Gospel Reflections #1018: A Desperate Move

1 Samuel 28:14 ‘Saul asked the woman, “What does he look like?” She replied, “An old man is coming up, and he is wearing a robe.” When Saul realised it was Samuel, he bowed down with his face to the ground.’

Faced with a major battle against the Philistines, King Saul was overcome with fear and sought an oracle from God.

However, God gave him no answer whatsoever—neither through dreams, nor through the Urim (the priestly instruments), nor through the prophets.

Having exhausted all other options, Saul sought out a ‘spiritist’ (a medium) in Endor—one he had previously banished from the land—and, in a state of despair, went to meet her in the middle of the night.

When the medium performed her ritual, unlike the usual method, the spirit of the true prophet Samuel (a being resembling him) showed up, causing the woman herself to cry out in terror. 

Saul did not see Samuel with his own eyes, but upon hearing the woman’s description, he realised, ‘That is Samuel.’

And out of fear and reverence, he bowed his head to the ground in homage.

God has not given Satan the power to raise the dead.

However, Satan’s agents disguise themselves as the dead, speaking and acting just like them.

Through those who claim to be the deceased, Satan is able to carry out his work of deception more effectively.

And, without our realising it, something is created that we place above God.

Satan is at work from the moment we turn our attention, not to God, but to the things in this world that satisfy our own desires.

We tend to think we can handle Satan’s temptations by our own strength, but we need to learn through experience that we cannot overcome even the smallest temptation by our own power.

God gives us chance after chance.

We should accept these chances with gratitude and hope.

God does not give up on us until the very end; He continues to reach out to us.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.