Good points as well Tim! And to answer...
Why would the witch not expect to see Samuel if thats who was being requested?
There's alot of speculation going on here, but if she were "requesting" anything, and the source was demonic in nature, it would be reasonable that the spirit she normally called upon would be the spirit she would see. Hence, when she got Samuel, the fear. And why the fear? Because Who is really in control? I have no doubt the witch knew after that day.
But again, that is much speculation. But to suspect that the one brought up wasn't actually Samuel requires greater speculation. It's interesting as well, isn't it, that when she sees Samuel, she knows the truth. Saul was the man in disguise, and Samuel
was Samuel. No lies. No mystery. Straight up truth for truth.
It never even says she called him, whoever it was just appeared, and immediately she realizes that Saul is really Saul. She seems more afraid of Saul than the spirit.
Yup. Whoever said the witch was smart?
Saul had forbidden what he then was attempting. He was going against his own edict. She should have feared Saul. But she cried out when she saw Samuel. I think that's the key. She didn't expect to get
him...
Next point....If it really was Samuel, and he was summoned for advice as for what to do, why didn't he tell Saul to repent and do Gods will?
Because God had changed His mind about Saul being king. He'd already had Samuel annoint David as king, and Saul had already tried to kill David several times. Saul refused to obey God's voice, and the option for repentance was no longer on the table. Remember? Saul asked for forgiveness in attempts to retain his kingship. What was it that Samuel said?
"And 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 listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has also rejected you from being king."
Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may worship the LORD." And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." Saul wanted to repent. God said, "No go." David
was king. Saul
should have abdicated the throne but didn't. And then, on the eve of battle, Saul, no longer possessing the
empowering Spirit of God (non salvific in nature mind you), and having no way of knowing what might happen, chose to go to the witch to ask Samuel what might happen. So Samuel told him.
I know this seems harsh, but Saul had failed to do what God had required of him. "To whom much has been given, much is required."
Isn't that what messengers of the Lord do?
Nope! Jeremiah spent his entire ministry preaching of impending judgment with
not one single convert! No one would listen to him. Isaiah preached a message of impending judgment. They sawed him in half! The Lord's messengers preach a message of repentance so long as the repentance, which is of the Lord, is available. Hence, "harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation..."
I would agree about the power of God. But if Satan has the ability to appear as an angel of light, could he not also appear as Samuel? It does seem as though this spirit did suddenly appear without any beckoning.
Contextual problem here bro...It says it was Samuel. The witch knew it (who would have also known if it was
not Samuel), and Saul knew it. Saul spoke to him. Which is out of the ordinary as well. Consider this: witch calls up her favorite familiar spirit - and gets Samuel. She freaks out, and sees the truth behind Saul's lie. Then, Saul, who would have had to converse
through the medium, now has a conversation with Samuel. Again, beyond the norm. Here's the contextual problem, if what Samuel prophesied to Saul would happen had
not happened, then it may be said that it was a false spirit. Problem. It
did happen. Second problem: the text presents the "spirit" to
be Samuel, and doesn't refute that in any way, nor lend credence to the thought that it may not actually be him. Third problem: spirits can't predict the future. Samuel told Saul what would, and what actually
did happen. Prophets do that. Not demons.
Doesn't God work in truly mysterious ways?
I don't know, maybe it was Samuel....its a bizzare passage to say the least. Interesting but bizzare.
Absolutely! But the thing that I get out of it is that there is
nothing that my God cannot do. He is above all, and able to control all. I sit amazed when I read Job, and learn that even those who sinned and were cast from Heaven, who regularly work against God, must come before Him, and give an account. Satan included. I think we tend to give far to much power in our minds to those who work against God. I think this passage, and others like it, teach us that regardless, God is in control.
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