1 SAMUEL 28:1-19
David and his men became bodyguards to Achish, king of Gath, and this soon put David in a
dilemma. The Philistines decided to go against the Israelites, and David apparently could see no
way out of going along and fighting against his own people. He had a weakness for telling lies
when doubts came into his heart.
This was one of his besetting sins. He had lied to Jonathan and, through Jonathan, to Saul. He had
lied to Ahimelech, and that had brought death to 85 priests.
When Saul saw the Philistines, he desperately wanted help to know what to do. The story of his
visit to the witch of Endor is well known. Samuel had been dead for some time, and Saul had no
one he could turn to who would reveal to him God’s will.
It was in keeping with Saul’s character to have issued orders to destroy everyone who sought
contact with the dead, such as the witch of Endor, and then, when he found himself facing a real
difficulty, to seek the help of just such an evil person.
The witch of Endor was terrified when she discovered that it was not the evil spirit for whom she
was a medium who appeared to Saul. It was Samuel himself. Once again we see that Saul’s great
sin was the sin of rebellion against the will of God. May we always seek to know God’s will in
order that we may do it.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked (Isa. 57:20-21).
Theodore Epp
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