The appearance of Samuel

To reiterate, the medium normally speaks through evil spirits. However, in this instance, the real Samuel appeared, which startled the woman. Behind this was the work of God. God responded to Saul’s request and sent Samuel. (1) Samuel rebukes Saul, saying, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Although Samuel was dead, he was at peace, seemingly enjoying his state (The Old Testament saints went to a place called “Sheol” upon death). (2) In response, Saul explains that he is in deep distress because he has received no answer from God. He mentions prophets and dreams but does not mention the Urim. In the past, he had massacred Nob the city of priests. For this reason, he was likely reluctant to speak of matters related to the priesthood.

Terrifying words of Samuel

Samuel straightforwardly conveys a message from the Lord. (1) As Saul himself acknowledges, the Lord has indeed departed from him. (2) As Saul realizes, the Lord has taken the kingdom from Saul’s hands and given it to David. (3) It was no other than Saul’s fault that he placed himself in this situation. Saul did not obey the Lord’s command to utterly destroy the Amalekites. Since then, Saul has continued to act in defiance of the Lord. (4) Lastly, something that has been hidden until now is revealed: Saul and his sons will die in the battle against the Philistines the next day. Saul continued to ignore Samuel’s advice during his lifetime but now after Samuel’s death, he earnestly sought words of encouragement and advice. However, what Saul received was a terrifying prophecy announcing his own death. God’s judgment does not suddenly strike sinners without notice. In daily life, God speaks to the sinner’s conscience, pressing for repentance. By continuing to ignore God’s words you accumulate God’s wrath against you. Let’s learn from Saul’s tragedy. Today, by repenting, let’s return to God.