SAUL CONSULTS A MEDIUM Resorting to Lachish had put David in an awkward position, when the Philistines gathered their armies together against Israel... As for Saul, afraid and his heart trembling, his condition worsened greatly, as God did not answer him anymore, because of his continuous iniquities, he resorted to a woman who was a medium, although he had previously cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. He disguised himself and put on other clothes, and asked her to bring up for him the spirit of Samuel to seek his counsel. The devil came to him in Samuel’s form to talk to him... as it is not possible to bring up the spirits of the departed. 1- War between Israel and the Philistines 1 – 2. 2- Saul consults a medium 3 – 20. 3- Saul collapses 21 – 25. 1- WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PHILISTINES Achish had been sure of David’s loyalty to him; and David’s response was calm and non- committing. As his soul was bitter concerning his people, we do not know what he would have done if he took part in that war?! Having gathered his armies together for war, Achish, with confidence asked David: “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men” (1 Samuel 28: 1). Achich counted that issue as something that needed no discussion; and counted it, as well, a credit to himself, to have David and his men fighting on his side, against their country and people. As we said, David did not give a committing promise, but said: “Surely you know what your servant can do” (1 Samuel 28: 2). Taking it for granted, Achish misunderstood David’s response, and was very pleased with him, expressed his confidence in his loyalty, and his capabilities in war, and promised to appoint him one of his chief guardians forever (1 Samuel 28: 2). 2- SAUL CONSULTS A MEDIUM Now, what was the situation of Saul against the armies of the enemies that gathered for war, while the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him, Samuel was dead, and David fled from him because of his persecution? The book repeats concisely the issue of Samuel’s death, for the sake of clarifying the future actions of Saul: “Now Samuel has died, and all Israel had lamented for him, and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land” (1 Samuel 28: 3). One of the good deeds done by Saul - most probably following the guidance of the prophet Samuel - was his opposition to works of magic and sorcery, and exiling the mediums and spiritists out of the land. The original word “mediums” came to mean those who talk as though through their bellies, pretending to have some lower spirits dwelling in them, that told them hidden things of the future. He also dismissed out of the land, the spiritists - meaning the followers and servants of the lower spirit1, who claimed that they revealed to them things unseen and uncomprehended by humans, and offer them possibilities beyond human capabilities, as for example bringing up the spirits of the dead. Saul’s law banned all those practices, as they . 1 كتاب السنن القويم في تفسير أسفار العهد القديم، ص 128 . قاموس الكتاب المقدس، ص 262 2 implied that man resorted to evil as his guide and support, instead of resorting to, and leaning upon God. “Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Chunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa” (1 Samuel 28: 4) The Philistines gathered together at ‘Chunem,’ a city in the territory of Issachar, known today as ‘Solem,’ on the south-west side of Dohi mountain, within which there is a spring and fertile land. This mountain (hill) is 3 1/2 miles north-east of Jezril, and 5 miles north-west of the end of the Gilboa mountain, and 16 miles from the mountain of Carmel1. Saul and his army encamped at Gilboa, facing Chunem. ‘Gilboa’2 is a Hebrew name, probably meaning (a flowing fountain); and known nowadays as ‘the mountain of Fakouh,’ located near the village of ‘Gilbon’. This mountain constitutes the protruding part at the north-eastern part of the mountain of Ephraim; and the waterfalls in between the basin of ‘Kaishon’ river, and the valley of the Jordan. That name designates a series of high mountains, that form an arch east of the valley of Jezril, 8 miles long, 3 - 5 miles wide, divided by deep and narrow valleys, into a number of plateaus. Its highest point is at ‘Sheik Yarkan,’ of 1696 feet elevation above sea level. “When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly” (1 Samuel 28: 5). The real secret of his fear was that the Spirit of God departed from him, because he rebelled against God, and persisted on his rebellion; contrary to David who did not fear any army saying: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?... Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear” (Psalm 27: 1). Because of his wickedness, Saul lost every possibility of victory. The Lord proclaimed that He rejected him; Samuel died, angry for his behavior; David departed, forsaking the land to him; and he had the priests of Nob killed;... etc. Hence when he inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, by Urim, or by the prophets (Numbers 12: 6) We know that ‘Abiathar’ the priest had fled from Nob and resorted to David, taking with him the Ephod (1 Samuel 23: 6); So it seems that Saul replaced him with another priest, and had another Ephod made. What happened was for Saul a new opportunity among many others given to him by God, to reconsider his situation, to realize the secret of his failure, and to return to God with true repentance... But, on the contrary, he misused that opportunity, as he foolishly started to think to resort to a medium; thus insulting the Lord, by setting that ignorant woman in the place of God. How strange! The king of Israel requested from his servants to find him a woman who was a medium, to seek her advice, in such a very important matter that touched his life and that of the whole people! What an idiocy! They told him about a woman medium in ‘Ein Dor,’ 10 miles far from Gilboa, on the northern side of the mountain of Dohi. Saul, who cut off the mediums and the spiritists out of the land (1 Samuel 28: 9) disguised himself, and went to a woman medium, to bring up for him the spirit of Samuel, to seek his counsel, after swearing to her by the Lord, that no punishment shall come upon her for this thing. Saul thus stumbled from one weakness to another, to finally commit that serious evil That is why the saintly fathers warn us against 1 Westminster Dict. Of the Bible, p. 877. 2 Ibid, art. Gilboa,. 3 opening the door to sins, that may seem of no real danger, but would gradually lead to what we thought that we could never do. I beseech you brethren... to close the doors through which sins could enter; as the devil in his meanness, uses great shrewdness to lead mankind to perdition starting his attack against them by very trivial issues. Notice how he got Saul to believe in such nonsense, using a woman medium. Suppose he advised him from the beginning to do that, Saul could have rejected his counsel; as how he, who cut off the mediums, could accept that?! But he gradually led him to that, one step at a time. St. John Chrysostom1 St. John Chrysostom believes that the lowliness and collapse that Saul reached, to the extent of resorting to a medium, had come as a fruit of his separation from David, as a great and inspired leader through which he lost greatly saying: [Up to the time he was separated from David, both of them were glorious and secure; the glory of the leader passed up to the king2]. What is the opinion of the saintly fathers, concerning the spirit that appeared to Saul? St. Hypolete believes that Saul did not see Samuel; But that was a deception. What the devil revealed, was a natural consequence (his defeat) because of God’s wrath upon him. It is as though, he is a false physician, with no knowledge of medicine, seeing a patient in a hopeless serious condition, he would tell him that he will surely die. The devil knew of God’s wrath against Saul, from Saul’s own behavior; He, through the medium, told him about his soon-to-be defeat and death; yet he erred in fixing the day of his death3. Saul sought the counsel of the dead, having lost the living God. Far from us to assume, that the soul of any saint or a prophet, could be brought up (from its place of comfort in Hades) by the devil. We are aware that “Satan can transform himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:!4); and more likely, to a man of light; and that, finally, he will “show himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2: 4); and will “show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24: 24). Scholar Tertullian4 St. Basil the Great believes that Saul saw evil spirits that were called gods (idols); as it came in psalm 96: 5; and Jeremiah 10: 11 (The Septuagint Version). Saul’s great weakness and collapse were revealed; as: a- He was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly, when he saw the army of the Philistines (1 Samuel 28: 5). b- He collapsed before his servants, who knew that he had cut off the mediums from the land; and here he was asking them to find him a woman who was a medium! A shameful situation before his servants! c- Fearing that the woman medium may get terrified of him, he disguised himself and put on other clothes (1 Samuel 28: 8); A shameful situation! 1 In Matt. Hom. 86. 2 Ibid 62. 3 Frag. From Comm. A N Frs. Vol. 5, p. 169. 4 A Treatise on the Soul, 57. 4 d- He went to her place in Ein Dor, walking about 10 miles; bearing exhaustion, and exposing himself to danger, as the enemy was encamping in Chunem, between Gilboa and Ein Dor. e- Most probably, the woman recognized him, for his tall stature; so she pretended to know nothing of these things until he swore by God that no harm shall come upon her (1 Samuel 28: 10). f- Most probably, Satan appeared in the likeness of the prophet Samuel, covered with a mantle to make the woman cry out in a loud voice, rebuking Saul; saying: “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul” (1 Samuel 28: 12). As for him, he went on to complete that evil road; and entered in a dialogue with that spirit, who was pretending to be Samuel. Then, Saul stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down; and was dreadfully afraid... It was a series of collapses and troubles, that Saul went through at the end of his life. g- The woman medium had compassion on him, because of his complete collapse - her own king - and offered him the best food she had, after urging him to eat, together with his two servants. What a great difference between the way Saul confronted death ending his life with such a shameful way, rebelling against God till the last days of his life; and the way the apostle Paul confronted it; saying: “The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4: 6 - 8). The evil man, corrupt inside, gathers bitterness for himself from day to day; While the spiritual man, stores in his depths successive glories, that fill his depths with joy, up till the end of his life on earth. Despite this, God does not close the door before the first, seeking his repentance, even in his last moments, as it happened with the right hand robber; while the latter should never become negligent, lest he may fall.
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