1 Samuel 28:5-6 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid. Terror filled his heart. He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
Way back in 1 Samuel 12:14-15, when God told the Israelites that He would give them the king they insisted on, He told them that if they and the king they so desperately wanted would fear, serve, and obey Him, all would still be well, BUT if they (and their king) rebelled against Him, “then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.”
1 Samuel 28:15a Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?…”
We are seeing the fulfillment of that in this chapter. Saul, who started out with great promise, has moved so far away from God that God no longer answers Him because Saul has utterly ignored all God has told him to this point. Saul reaches out to Samuel from beyond the grave because he wants assurance about the upcoming battle with the Philistines, but the hand of the Lord is already against Saul, and he learns from Samuel that he and his sons will die in the battle and “…the LORD will give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines” (v19).
1 Samuel 28:15b “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that when we seek You earnestly and wholeheartedly, we will find You. Help us to come to You seeking Your will and not our own. Soften our hearts. Make them fertile ground for Your love. Amen.
1 Samuel 28:16-17 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what He predicted through me….”
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.