1 SAMUEL LESSON 31


     We will begin this lesson I Samuel 28:1 "And it came to pass in
those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for
warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou
assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy
men."

     This is the first time, since David had been with Achish, that he
had insisted on David going to battle with him against Israel. If
David is going to remain in their land, he will be expected to fight
on the side of Achish.

     I Samuel 28:2 "And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know
what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I
make thee keeper of mine head for ever."

     Achish thinks the statement that David made, indicates that he
will go with them into battle. Achish makes David his personal body
guard.

     I Samuel 28:3  "Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented
him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put
away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the
land."

     We studied before, how Saul did many things pleasing unto God. He
just did not do all things pleasing unto God. He kept God's
commandments, when it was to his advantage. Samuel was dead, so Saul
could not get him to call upon God for him. The people with familiar
spirits got their information from other sources, so Saul had gotten
rid of them. These people should have been done away with, because
they were agents of the devil, himself.

     I Samuel 28:4 "And the Philistines gathered themselves together,
and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together,
and they pitched in Gilboa."  I Samuel 28:5 "And when Saul saw the
host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly
trembled."

     Saul was afraid, because this time, he did not have the
advantage. He liked to fight, when he had five times as many men as
his enemies.  These Philistines had many men. His heart trembled for
fear he would lose this battle. This confrontation would take place on
the soil of Israel. It was actually in the land of Issachar.

     I Samuel 28:6 "And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD
answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets."

     This was the most frightening thing of all. He prayed to the
LORD, and got no answer at all. Now, he knows the LORD has removed His
blessing. The Urim, on the garment of the high priest, was one of the
things God spoke to His people through. All of this is very
frightening.

     I Samuel 28:7  "Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman
that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.
And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that hath a
familiar spirit at En-dor."

     It appears that, Saul wanted a message of hope from somewhere,
even if it is from a woman with a familiar spirit. He had been very
opposed to these people, and drove them out at one time. Saul was a
man who did whatever was to his advantage, whether it was of God, or
not. It is interesting, that his men knew of this witch of En-dor.

     I Samuel 28:8 "And Saul disguised himself, and put on other
raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman
by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar
spirit, and bring me [him] up, whom I shall name unto thee."

     This shows just how badly Saul was disturbed about this battle.
His disguise was so the woman would not recognize him. She might not
help him, if she recognized who he was. The two men with him were to
keep him safe from his enemies. Divination was forbidden to Jews, yet
it seemed many Israelites went to her, to divine for them. Deuteronomy
18:10 "There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his
son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth
divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,"
Deuteronomy 18:11 "Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits,
or a wizard, or a necromancer."  Deuteronomy 18:12 "For all that do
these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these
abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."
Saul is trying to see a vision of a dead person.  Many people go to
seances today to try to do the same thing. In both cases, this is very
evil.

     I Samuel 28:9 "And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest
what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar
spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou
a snare for my life, to cause me to die?" I Samuel 28:10 "And Saul
sware to her by the LORD, saying, [As] the LORD liveth, there shall no
punishment happen to thee for this thing."

     At one time, early in the reign of Saul, he had tried to keep the
commandments of the law. He just recently, had done away with all of
those with familiar spirits that he knew of. This woman realizes this
is Saul. She makes him swear that no harm will come to her, before she
will divine for him. These evil people do have some power, but it is
from the devil.

     I Samuel 28:11 "Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto
thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel."  I Samuel 28:12 "And when the
woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to
Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou [art] Saul."

     She must go through with her claim to be able to bring back dead
people, so she asks Saul who does he want to see. He says, Samuel.
When she had a vision of Samuel, she believes she was doomed.  Samuel
had guided Saul in the past, and Saul wanted his help here.

     I Samuel 28:13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for
what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending
out of the earth.

     It seems that, Saul had not seen the vision of Samuel. He
believes this woman with the familiar spirit had, however. This is why
he asks her what she saw. Notice, this is not God she saw rising.
This, possibly, had to do with the spirits she had conjured up.

     I Samuel 28:14 "And he said unto her, What form [is] he of? And
she said, An old man cometh 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 himself."

     Saul is convinced she had seen Samuel. He bows to Samuel.

     I Samuel 28:15  "And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou
disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore
distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is
departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor
by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known
unto me what I shall do."

     "Disquieted" means troubled. It appears that, somehow, Saul is
speaking to Samuel. It, also, appears that Samuel is answering Saul.
Saul had called on Samuel, because Samuel had been his friend. He
knows and respects what Samuel says. Saul tried to pray to God, and
God would not answer him. His only help was in Samuel.

     I Samuel 28:16 "Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of
me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?"
I Samuel 28:17 "And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for
the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy
neighbour, [even] to David:"

     There was nothing Samuel could do. God had decided long ago to
take the kingdom from Saul, and give it to David. From the very early
days, Saul had disobeyed God. He had kept part of the commandments,
but not all. He was not sold out to God. Saul was his own god. He felt
anything he did was alright, because he had been anointed. Samuel is
not more powerful than God. Samuel had always tried to do exactly as
God had told him to do. He would not help Saul, here, even if he
could.

     I Samuel 28:18 "Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD,
nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD
done this thing unto thee this day."

     Saul had rebelled against the commandments of God. Rebellion is
akin to witchcraft. Even this terrible thing Saul has done, here, is
another very bad thing to do. He has not been king in the sight of
God, since he disobeyed in the battle with Amalek. Saul tried to
justify himself then, and is actually trying to justify coming to a
woman with familiar spirits, here.

     I Samuel 28:19 "Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with
thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow [shalt] thou and
thy sons [be] with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel
into the hand of the Philistines."

     Saul and his sons will be dead tomorrow. The Philistines will win
this battle against these Israelites, because God is not with them.
It is punishment from the LORD, that causes the Philistines to win.
The other Israelites, that are not killed, will be captured by the
Philistines.

     I Samuel 28:20 "Then Saul fell straightway all along on the
earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there
was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all
the night."

     This just means that Saul fell face first on the earth. He either
fainted from fear, or exhaustion, or both. He had eaten no bread,
because he was trying to get an answer from God. The answer he got was
not what he wanted to hear, however.

     I Samuel 28:21  "And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he
was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath
obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have
hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me." I Samuel 28:22
"Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine
handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that
thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way."

     Even this evil woman had compassion on Saul, when she saw that he
fainted. He had come to her to help him, and the best advice she has,
now, is for him to eat. She will prepare food for him to eat, to make
him strong enough to go back to where he came from.

     I Samuel 28:23 "But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his
servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened
unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed."

     At first, he did not want to eat. He was so troubled, he had no
appetite. He could, also, have been fasting to receive an answer to
his prayer. It will do no good to fast, now. God has intended for him
and his sons to die in this battle. He finally gave in to his two
friends and the woman, and agreed to eat before returning to the
front.

     I Samuel 28:24 "And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and
she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded [it], and did
bake unleavened bread thereof:"

     The unleavened cakes were because there was no time for the bread
to rise. It is interesting that she had a fatted calf in her house.

     I Samuel 28:25 "And she brought [it] before Saul, and before his
servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that
night."

     Saul, and his servants that were with him, needed strength for
their trip back, and for the battle with the Philistines that lay
ahead. The servants were the two men that had come with him to see the
woman. Saul, in his desperation, had come to the woman with the
familiar spirit. He found no help from her. When God has judged a
person, there is no one who can help them. This is the case with Saul,
here.








































                        1 Samuel 31 Questions


1.  In verse 1, what does Achish ask David to do?
2.  What position did Achish give David?
3.  Where was Samuel buried?
4.  _________ had put away those that had familiar spirits.
5.  When did Saul keep God's commandments?
6.  Where did the Philistines gather to go against Israel?
7.  When Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was ________.
8.  Which ways had Saul expected to hear from the LORD, and did not?
9.  In verse 7, what does Saul tell his men to seek for him?
10. What does Saul ask her to do?
11. Why was she afraid to divine?
12. What did she make Saul do, before she would divine for him?
13. Do people with familiar spirits have any power?
14. Who did he ask her to bring up?
15. When the woman saw Samuel, what did she do?
16. What did the woman see?
17. How did she describe the man she saw?
18. Saul was convinced she had seen __________.
19. What did Samuel say to Saul?
20. Where had he tried to get help?
21. What does "disquieted" mean?
22. Who took the kingdom from Saul?
23. Rebellion is akin to _____________.
24. What terrible news does Samuel give Saul in verse 19?
25. What happened, when Saul heard this news?
26. Why had he not eaten?
27. What did the woman advise Saul to do?
28. What did she feed them?
29. Why was the bread unleavened?
30. When God has judged a person, who can help him?