Searching for God in All the Wrong Places
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The past couple of weeks we took a break from our study in 1 Samuel, as we celebrated the Easter Seasion.
This morning, we are coming back to the book of Samuel. As we get started, let’s look back and see what was going on when we left.
You may remember that David had decided to go to Gath in the land of the Philistines. While he was there the king of Gath, Achish, gave David and his men the city of Ziklag.
This was great for David and his men, because they would go out and raid the Geshurites, Gizites, and the Amalekites and they made it look like they were attacking the Israelites.
This caused Achish to trust David. In fact, he trusted him so much that David became the head of his Achish’s personal guard.
Finally, we saw that the Philistines were headed out to fight Israel, and Achish brought David and his men along. However, the rest of the Philistine kings didn’t trust David and his men, so Achish had to sent them back to Ziklag.
When you come to the third verse of 1 Samuel 28, there is a scene change and we go back to King Saul and the Israelites. So if you have your Bibles, I want to challenge you to turn with me to 1 Samuel 28 and we’ll begin reading with verse 3.
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.
The Background
The Background
Samuel is dead!
In fact, the time of mourning for Samuel was over and he was buried in Ramah.
We are also told that Saul had expelled all of the mediums, and spiritists from the land. “Mediums” stresses the meditating position—usually in a “conjuring pit.” So the medium usually owned such a place. The “spiritist” were sometimes referred to as “magicians” were people who communicated with demons enlist their help to conjure people from the dead.
Back to the Story
Back to the Story
The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.
We’re told that the Philistines assembled together and set up camp at Shunem.
Saul and the army of Israel camped at Gilboa.
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.
When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was absolutely terrified!
So he inquired of the Lord—this was actually a really good thing!
But there’s a problem:
—The Lord did not answer Saul by dreams.
—The Lord did not answer Saul by the Urim—the Urim and Thummim were used for “casting lots” but their exact identity is uncertain. They may have been marked stones that were drawn from a bag. What we do know is they were used to find God’s will for a situation.
—And the Lord did not answer Saul through prophets.
Plan B?
Plan B?
Since the Lord wasn’t answering Saul, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Look at verse 7.
Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said.
Saul tells his attendants for find him a woman who owns a is a “medium” that is a person who communicates with demons to talk to the dead.
And they tell him that there is a woman who owns a conjuring place in Endor.
So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
So Saul disguises himself—putting on “regular cloths”.
And they went to the woman at night.
Saul asks the woman to consult a particular spirit for him.
“Bring up for me the one I name.”
Saul’s Request
Saul’s Request
But the woman senses a trick or trap. Look at verse 9.
But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
In fact, she comes right out and says, “Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
So Saul swears to the woman that it isn’t a trap. Look at verse 10.
Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.” Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said.
So the woman agrees and asks who Saul wants to have conjured up.
Saul tells her to bring up Samuel.
Now that should have given her a clue of who she was dealing with.
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
It took her actually seeing Samuel, and when she did she was really scared!
First, she wants to know why Saul deceived her.
Secondly, she recognizes Saul even though he was disguised.
The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”
Saul tells her not to be afraid—he’s not going to put her to death!
But Saul really wants to know what she is seeing—so apparently he can’t see what she is seeing.
She tells him that she sees a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth. This could be translated, “I see one like a god coming up from the ground.”
“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
Saul wants to know what the “god” looks like.
She tells him that it is an old man, and that he’s wearing a robe.
From this bit of information, Saul immediately knows it is Samuel—the robe is an interesting detail that he is given, because it was Samuel’s robe that Saul tore.
Upon realizing this, Saul bows face down to the ground. He kneels down.
Samuel Talks Directly to Saul
Samuel Talks Directly to Saul
Now then there is a bit of change in the dialogue. Look at verse 15.
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
God reveals Samuel to Saul. So this moves from demonic power to God’s power! When Saul begins to see or hear (we’re not sure which), Samuel wants to know why Saul has disturbed him.
Saul tells Samuel that he is in great distress—or terrible trouble.
—The Philistines are coming up to fight Israel.
—And God had departed from him, and he knows this because:
God is not answering him by prophets.
And God is not answering him by dreams.
—So Saul called on Samuel to tell him what to do.
I’ve got to be honest with you, I love Samuel’s next question. Look at verse 16.
Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy?
Why is Saul listening to him now—the emphasis is that Saul didn’t listen to him when he was alive, why is he listening to him after he’s dead?
The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today.
Saul learns that God is doing exactly what He said He would do!
NOTE: The Lord is the same today—He does exactly what He says He will do. For example, the Lord expects His children to live obedient lives—John 15 9-10.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
The Lord has done exactly what he predicted through Samuel.
The Lord has torn the kingdom out of Saul’s hands and given it to David!
It’s all because Saul did not obey the Lord when He carried out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites.
The Lord is going to deliver both Israel and Saul into the hands of the Philistines.
In case Saul didn’t get it, the Lord will hand over the Israelite army to the Philistines.
Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.
Upon hearing this bad news—Saul falls face down on the ground.
He is filled with fear because of what Samuel said.
All of his strength was gone!
—We’re told that some of the weakness was because he hadn’t eaten anything at all that day and night.
The Woman’s Solution
The Woman’s Solution
When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.
The woman sees that Saul is very upset.
And she wants Saul out of there as soon as possible.
So she reminds Saul that she did what he asked.
She took her life into her hands and did what Saul told her to do.
Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”
She asks Saul to eat something so he can gain his strength and go away!
The Problem
The Problem
He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.
Saul refused, saying “I will not eat.”
Even his men encouraged him to eat—but he wouldn’t listen to them either.
He just got up off the ground and sat on the couch.
The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast.
The woman is undeterred.
She killed the fatted calf that she has.
She also took some flour, kneaded it and baked the bread without yeast.
Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.
Saul finally ate.
And then they got up and left—returning to the army.
And the story ends there.
So What?
So What?
Back in 1 Samuel 15, Samuel told Saul exactly how God feels about disobedience:
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
There is no question that God loves His creation. He loves humanity so much that He provided a way for us to restore our relationship with Him.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it is by grace that we have been saved!
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Reconciliation results in Justification—or a restored relationship with God. But what happens after our relationship has been restored? Well, we need the next step, which is Sanctification, which is becoming more and more like Jesus.
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
Saul’s problem was a heart issue. His heart was not totally devoted to God. Saul had a divided heart and it cost Him the kingdom. So here’s the question for you—
Are you totally devoted to God? Or is your heart divided?
If your heart is divided, I want to ask you what it is costing you?
If you are like me and struggle with being totally devoted and sold out to the Lord Jesus, then I have one more verse to share with you. 2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us:
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)
For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
There is an urgency in this verse. The time of God’s favor is NOW. The time of God’s salvation—the time of God’s change in your life is NOW. So if you are struggling today with your total devotion to our Lord, well NOW is the time for you to take action. So during our time of reflection, now is the time for you!