The writer of 1 Samuel had spent many chapters in this book characterising David and Saul, outlining the differences between them. Saul had not fulfilled his role, neither had he shown loyalty to God. Instead, he is obsessed with pursuing David, at the expense of defending Israel against the Philistines. In this chapter, the conflict with the Philistines sets the background to Saul’s actions.

Saul was afraid when he saw the army of the Philistines (verse 5), but Samuel had died, and Saul had killed the priests at Nob, leaving him helpless. While Saul had rightly put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land (verse 3), he had not replaced them by fostering relationship with the legitimate means of divine communication, which will be the prophets and priests of Yahweh. Therefore, in his darkest hour and in a time of great fear, Saul had no one to turn to for help to access divine guidance, and his nocturnal visit to Endor marks his final departure from faith in Yahweh. Saul had not replaced his own personal reliance on magicians with a relationship with Yahweh. He continued with the illegitimate use of magic as a means of seeking guidance. Ironically, it is this magic that he turned to that confirmed the prophetic word he had always turned away from – he had continually disobeyed God (verses 16-19). As Brueggemann puts it, “Saul’s ‘decision to seek help from a medium is a measure of his moral exhaustion, his despairing faith, his failed life.”

Dear brothers and sisters, who do you turn to in time of any severe crisis? Or who do you turn to in any challenging times or when you have to make a difficult decision? Do we pray, but take things into our own hands, and then after a while wonder why God did not seem to be answering our prayers? The truth is, obeying God starts from our everyday and not just at major decisions. Saul had many opportunities to do as God had said, to seek God’s guidance, but he had time and again rejected God, as we have seen over the past chapters. God had already set up a perfect system for His leaders, and He has given His Word. Saul needed only to obey Him but he did not. Saul had shut God out of his life. Similarly, God’s Word is revealed to us and is sufficient, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will enlighten and lead us. Will we read His Word daily so that we may know Him, so that we may obey Him daily? May we not turn a deaf ear to God in our every day so that we may also hear Him in our major decisions.

Prayer : Dear Father, thank you for reminding me of Your ever presence. Help me to be obedient to your Word in my everyday, and to trust You with every aspect of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.