SUBJECT: 1 Samuel 28
QUESTION: Was that the real Samuel that appeared to
Saul?
ANSWER:
Was it Samuel?
Samuel was dead (25:1). If, as some believe, he went to
heaven, Satan would not have been given permission to bring
him down in response to the incantations of a wicked woman.
Also God had already refused to communicate by dreams, Urim,
or prophets (verse 6). The Lord's disapproval is recorded in
1 Chronicles 10:13-14, noting that Saul died for his
transgressions. He inquired of an evil spirit and not of the
Lord. The figure that appeared to the spiritualist woman was
an impersonation of the prophet by an evil angel, perhaps by
Satan himself. If he could transform himself to appear as
and angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), he could also
appear as the prophet Samuel. In verse 11 above, we see that
Samuel was supposedly brought up. By modern theology we
would expect righteous people like Samuel to come down.
Pagan ideas assumed all the dead were below ground. The
popular pagan idea about death slipped into the beliefs of
God's people before Jesus' time.
1 Samuel 28:1-29:1
28:1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines
gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with
Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly,
that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.
2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy
servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I
make thee keeper of mine head for ever.
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and
buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put
away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out
of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came
and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel
together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was
afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him
not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that
hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of
her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman
that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and
he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by
night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the
familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto
thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what
Saul hath done, how he hath 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?
10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD
liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this
thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And
he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud
voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou
deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what
sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods
ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said,
An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And
Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his
face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to
bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for
the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed
from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor
by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest
make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me,
seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine
enemy?
17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the
LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it
to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor
executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the
LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into
the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and
thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of
Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and
was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there
was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the
day, nor all the night.
21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore
troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath
obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and
have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the
voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread
before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when
thou goest on thy way.
23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his
servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he
hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and
sat upon the bed.
24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she
hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and
did bake unleavened bread thereof:
25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants;
and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that
night.
Notice now, as this commentary goes into great detail to
show that the spirit that showed itself was not that of
Samuel.
1 Samuel 28:7-14
Samuel, who was lately dead, is the person whom Saul
desired to have some talk with; and the witch, with her
enchantments, gratifies his desire, and brings them
together.
1. As soon as Saul had given the witch the assurance she
desired (that he would not
discover her) she applied to her witchcrafts, and
asked very confidently, “Whom shall I bring up to thee?” v.
11. Note, Hopes
of impunity embolden sinners in their evil ways and harden
their hearts.
2. Saul desires to speak with Samuel: Bring me up Samuel.
Samuel had anointed him to the kingdom and had formerly been
his faithful friend and counsellor, and therefore with him
he wished to advise. While Samuel was living at Ramah, not
far from Gibeah of Saul, and presided there in the school of
the prophets, we never read of Saul's going to him to
consult him in any of the difficulties he was in (it
would have been well for him if he had); then he
slighted him, and perhaps hated him, looking upon him to be
in David's interest. But now that he is dead, "O for Samuel
again! By all means, bring me up Samuel."
Note, Many that
despise and persecute God's saints and ministers when they
are living would be glad to have them again when they are
gone. Send Lazarus to me, and send Lazarus to my father's
house, Luke 16:24-27. The sepulchres of the righteous are
garnished.
3. Here is a seeming defector chasm in the story. Saul said,
Bring me up Samuel, and the very next words are, When the
woman saw Samuel, (v. 12), whereas one would have expected
to be told how she performed the operation, what spells and
charms she used, or that some little intimation would be
given of what she said or did; but the profound silence of
the scripture concerning it forbids our coveting to know the
depths of Satan (Revelation 2:24) or to have our curiosity
gratified with an account of the mysteries of iniquity. It
has been said of the books of some of the popish confessors
that, by their descriptions of sin, they have taught men to
commit it; but the scripture conceals sinful art, that we
may be simple concerning evil, Romans 16:19.
4. The witch, upon sight of the apparition, was aware that
her client was Saul, her familiar spirit, it is likely,
informing her of it (v. 12): "Why hast thou deceived me with
a disguise; for thou art Saul, the very man that I am afraid
of above any man?" Thus she gave Saul to understand the
power of her art, in that she could discover him through his
disguise; and yet she feared lest, hereafter, at least, he
should take advantage against her for what she was now
doing. Had she believed that it was really Samuel whom she
saw, she would have had more reason to be afraid of him, who
was a good prophet, than of Saul, who was a wicked king. But
the wrath of earthly princes is feared by most more than the
wrath of the King of kings.
5. Saul (who, we may
suppose, was kept at a distance in the next room)
bade her not to be afraid of him, but go on with the
operation, and enquired what she saw? v. 13. O, says the
woman, I saw gods (that is,
a spirit) ascending out of the earth; they called
angels gods, because spiritual beings. Poor gods that ascend
out of the earth! But she speaks the language of the
heathen, who had their infernal deities and had them in
veneration. If Saul had thought it necessary to his
conversation with Samuel that the body of Samuel should be
called out of the grave, he would have taken the witch with
him to Ramah, where his sepulchre was; but the design was
wholly upon his soul, which yet, if it became visible, was
expected to appear in the usual resemblance of the body; and
God permitted the devil, to answer the design, to put on
Samuel's shape, that those who would not receive the love of
the truth might be given up to strong delusions and believe
a lie. That it could not be the soul of Samuel himself they
might easily apprehend when it ascended out of the earth,
for the spirit of a man, much more of a good man, goes
upward, Ecclesiastes 3:21. But, if people will be deceived,
it is just with God to say, "Let them be deceived." That the
devil, by the divine permission, should be able to personate
Samuel is not strange, since he can transform himself into
an angel of light! nor is it strange that he should be
permitted to do it upon this occasion, that Saul might be
driven to despair, by enquiring of the devil, since he would
not, in a right manner, enquire of the Lord, by which he
might have had comfort. Saul, being told of gods ascending,
was eager to know what was the form of this deity, and in
what shape he appeared, so far was he from conceiving any
horror at it, his heart being wretchedly hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin. Saul, it seems, was not permitted to
see any manner of similitude himself, but he must take the
woman's word for it, that she saw an old man covered with a
mantle, or robe, the habit of a judge, which Samuel had
sometimes worn, and some think it was for the sake of that,
and the majesty of its aspect, that she called this
apparition Elohim, a god or gods; for so magistrates are
styled, Psalm 82:1.
6. Saul, perceiving, by the woman's description, that it was
Samuel, stooped with his face to the ground, either, as it
is generally taken, in reverence to Samuel, though he saw
him not, or perhaps to listen to that soft and muttering
voice which he now expected to hear (for
those that had familiar spirits peeped and muttered, Isaiah
8:19); and it should seem Saul bowed himself (probably
by the witch's direction) that he might hear what
was whispered and listen carefully to it; for the voice of
one that has a familiar spirit is said to come out of the
ground, and whisper out of the dust, Isaiah 29:4. He would
stoop to that who would not stoop to the word of God.
~from Matthew Henry's
Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition
Note: We see
clearly, that what Saul saw was a demon or Satan, himself.
In the commentary, in point 5, we see quoted, Ecclesiastes
3:21:
Ecclesiastes 3:21
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the
spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
Note: This verse
establishes the fact that when a person dies, the spirit of
man returns to God. It does not support an idea that a
conscious human being goes to heaven after he or she dies.
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