Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Not What He Wanted To Hear

I Samuel 28:15-25

“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.” (I Samuel 28:15) 

Saul demanded that the medium communicate with Samuel, and she was shocked when the real person came.  Samuel wasn’t too happy about being brought back either.  Though he was not in heaven, he was in Paradise,  and didn’t want to come back.  While we know very little about it, Luke 16:25 tells us, “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”  Samuel had lived his entire life dealing with Israel’s problems and sin.  Why would he want to come back ?

When Samuel asked why Saul was bothering him, Saul said it was because he was really worried that the Philistines were threatening war and he couldn’t get any answers from God, so he had demanded Samuel come up and answer his questions.

When Saul went to the rescue of  the men of Jabesh Gilead, he threatened the others with destruction if they didn’t help.  He tried to force God to do what he wanted by prayers and sacrifices.  He tried to manipulate David and others by offering his daughters as prizes. When he couldn’t see a way of accomplishing his goals by manipulation he panicked, because he couldn’t control things, and didn’t trust God.

“Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?  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: 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.” (I Samuel 28:16-18)

Samuel asked why bother him when God had departed.  There was no way Samuel could overcome God’s opposition.  God was just doing what Samuel had warned him would happen because he insisted on keeping the livestock instead of obeying God when he was sent to destroy the Amalekites.

“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.” (I Samuel 28:19)

Not only would God give the kingdom to his neighbor, but he would also give the Philistines and Saul and his sons would be killed.  It was certainly not what Saul hoped for.

“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. 

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.  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.” (I Samuel 28:20-22)

Because he was so upset Saul hadn’t eaten anything, and in a weakened state, there was no strength left to deal with the emotional pressure.  The woman offered him food, reminding him that she had put her life on the line to even consult Samuel.  Now she asked him to allow her to feed them so he would have the strength to do what he needed to.

“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.  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: And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.” (I Samuel 28:23-25)

At first Saul refused to eat, wallowing in his misery, but the woman and his servants finally convinced him to eat and get his strength back.  After a good meal, they left and returned to the army.

2 comments:

  1. Saul must have felt like a man condemned, for so he was. What a terrible position to be in. It reminds me of the writer of Hebrews warning what a fearful thing it was to fall into the hands of the living God.

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