: The message drove Saul to collapse in terror and eat at the witch’s table (vv. 20–25). Critics argue this fruit reflects Satan’s work, not God’s.
Hebrew Nuances: Some scholars suggest “Samuel said” could simply reflect what Saul believed he was hearing, not an objective confirmation.
Both views take the text seriously. However, the stronger case seems to be that this was truly Samuel, permitted by God for judgment. The shock of the medium, the narrator’s straightforward language, and the consistency of Samuel’s message with God’s previous Word all point in that direction.
But here’s the real takeaway: whether it was the real Samuel or a demonic impersonation, the result is the same—Saul found no life, no hope, no guidance. He sought the dead instead of the living God, and he received only despair.
This is a warning for our times. People think they will find wisdom in spiritual counterfeits—mediums, psychics, New Age teachers, or AI “resurrected prophets.” But counterfeit voices cannot give life. They can only confirm death.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:21)
Am I seeking truth- God’s truth. Do I listen to the words that merely soothe me—or words that sanctify me?
4. The Collapse of a Man Without God (vv. 20–25)
Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22 Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25 and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night. (1 Samuel 28:20–25)
The scene ends in tragedy. Saul collapses to the ground, “filled with fear because of the words of Samuel” (v. 20). He has no strength left. The witch and his men urge him to eat. He finally consents, and they share a meal together.
The irony is thick: Saul, king of Israel, is now dining at the table of a witch. Instead of seeking strength from the Lord, he fills his stomach with the bread of darkness. It is a picture of despair, defeat, and doom.
Our culture feasts at the same table. People consume spiritual junk food from horoscopes, AI oracles, occult practices, and humanistic philosophies. They leave empty, weakened, and hopeless. The world cannot strengthen the soul—it only distracts while it decays.
Even in churches, there is a temptation to serve this kind of meal. Shallow entertainment replaces Scripture. Artificial inspiration replaces genuine Spirit-filled preaching. But it leaves people just as weak and afraid as Saul.
Whose table am I eating at? Jesus invites us to His table: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger” (John 6:35). Strength comes from feeding on Christ through His Word and Spirit—not from eating at the world’s table.
Conclusion: Don’t Seek the Living Among the Dead
The story of Saul at Endor is sobering because it reminds us that desperation without repentance always leads to destruction. Saul sought light in darkness and found only despair.
The same temptation looms today. AI necromancy, cultural idols, and digital oracles may look innovative, but they are just new costumes for an old sin. The prophet Isaiah warned:
And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. (Isaiah 8:19–20)
There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. (Deuteronomy 18:10–12)
