When God is Silent

1 Samuel 28:3-19

Background:

Israel was delivered from the Egyptian slavery and eventually made it to the Promised Land, where they greatly disobeyed God. The time of Judges showed how great the sin of Israel had become that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. They showed their need for leaders that were followers of Yahweh.

This is where Samuel comes into play. The book of first Samuel describes the time in Israel’s history where it goes from tribes to one United Kingdom with the reign of David. Samuel the prophet, Saul, then David are the key characters. The key themes are at the beginning of the book when Hannah is barren and given a child that she dedicates to the Lord. Her song sets the stage for the book:

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

God is sovereign and always at work through the wickedness of man

God will one day raise up a Messiah.

Samuel was the prophet used by God to transition leadership in Israel from Judges to kings. (https://bcinj.org/sermons/2021/2/28/samuel-1-amp-2-jesus-is-the-seed-of-david)

Philistines rose to power and became the ultimate enemy against God’s people Israel. Israelites were not trusting in God Himself to deliver them, for they have seen things such as the presence of the Ark of the Covenant doing signs and wonders. For example, in Joshua 3, when the priests carrying the ark touched the water it immediately became dry on the Jordan River, and then it immediately was covered once the ark left the water. They foolishly trusted in the ark to win their battles, as a miracle genie they could carry around.

God allowed Israel to lose the battle and their precious ark was taken. The Philistines set it up in their temple and God caused plagues among them, and it was eventually returned to Israel. Israel then calls Samuel and tells him that they want a king. Saul is then raised up to power: this bull headed, handsome, tall, mighty man of war.

1. He had many flaws though that we will be looking at and reflecting upon: proud, disobedient, lacking integrity, and failing to own his own sin.

Saul fails at keeping God’s commands, despite his religious efforts of making sacrifices, and Samuel rebukes him as God rejects him from being king. It says that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul and he was given a tormenting spirit from the Lord (16:13-14, 18:10 19:9). 1 Samuel 13:1-14 and 1 Samuel 15:1-35 are both times when Saul sinned against the Lord, and likely the reasons for God’s judgment of the evil spirit. The evil spirit never remained, but departed and returned multiple times.

1 Samuel 15:22–23 NKJV

So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

This is a pivotal moment in the story because this is when God begins working to raise up David. Hannah’s song is being lived out that the proud Saul is being humbled and the humble David is being exalted.

David defeats Goliath and ends up becoming Saul’s commander slaying the tens of thousands. David’s fame among the people causes jealousy with Saul and he seeks to kill David. David flees from Saul and also proves that he has had multiple opportunities to kill him and did not. David in fact wrote Psalms during this time: 18, 52 & 53, 57.

In reading those Psalms, David’s eyes are on the Lord. The theme of Samuel is present in Psalm 18:25-27

Psalm 18:25–27 NKJV

With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks.

The story of Saul and David are depicting these character flaws and how God responds to them.

1 Samuel 28:3–19 (NKJV)

Now Samuel had died (beginning of chapter 25), and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.

Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 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 the prophets.

In regards to Urim, the Lexham Bible Dictionary:

URIM (אוּרִ֖ים, urim). Along with Thummim, formed the “Urim and Thummim“. An object used by the priests to receive counsel from Yahweh. While it was a form of divination, it was an officially sanctioned part of the priests’ role as an intermediary between Yahweh and Israel (Exod 28:1–30). The name “Urim” might mean “lights.” The high priests used these objects to give direction and counsel to Israel in times of need (Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; Deut 33:8; 1 Sam 14:41; 1 Sam 28:6; Ezr 2:63; Neh 7:65; 1 Esd 5:40). The Urim is mentioned without Thummim in Num 27:21 and 1 Sam. 28:6.

Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”

And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”

So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”

Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”

And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”

And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?”

And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.”

So he said to her, “What is his form?”

And she said, “An old man is coming 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 down.

Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”

Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the Lord has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

Introduction:

Joni Eareckson Tada is a great testimony of God being silent. Many may know her story, but not certain details. On July 30, 1967, she dove into the Chesapeake Bay not knowing how shallow it was. From that incident, she became a quadriplegic and has been paralyzed from the shoulders down since. She experienced anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, and many other dangerous emotions therein.

She said in an interview that she had pleaded with God multiple times for years to just say, “Get up and walk.” She said (paraphrased), “Lord I believe, I don’t even have unbelief in this, I know you can do this.” God was silent. She pleaded and pleaded and pleaded, “God fix this! I know you can!” Silence.

To give you an idea of the pain that she goes through on a nightly basis, let’s do a little elementary physiology. Muscles are not just meant to give you strength to move things, they are there to protect your joints. Back pain is complicated and not alway caused by pinched nerves, slipped discs, and such; many times it is caused by weak muscles. This is why you can have a hard time walking after digging a trench, and you say that you “hurt your back.” If your neck and back are stiff and your muscles are in knots, you don’t usually need a massage, you need a gym. Your muscles are over exerted and you can’t carry the weight of your own body’s positions, causing your muscles to be seized. If you had large, strong muscles, they would be more relaxed because they can carry the load easier. When a back is sore, it is often because of weak muscles and that is why when you stretch them, the relief is only temporary.

Joni cannot work out her muscles and she can still feel pain. When you sleep at night, you are in one position for a long time and you roll over occasionally. She can’t do that. When you are fidgety in bed because you can’t get comfy, it is because your muscles are weak and are uncomfortable trying to support your body in that position. So, you move a little to adjust and relieve your muscle, so it can relax. Joni can’t do that. She has spoke of her husband and her having a rule to where she can only wake him up 3 times per night to adjust her because she is uncomfortable. Sometimes, right when he rolls back over after adjusting her, she is in immediate pain again.

Pay attention to just how much you fidget to get comfortable at night before you fall asleep. Stay in a place for as long as you can without moving and you will understand her pain. She sings worship songs in her head all night to cope with the pain. She can’t strengthen her muscles, and she can’t adjust her position herself. What a miserable night....every night. You can understand partly why she wants this pain to end. God said no.

Things to take note of:

Samuel had died (v. 3).

Saul was terrified of the enemies (v.5).

Saul inquired of the Lord first (v. 6a).

The Lord did not answer him (v. 6b).

Samuel and Saul both prophesied (v. 10, 19) and only one was correct.

Samuel told Saul it was because of his sin that he was going through this (v. 16-18).

The point is more so that Saul was using this and other means to try and get an answer from God, and God remained silent.

Does God still send evil spirits today? We shall look no further than 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 NKJV

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Samuel says that it is because of Saul’s sin that he is going through this: 1 Samuel 28:16-18

1 Samuel 28:16–18 NKJV

Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the Lord has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.

Saul was only seeing the circumstance that he was helpless and fearful of conquering. It seems humble and right to say that you are seeking the Lord in this. It seems as though he is seeing others as better than himself, for he is not relying on himself. It seems like he is doing the right things. But there is a problem: he is in complete disregard for his own sin. He does not recall why God has inflicted him with this evil spirit as well as remains silent. He does not recall why the Spirit of the Lord has departed form him and an evil one goes in His place. He is only focused on the external issues at hand.

Many times, more than not, prayer requests are not biblical. “Pray that God heal xyz and get rid of pain.” Sometimes it is because you are just getting old and the wages of sin is death and the curse from Adam has given you many many fruits to where you are weighed down with years of it, and your body has had enough. God will likely not take away your pain, but instead use it for good. Look at what he has done through Joni Eareckson Tada.

To only look at the circumstance is to miss God all together. God is not a genie for you to have so you can no longer suffer. God is not here to fix all your problems, in fact, when I read Scriptures He can tend to create them for us because of consequences for our sin. God is to be known through your trials and sufferings, not be sought to fix them so you can have a pain free life of idolatry. Sometimes the very thing God is trying to get you to repent of is the very thing you are asking to have back. God takes away your ability to play golf by making your back hurt, and you’ve never had that issue before. Should I pray that God fix my back so I can continue in my idol, or should I repent first, then seek God’s grace after I throw away the idol? What is biblical?

If I were to ever become a pastor, my marriage counseling would essential consist of telling them to be more self critical before spouse critical. Each of you quit looking to God to fix the problem, go to your prayer closets individually (and if you don’t have one, then get one), and dig out that log in your own eye, then return to look at the spec. Quit looking at the circumstance and deal with your sin. You likely won’t be seeking ‘spiritual mediums’ then, and you will end up restoring your relationship with God and your spouse without the need for another person.

What does Paul exhort the Corinthians to do before communion? 1 Corinthians 11:17-32

1 Corinthians 11:17–32 NKJV

Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. Rather, if we don’t judge ourselves, God will have to and we will be chastened by the Lord so we may not be condemned by the world. Rather, so the world doesn’t see us as hypocrites and we ruin the message because of our lives. What are you doing praying for all your hurts and pains to be vanished? You’re either old from years of getting beaten and battered, because we live in a fallen world, or you’re in sin and God is trying to chasten you, or both. Either way. God obviously has it here for a purpose, and it isn’t for you to pray and ask for it to be rid of. It is there for your chastening. You are not sinless and do not deserve anything but hell, everything else is grace. Saul sought God for the wrong things and we can tend to do the same. He isn’t here for that. Jesus healed many to display His power to prove His Messiah-ship, not to make people have pain free living.

Lamentations 3:19–42 (NKJV)

Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers And sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him; Let him put his mouth in the dust— There may yet be hope. Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach. For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men. To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High, Or subvert a man in his cause— The Lord does not approve.

How many times have you disciplined your dog for pooping on the carpet? You put them in the cage and they give you those soft puppy eyes, “Free me from this, master.” You say, “No, you need to quit pooping on the carpet.” You have laid that hardship on your dog even though you don’t approve of it. We poop on God’s carpet often, so to speak.

Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed? Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins?

Why are you complaining to God, praying that he fix all your pain? You don’t have in view your own sins. Israel complained a lot in their day and never realized their sin.

Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven. We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned.

Hebrews 5:8 NKJV

though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Hebrews 12:8 NKJV

But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

What does it take for you to really experience God in fresh ways? What does it take to really experience God the way He intentionally desires fellowship with you? Repentance. Many love to preach it but they don’t live it. Many don’t have repentance in their lives and seek to have everything given to them so they can have a pain free life. Clueless of biblical chastening and no better than Saul in seeking out man to reveal what they should do. “Why has the Spirit of the Lord been removed of me? Why am I plagued with this demonic spirit? Why is God silent?” Look at your sin! Then go to God with your humble and contrite heart. Judge yourself, examine yourself, put the cup and bread down and go make peace with those you have wronged, then take the Lord’s supper.

Where is repentance in your walk of faith? If it is not there, then repent! Go to your prayer closet and do some work…today! Don’t be like Saul seeking for means to conquer enemies and not the sin in his life. The sin in your life is the enemy for that will send you to hell. When you truly examine your ways and see them in the light of a holy God, you have nothing to justify yourself and will see clearly the damage of your own sin. You won’t be finger pointing, you will be gracious. (Preaching is for the pulpit, when I get down there I have to live it too.) You won’t be praying for pain free living, you will be seeking God with all your repentant, contrite heart and the Lord will not turn that away.

Don’t forget that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He paid the penalty for your sin past, present, and future. All of it. The sin you are meditating on now is what He paid for if you are one of His elect. He saved you and you did not choose to come to Christ in the midst of your rebellion. This message is about sanctification. Don’t get them confused. Don’t beat yourself over what Christ paid for, but humbly recognize the sin in your life and repent of it whether you want to or not, then God will make Himself known to you in ways you will never have known prior to.

Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered; so did Paul, So does Joni Eareckson Tada, and so do we. Fools like Saul did not.

All God’s people said...Amen.