1 Samuel Series Wk 23 - “God’s Invitation to Restoration”

  Mr. And Mrs. Burke were sitting in their family room one evening. The husband was reading the newspaper while, his wife knitted. Mr. Burke let out a little chuckle when he noticed that in the paper there was a man named Patrick Burke who was getting married. He shared this with his wife, and she laughed to. Their son was named Patrick, but they knew it couldn’t be their Patrick, because he was returning from military duty and they were to pick him up the next day. But they thought it was funny enough to clip the announcement out and take it with them when they picked up their son the next day. Their plan was to give him a hard time about the whole situation. However, their jaws dropped when they saw their son stepping out off of the plane with a newborn in his arms and an unknown lady standing next to him. 

The confusion was quickly cleared up when Patrick informed his parents that he was merely helping the new mother with the baby because the tarmac was wet. The parents were relieved and Patrick chucked at this little homecoming mix up.

Homecoming stories are some of the most satisfying tales. No matter if it’s home for the holidays or coming back from war, the joy of returning to family is something that captures people’s hearts.

And it’s this idea of being able to return that brings us back to our series in First Samuel, where we’ll be picking it back up in First Samuel chapter 29, verse 1. As we jump back into First Samuel 29:1, let’s do a quick refresher on where we are.

As we entered the third section of First Samuel, we were introduced to David, God’s chosen king to lead Israel. Through David’s introduction, we walked away with understanding that, God desires us to eagerly follow him in humble trust that is confident that he will work things out as we seek and obey him.

Following David’s introduction we saw how Saul continued to spiraled into sin so deep that when he sought God, God was silent. This was because Saul was seeking God for his own purposes and not God’s. This is when Saul went to a medium to contact Samuel who had recently died. It was through this interaction that we walked away with the understanding that, God calls us to rely solely on him to experience the spiritual, because the spiritual realm is skewed to us, and his goals are for our benefit.

Then last week, we took a brief detour to understand the spiritual battle around us. We talked about the three foes: our flesh, the enemy, and the world, and the oppressive battle we all face. From last week, we came to the understanding that, God does not want us to be lackadaisical in the spiritual battle, but to seek him in preparation for it.

With all this refreshed in our minds, we can jump back into First Samuel, 29:1, where we’ll be looking at two of the final three chapters. Let’s read starting in verse 1 of chapter 29.

1 Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. 2 As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, 3 the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”

6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.” 11 So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

v.29:1-11

In the last chapter, the catalyst for Saul going to the medium was that the Philistines were coming out to war against the Israelites. Saul didn’t know what to do because God was silent. Now, we learn about what was happening to David at this same time. 

As the Philistines gathered people from their various cities, David and his men came out to help Achish who was kind of like their patron at this time. However, the other Philistine commanders were not comfortable with David being a part of their attack on Israel. This was because of David’s reputation as an effective warrior for Saul, and it caused them to reject him, especially as someone bringing up their rear.

One thing we need to see here is that Achish was blinded to what David was actually doing. Achish says he has seen nothing wrong with David, and yet, David has been raiding everyone except the Philistines and Israelites. That Achish doesn’t see that David hasn’t been truthful with him, is a testament to Achish not being able to see the obvious threat David posed that everyone else saw. The deceitfulness of David needs to be acknowledged as a bad point for David, because this bad and good of David becomes a cycle of his.

At the end of the chapter, when told of the situation, David agrees to return to the city he was working out of.

v.30:1-20

Following this, in the first twenty verses of chapter 30, we find out that the city that David had been working out of, was ransacked. All the people, livestock, and goods were carried off by a raiding party of the Amalekites. Remember, Saul was supposed to break the Amalekites early in the book, but he didn’t. So his sin has now affected David. But David had been raiding people like the Amalekites himself, so they’re just returning the favor. 

It is here that we get a good point from David. He seeks God to see if he should go after the raiders. It might seem like an obvious “yes,” but even in David’s loss, to seek God first is the answer. Something that Saul stopped doing, hence why God was silent to him.

We’re then told that six hundred men take off to go after the raiding party, but two hundred stayed behind at a brook because they were exhausted. The remaining four hundred capture an Egyptian servant of the Amalekites, who gave them their location, and David’s men recapture all that was lost to them.

v.30:21-25

It’s after the raiding party is defeated, and David and his men return, that we pick up the passage once again in verse 21 of chapter 30.

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

Upon returning to the other men, we’re told that “… wicked and worthless fellows …” who were a part of the victory did not want to give any spoils to those who stayed behind. Here’s that word again, “worthless.” These men had their sights set on evil things, in this case their distain for those who stayed behind. They went to battle, they put their life on the line, they won the fight, and so they should be the one’s who get the spoils.

However, David sets a precedent here, that anyone and everyone will receive their share of spoils, because it’s not only on the front lines where battles are won. All those who play supporting roles, aid in their own way to bring about victory. In this case, those who stayed behind still helped by being a backup guard if the battle had gone poorly.

This interaction reminds me of Matthew 20:1-16 and Jesus’ Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. In that parable, Jesus talks about the owner of a vineyard who hired some people on at an agreed upon wage. Later in the day, the owner hires more people. At the end of the day, everyone gets paid the same amount. Those at the beginning protest that the others received the same pay, but it is the owner’s choice in what he pays. 

Here we see a similar situation. Though the two hundred men did not fight in the battle, they still did work, just a different type, and David was willing to share the spoils with them as well.

Here’s another good point for David as he shows that he makes a good king, by showing compassion and wise governing.

v.30:26-30

In the final five verses, we’re told that David not only shares the spoils with those that are around him, but also with others who were most likely affected by the raiders. David’s story in First Samuel, ends with a kingly action, which sets up his eventual coronation in the next book. 

Walking away from this passage, we can see the key characteristic that will cycle through David’s life. He does sinful things, and he does righteous things. He lied to Achish to save his own skin, but he sought God and shared the spoils. 

And this is why God is willing to use David for his purposes. David isn’t a perfect person. He lies, cheats, and steals. Yet, he turns back to God. He humbles himself before the Lord and the Lord uses him to work out the plans he has for the coming savior, Jesus. 

David’s life, is one that shows that God’s desire for his people is that they continually return to him, even when they mess up. This is the key difference between Judas and Peter. Both betray and reject Jesus in their own way. Judas for silver and with a kiss he betrays Jesus. Peter to save his own life, and with his words of rejection. The difference is, Judas doesn’t return to Jesus, but takes his own life. Peter, on the other hand embraces Jesus’ restoration and goes on to be a prominent leader in the early Church.

It’s a similar situation with Saul and David. Saul will not return to God, he just wants to use him. While David will return to God for God’s work.

And it’s this return that God wants. God desires that his people have a return mentality. When we sin, we return in humbleness, seeking the restoration of relationship. Later, through the prophet Joel, God would say this, “‘Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster (Joel 2:12-13).”

No matter what we have done, or how far we have strayed, God’s intention is to restore us, that we may experience his freeing life. So this week, my challenge is that we each solidify a return mentality. Seek the Holy Spirit to break through any deceitful thoughts that tell you, “God doesn’t want you," or that, “You’ve done to many things wrong for his forgiveness.” No, if God could forgive David for his lying, which led to a whole town being killed, he can forgive, what we deem in our own lives, as unforgivable.

Let us rest this week in the great grace of God, whose desire is our restoration. Amen. 

1 Samuel Series Wk 22 - “Spiritual Fortification”

  When Marika and I we’re in college we were a part of a team called Redding Street Ministry. It was a group of college students from Simpson University that would go out into the community and share the Gospel and pray for people. The most interesting encounter I had was when we walked into a Barnes and Noble Bookstore. I went over to the religious and spiritual section and met a disheveled man. He had greying hair and was slightly hunched over. We began to talk about what he was looking at and the conversation was brought to Jesus. Never in my life up to that point had I ever seen the change in someone so drastically. The man’s eyes went from clear to dark, as if someone took a drop of paint and placed it in his eyes. His attitude towards me changed as well and the conversation abruptly ended. It was the first time that I had recognized the demonic in someone else.

 

This brings us back to summer series in the book of First Samuel, where we are taking a week to explore deeper into the spiritual realm that was brought up last week, when we read about how Saul met with the medium at En-dor.

Last week we talked about how mediums, diviners, and necromancers were outlawed in Israel because they were those who sought a power outside of God. However, we talked about how seeking that power opens us up to being manipulated by spiritual beings who only allow us to see glimpses of the spiritual as they call us away from God. 

This is why we need to seek the Lord, because he is out for our best interest. God seeks us to live his life, an abundant life, which will bring about true fulfillment. Whereas the spirits in rebellion against God, only seek our downfall. 

We ended with the quote from C.S. Lewis, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

We don’t want to become obsessive with the realm of evil sprits, yet we do not want to be blind to it either. What God wants us to be, is right where he decides: Trusting him, and standing firm against the enemy. Because of this we’re going to look briefly at what the Scriptures reveal about the enemy and how we are to respond.

First, let’s get to know our enemy. Teams watch film before going against an opponent so nothing surprises them on the field. That’s what we’re doing here.

There are three foes that we need to be aware of. The first is the most prolific, it’s the closest, and it’s what the other two use to undermine our lives. 

Foe one is our flesh. Paul writes extensively about what the flesh is in the Book of Romans, which we’re only going to read a portion of. Starting in Chapter 7, verse 13, we read, “7:13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

“21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

“8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

“9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Our flesh, which are the sinful desires that call to us from within us, are the greatest battles we face. The desire to do the things that God says not to, is a struggle that we face moment by moment. Too often we give credit to Satan or a demon for what is really our own wants apart from God. Outside of Christ, the flesh runs rampant. Our desires grow into cravings, and those cravings lead to perpetual sin. This is what we see in Saul’s life. Desire for a kingdom, leads to cravings of hoarding his own power, and he experiences a spiral of sin. We are powerless against the flesh, falling prey to it time and time again.

When we accept Christ, however, the power of the flesh over us is broken. The Holy Spirit of God dwells in us and now battles the flesh. We aid in this battle through prayer, worship of God, and practicing other spiritual disciplines as we bring our lives as a living sacrifice before God (Rom. 12:1-2).

The second foe is Satan and his demons, what I like to simply call the enemy. The Scripture condenses the terminology and exemplifies it into focusing on the devil. 1 Peter 5:8 reads, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Jesus in John 8:44, calls the religious leaders, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

James the half brother of Jesus writes in James 4:7-8, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

And John the Apostles writes in his first letter, “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother (1 Jn. 3:7-10).”

Satan and his fallen angels are at work in the world. They are deceivers and liars, and they play off of our flesh to tempt us into following anything other than God. The enemy’s goal is not to make us Satanists, but to keep us away from God. Whether it be one of the many other religions of the world, or a rejection of the supernatural in general, or just someone who is apathetic towards God. Any position other than in the fold of God is the enemy’s goal.

But the enemy knows that their time is short, for as Revelation 20:10 states, “… and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” This is why, as we draw closer to Christ’s return, the demonic will unleash itself more and more, to take as many down as it can.

The final foe is the world. Paul is his spiritual battle call in Ephesians 6:10-12 writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The enemy is in the world. Behind the corruption we see, or the wars that rage. Behind the drug and slave traffickers. Behind the local, state, and nation governments. Behind petty squabbles of neighbors and civil unrest, it is the culmination of the flesh of the individual and the enemy, which create unseen puppeteers guiding this world away from God.

Jesus said this of the world in John 15:18-21 - “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. iIf they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”

John the Apostle adds to this thought, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you (1 Jn. 3:13).”

The world, as a culmination of the work of our flesh and the work of the enemy hates the God who made it and stands in rebellion against its Creator and yet, God has not yet abandon it. The words of Christ state his love, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16).” Though the world is in rebellion, God is still working to bring all those who would accept into his eternal life. That they would be in the world but not of it (Jn 17:16).

With the three foes we face understood, let’s briefly talk about the battle. Three are two stages of the battle: the oppression and the possession.

Every single human is under oppression in some way. For the non-believer it’s an unrecognized pressing of the enemy, utilizing the flesh to manipulate as they are being led further away from God. Oppression in the non-believer’s life can come out as them saying, “I don’t want to hear about Jesus,” “I have my own beliefs,” “Everyone has their own thing.” They are like those, who at the end of the Book of Judges states as, “… Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Jdgs 21:25).”

Oppression unchecked can eventually lead to possession. Possession happens when the life of the oppressed removes itself from the light of Christ. This possessive state can happen to a person, or because of their actions as authority in another’s life, it can happen to those under their care, such as children as can be seen in the boy’s life in Mark 9:14-29. Yet, there is still hope in either case. No one is without hope as long as they still have breath to confess Jesus as Lord.

However, for the believer, possession is off the table, for as the Apostle John states, “… he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 Jn 4:4).” But oppression is still there. There are two types of stances to be in the oppression of the believer. First is the lackadaisical stance. Here we allow our flesh to be fed, while starving the Spirit. The enemy has room to tempt and manipulate. That is a dangerous place to be as it mars our witness and brings shame upon God. When the believer is lackadaisical in the battle against the enemy’s oppression, they are seen as hypocrites. They are more focused on rules, and grace seems to be a foreign concept.

The second stance is where God wants us. John the Apostles writes, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 Jn 4:1-6).”

There is only one Spirit that matters and that’s the Holy Spirit. Any other spirit, that presents itself to us, whether angel or demon, has no place if they try to usurp the position of God’s Spirit. To know the difference, one way is to see if the spirit we are dealing with will confess that Jesus’ came in the flesh and is from God. If a spirit or person cannot proclaim this central truth, they are not from God.

But asking questions isn’t all that we do, we prepare daily for the battle. We do this by following Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:13-20, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

We employ the truth of God in the spiritual battle. What God says we must believe, or we will fall to the enemy’s lies. We wear the righteousness of God on our chest, for it is he that covered us and took away our sin. If we think it is our own goodness that brings about our salvation, we become enticed by the enemy to take our eyes off Jesus. We prepare ourselves to share the Gospel with others whenever the opportunity is given to us. If we do not, then the enemy will use that to degrade our faith, and make us think we are unusable for the kingdom. We shield our lives with faith, which trusts God in every circumstance. When we begin to doubt God’s work or his goodness, the enemy uses this wavering to bring doubt, which leads to apathy and discouragement. We cover our mind in the reality of Christ salvation given to us. We stand firm in the assurance that Jesus has saved us, for if we don’t the doubts and questions of, “Am I really saved,” become nagging thoughts that turn us to works and not to grace. Every piece of armor so far is defensive, preparing us for the enemy’s attacks. But the sword of God’s word is our offensive weapon. Just Jesus utilized God’s word against Satan, we use God’s word to deal with every attack of the enemy and counter it. Finally, we pray. Constant communication with our commanding officer is needed to deal with the enemy’s attacks. Both prayer for ourselves and for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

There is one point of caution I want to say here. Too often I will hear Christians say things like, “We rebuke the devil.” Listen to the words of Jude, “But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you (v.1:9).’” As believers, we are under Christ’s authority. If we try to undermine or step outside of that authority and take God’s position upon ourselves, we will find ourselves battle the enemy on our own. The Book of Acts records such a situation, “But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you (Acts 19:15)?’” 

When we engage in spiritual battles, whether it be with our own flesh, satan and his demons, or the world, we are to engage it fully under the authority of Jesus. Because who am I, who are we, without the Lord? So we call upon Jesus to rebuke the flesh, the devils, and the world in his mighty name and by his authority over them!

We are not called to focus on the foes of God, but to recognize that we are in a battle against spiritual forces whose time is winding down. They will continue to get bolder, so we must be ever vigilant. This is where God wants us, fortified in our faith. This is why we, in this ministry, focus on equipping the saints to do the work of God. We do this on Sunday mornings, we do this with our Apologetics class on Wednesdays. We do this by teaching the spiritual disciplines. And the more we press into God, the more we will see and be prepared for the attacks of the spiritual foes. 

My challenge for you this week, is to take one aspect per day from the armor of God passage in Ephesians 6:13-20, and seek the Holy Spirit to build you up in that area. Everyday ask God to strengthen you in his truth, his righteousness, preparation of sharing the Gospel, firm in your faith, solid in your salvation, knowledgeable in his word, and steeped in prayer. 

Let us be a people who are prepared for the spiritual battle that rages all around us. Amen.

1 Samuel Series Wk 21 - “Seeking Our Spiritual Father”

  I don’t like uncovered widows at night, and let me tell you why. When I was in fourth grade, we moved from the little mountain town of Fiddletown into the city limits of the city of Ione. It was the first time since I was born that we had lived in a track house. At the front of the house was a big bay window. Our living room was set up so that the T.V. was opposite of the front door on the left side of that window. We had a recliner next to the front door and right against the window. 

I liked to sit in the recliner because you could see outside, and still be able to watch the T.V. It was around Halloween when I was sitting in the recliner watching something on the T.V. I heard a noise outside and looked to my right. There, at eye level, with only a piece of glass between us, was a werewolf. I jumped out of the chair and screamed! Come to find out it was my dad in a mask, but ever since then, I have not liked having chairs next to windows, and I do not like having the windows uncovered at night. A little trauma goes a long way.

October and Halloween brings a bit of fright to our society, as our culture focuses on ghouls and goblins and other horror themed things. And it’s this aspect of fright that brings us to one of the most interesting and unique passages of First Samuel, which is found in chapter 28. As we jump into First Samuel 28:1, let’s do a quick refresher of how we got here.

David’s introduction and life is juxtaposed against Saul’s. David trusts God, Saul doubts him. David expects God to work, Saul takes it upon himself to fix situations. David seeks God to work out his will, Saul seeks God to work out his own will. Due to these things we can see why God chooses David as king rather than Saul. Because of this we have walked away from the last several weeks with the understand that God desires us to eagerly follow him in humble trust that is confident that he will work things out as we obey him. This summarizes the last nine weeks as we have see the fall of Saul and the rise of David. This is the core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. God isn’t just looking for us to have a mental belief in him, but an active trusting relationship that grows as we obey him.

It’s with this as the foundation of faith that we can now turn our attention to the spiritual realm. As we jump into First Samuel 28, verses 1-3 tell us that David has agreed to go to war against the Israelites with Achish the Philistine, this will be important next week, but for now we are going to focus on the major part of the thought of this passage. 

Dropping down to verse 4, is where we’ll begin to read.

3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”

8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10 But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”

20 Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 

v.3-14

Let’s stop there. The passage begins with a call back to chapter 25 and Samuel’s death. We’re also told that over the course of his reign, Saul had ran out the mediums and necromancers from the land of Israel. This is in accordance with Deuteronomy 18:10-12, so we know that Saul is acquainted with God’s word. Mediums and Necromancers are those who speak to the dead on behalf of the living. These are grouped in with those who tell fortunes and read divinations. The idea here is that there are those who seek to circumvent and go outside the power of God. This is why it is a problem. It’s trying to replace God with another power that, we as humans can control, rather than submitting to the power and authority of God.

However, Saul has become desperate because God has fallen silent. No matter the avenue Saul tries, whether it be dreams, throwing of lots of the Urim and Thummin, or through prophets, God will not answer Saul.

So Saul turns to the only other place he can think of, a medium, someone he knows God does not want his people to associate with. But there are no mediums in Israel, he got rid of them. So he has to go to En-dor a place currently held by the Philistines.

When Saul arrives his appearance as a Hebrew is why the medium is at first hesitant to help. She doesn’t want her life to be in danger, but Saul, in disguise, assurers her she’s safe. Even going as far as to invoke the name of God for an oath, adding to his life more sin, and further stepping in the opposite direction of God.

It’s here that we get the only time in the Old Testament where a person, who is not resurrected back to life, comes back to speak with the living. And we have to notice the shear horror that happens to the medium. In this instance, she not only realizes that it’s Saul in disguise, but that something is coming out of the earth. When asked by Saul what it is, our English translations call it a god. The Hebrew word is elohim. Which is the Hebrew catch all for anything divine. The term carries with it the understanding that the elohim are those beings who carry God’s divine authority. Angels are called elohim, but humans can also be given the title.  

However we need to notice that the medium’s reaction shows that something like this is not the norm for her, and it seems to be the first time this has happened. 

By her description of of the old man in a robe, Saul confirms that it is Samuel and he responds by bowing in a humblest of position. But it’s not true humility, it’s an act to get something out of Samuel.

v.15-20

Samuel isn’t happy with Saul, who would be? But Saul is desperate because God is no longer speaking and the Philistines are at his door.

At Saul’s desperation, Samuel gets straight to the point that the reason God isn’t speaking is because of Saul’s disobedience, which is add to by him seeking a medium, and using the Lord’s name in vain by making an oath by it. And due to his disobedience, God has not only stopped speaking, but has chosen David to be the next king. This solidifies David’s ascension and Saul’s downfall.

Samuel’s final words to Saul is that Saul and his sons’ will lose their lives tomorrow when they battle the Philistines.

Verses 21-25 end the passage with Saul needing food and the medium providing it. After Saul eats he returns to his camp to meet his end.

It is in this unique passage that we see a little bit of the separation and crossover of the spiritual realm. 

The Bible is clear that there is a spiritual realm, and in that realm there are purely spiritual beings, some who follow God, and some that do not. We refer to those purely spiritual beings that follow God as angelic beings. Those purely spiritual beings that do not follow God, we call demons. Demons are fallen angelic beings who have rebelled against God’s authority.

  We are not purely spiritual beings, but a hybrid between the spiritual and the physical. And we are unique among God’s creatures in that we have the breath of life from God. No other beings have this breath, and so, in us, the spiritual is wrapped around by the physical. A state that those who follow Jesus will have in a new body for all of eternity, whereas those who have chosen their sin over God will be separated from.

As we live right now, the spiritual realm is skewed to us. This is because of our own sin and the sin that permeates our world. We can sense spiritual things, but there is a heavy separation between what happens in the spiritual realm and what we can perceive of it. 

We see this with the medium at En-dor. She has some sense of the spiritual realm, but when Samuel rises, it horrifies her. The reason for this is because, for all what we think we can perceive of the spiritual realm, we only can experience glimpses. 

The Prophet Isaiah is given a glimpse into the throne room of God, and relays that experience in his sixth chapter, “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (Is. 6:1-5)”

Isaiah’s reaction was a realization that he was a sinner and shouldn’t be in the presence of God. 

John the Apostle had a similar experience when he saw Jesus in his full glory. He relays his experience in poetic form in Revelation 1, “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead (Rev. 1:12-17a).”

The spiritual realm is not something that is a normal experience and those that speak of it in Scripture relay how truly otherworld it is. 

However, we must understand that only those on the spiritual side have the ability to give glimpses to it. They have access to both the physical and spiritual, and our access is only give by their leave. If we are seeking the spiritual realm, we only see whatever spirit we are communicating with wants us to see. The spiritual realm is like a one-way mirror, allowing one side to see a reflection, while the other sees through it. A one-way mirror is described as, “… perception of one-way transmission is achieved when one side of the mirror is brightly lit and the other side is dark. This allows viewing from the darkened side but not vice versa.”

This is how our perception of the spiritual realm works. We only see as much as the spirits on the other side illuminates us to see. 

So if we are seeing things through a spirit that is in rebellion against God, we will only see enough for that spirit to bring us onto their side. This is why God tells us to stay away from things like mediums, and divination such as tarot card readers. Even things like horror movies  can be utilized by spiritual forces. And God tells us to stay way from these things because the spirits that are sought are only those spirits in rebellion against God, and who are not out for our benefit, but their own. 

Wheres when God reveals the spiritual it’s to bring us closer to him. He wants to pour out his forgiveness and mend us from our sin. To Isaiah, who realized his sin, we continue to read, “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’ (Is. 6:6-7)”

To John we read, “But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’ (Rev. 1:17b-18)”

The purposes of spirits in rebellion against God is to bind us further in sin and to turn us away from God. The purposes of God revealing the spiritual realm is to bring us closer to him; to set us free from sin and lead us into the life he created us to experience.

The medium at En-dor was horrified at what she saw, because it was the first time that God pulled back the veil between the physical and spiritual and allowed Saul to speak with Samuel. Before then, she had only been communicating with the demonic which only allowed her to see shadows of the spiritual realm. 

God is calling us to rely solely on him to experience the spiritual, because his goals are for our benefit. Any other avenue to the spiritual is lined with deceitful spirits calling us away from God’s true life.

C.S. Lewis once said, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” God is calling us to understand that the spiritual realm is real and that their are those sprits who are seeking to pull us further from God, deeper into sin, and finally into eternal death. So, let us seek God who is out for our good, who desires that we experience his good and lasting life. And allow him to reveal the spiritual realm as he sees fit.

My challenge for you this week is to read these words from the Apostle Paul from Philippians 4:4-9 every morning this week, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Let us be a people who seek our spiritual Father who desires good for us. Amen.