1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

108 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 Editiona demon posing as Samuel, but, to her amazement, God really permitted Samuel, or avision of him, to appear. This seems to have been a divine revelation to Saul, the last oneGod gave him. 301"The incident does not tell us anything about the veracity of claims toconsult the dead on the part of mediums, because the indications are thatthis was an extraordinary event for her, and a frightening one because shewas not in control." 302Mediums and spiritists do not have access to the dead but communicate with evil spiritsposing as people who have died. That is why these spirits are called "lying spirits" (1Kings 22:22). This passage does not say that the witch brought up Samuel from the dead.God revealed Samuel to Saul.Saul assured the medium that she did not need to fear him. Any supernatural guidance hecould obtain with her help was worth her life to him. She described Samuel as a divinebeing (Heb. elohim, lit. strong one). This is, of course, a common name of God in the OldTestament. However it also describes the judges in Israel who were divine beings in thesense that they served as judges under the Great Judge (Ps. 82:6; cf. John 10:35). Perhapsthe woman meant that the man she saw looked like a judge or like a divine being becausehe was imposing. Samuel was one of the judges in Israel. She saw Samuel, or hisapparition, coming up out of the earth (i.e., the netherworld). The ancients connected thearea under the surface of the earth with the place of departed spirits because they buriedpeople under the surface of the earth.The writer identified Samuel as old and wrapped in a robe (v. 14). This is an interestingdetail since Saul had previously torn Samuel's robe when Samuel announced that Godhad rejected Saul from being king (15:27). Samuel had told Saul, "The Lord has torn thekingdom of Israel from you today" (15:28; cf. 24:4). Saul recognized Samuel and bowedbefore him out of respect. This too was hypocritical since he had not previously obeyedSamuel nor was he about to act on the warning that Samuel would soon give him.Saul's conversation with Samuel 28:15-19Samuel's soul had been at peace in the place of departed spirits, but now Saul haddisturbed that rest. Saul described his reason for doing so. He wanted to obtain divineguidance concerning the Philistines from Samuel since he could not get it from the Lordthrough other means. Samuel replied that Saul was wrong in thinking that Samuel wouldtell him what strategy to use since the Lord would not. The prophet was, after all, simplythe mouthpiece of God. The Lord had become Saul's real adversary, more so than thePhilistines, since the king had refused to obey Yahweh. Samuel repeated God's judgmenton Saul: ". . . the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to yourneighbor, to David" (v. 17; cf. 15:27-28).301 See Keil and Delitzsch, pp. 265-69.302 Baldwin, p. 159.