1 Samuel 28: Saul conducts a séance

Synopsis:

The Philistines raise an army against Israel. Saul is scared and doesn’t know what to do. God won’t talk to him directly or through the prophets.  He has also thrown all the wizards and people with familiar spirits from the land. He asks around and finds out there is a woman in Endor who has a familiar spirit. So he puts on clothes to hide himself and goes to see her. She is skeptical. You aren’t going to turn me over to Saul are you?  No, I promise I won’t. Saul then asks her to bring up Samuel. Which she does. And she is upset because now she realizes, he is Saul.  Saul asks her what she sees. She says she sees gods ascending from the ground. An old man comes, covered in a mantle, it is Samuel. Samuel is pretty upset that Saul called him up from his rest and Samuel tells Saul – God doesn’t like you and you are going to die. Saul throwns himself to the floor distraught. The woman with the familiar comes and tries to get Saul to eat. He refuses. She kills a calf and makes some bread and Saul agrees to eat and then they all leave and go back to his house.

In other words:

God isn’t talking to Saul so Saul holds a séance with a female psychic and asks a cranky dead Samuel for advice.

Favorite bit:

That Samuel is really cranky for having been summoned by a psychic – when God is really clear – you aren’t supposed to use psychics. No wonder God has abandoned you. (1 Samuel 28:15,16)

2nd favorite bit:

That the psychic is from Endor.

3rd favorite bit:

That the psychic - seeing Saul's distress, even though she didn't like him, still offered him food. (1 Samuel 28: 22-25)

Least favorite bit:

That not only will Saul and his sons be killed, but so will the Israelis.

Moral Lesson Learned:

Be nice to people who suffer, even if you don’t like them (1 Samuel 28)