Day3
1Samuel 28
Week 45
“Then said Saul to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “There is woman medium in Endor.” So Saul disguised himself, put on other clothes, and he went with two of his men. And they came to the woman by night and he said, “Please divine for me by a spirit, and bring up for me whom I will name to you.” The woman said to him, “Listen, you know what Saul has done, how he has eliminated the mediums and necromancers from the land. Now why are you laying a trap for my life to cause my death?” Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment will happen to you for this thing.””
1 Samuel 28:7-10 MEV
Cross references
Joshua 17:11;
Psalms 83:10;
1Chronicles 10:13;
Isaiah 8:19;
1Samuel 28:3
Against Yourself
Since God didn’t answer right away, Saul decided to try something else. Remember, Saul was full of fear because of the Philistines and desperate. He was unwilling to repent and impatient. As a result, he told his advisors in verse 7, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.” A “medium” is someone who communicates with the dead. Saul gives up on getting an answer from God and instead of trusting God, without an answer, he decided to seek out a “medium” for an answer.
This is what fear does to people. It causes them to do things they know are wrong. They feel trapped and make irrational decisions.Proverbs 29:25, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap…” (NLT).
1. Have you ever broke your own rules or did something against yourself?
Without knowing it, Saul had become trapped in his own fear and it was leading him to his own death. Instead of truly seeking God, Saul sought out a medium who could contact the dead. Something God had strictly forbidden.
Saul asked His advisers where he might find a medium and they immediately replied, “There is a medium at Endor.” I am surprised at how quickly they knew where a medium was. They knew exactly where to find one.
Be very careful with whom you seek advice. Saul had surrounded himself with people who told him what he wanted to hear.
2. Who are you surrounded by?
Wisdom comes from God and choosing wise friends is very important.
“Endor” is six miles away from Saul’s current position on the battle line. And it is on the other side of the enemy camp. Saul is so desperate to get information; he is willing to cross enemy lines to do so! Anytime you engage in the occult, you are also stepping behind enemy lines. Whether you are consulting mediums, spiritists, fortunetellers, or psychics you are stepping across enemy lines and into enemy territory. You are opening up yourself for an attack. The Law told Saul to stay away from these types of activities and God’s Word tells us today to do the same.
3. Are there activities that you and your friends are participating in that are against God’s Word?
Saul bypasses his trust in God and now Saul is about to bypass the Word of God.
Fear leads you to make decisions against yourself.
As a follower of Jesus, don’t be tempted to blend into the enemy’s territory. You are a child of God. You belong to the King of kings. You are a soldier of Christ.
Saul bypasses God by bypassing his trust in God and bypassing the Word of God.
What comes next is another choice against yourself by bypassing obedience to God.
Action Step
Examine yourself and see if you are making decisions against yourself.
Use the 3 questions from today’s lesson to prayerfully guide you.
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