April 29, 2014 - Tuesday

Start Time: 6:21 A.M.

End Time: 7:09 A.M.

Title: Saul and the Medium at Endor

Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:1 – 25

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.” David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.” Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

NOTES:

Ø God gives us favor in the sight of our enemies when needed!  David had nowhere to go and is on the run from his own people.  But God is always 10 steps ahead of us, He allowed Achish, a Philistine, to see David with favor.  Though, Achish may have a different agenda or goal in this partnership, God allowed it and in the end turned it around for David’s best interest.  This is how our God works!  Even in times when we don’t have any other choice or hope, God provides us a solution even in the hands of our enemies.  And everything, whether good or bad, God turns around to suit the best interest of His people.  Hallelujah!

→Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.  When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.  He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.” But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?” Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”  Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure^[a] coming up out of the earth.” “What does he look like?” he asked. An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

NOTES:

Ø God uses everything for His plan, including the death of a prophet!  The only communication Saul had to the Lord is through Samuel and when Samuel died, Saul felt the disconnect between him and God and this brought fear in him.  God already proclaimed that He wants Saul dethroned because of his disobedience but it took some time for it to happen.  I believe God is waiting for Saul to come back to his sense but it never did happen.  This is why even when David had the chance to kill Saul, he didn’t and he was conscience-stricken after cutting a small cloth from Saul’s robe.  Clearly, the heart of God is not to kill Saul but to bring him back to Him.  Yet, Saul made his choice and he stayed away from God, thinking that he is untouchable because he was chosen by God.  Saul felt connected to God with Samuel around so when Samuel died, it was ultimately his death too… because now, there is nothing connecting him to God spiritually.  It became his ultimate death and he became desperate, which then fit perfectly to God’s plan to dethrone him.

Ø When God is not with us, fear will strike our hearts and we will tend to go back to our old ways! Saul was a changed man when the Spirit of God came upon him.  He got rid of all sinful practices just as what the spiritists do.  Yet when God left Saul and when Samuel died, Saul felt the urge to go back to the sinful ways he abandoned.  He went back to his sins… Without God, we end up going back to our old sinful ways.

→ Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.” Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.  When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.  Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”  He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch. The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.

NOTES:

Ø Only destruction and ruin remains to them whom God’s spirit left from!  Saul could have been a great king.  He was chosen and anointed by God Himself, yet he disobeyed and pursued his own will instead of God’s.  Saul forgot his purpose; he was appointed by God king because he was supposed to be God’s instruments but the instrument decided to be God and so the Spirit of the Lord left him.  So what’s left to the anointed man of God who decided to play God is destruction.  Let this be a warning to all.

Ø God’s love abounds even until the end of our times here on earth!  Saul spoke with Samuel and when he heard of his ending on earth, he felt hopeless and weak.  There was no reason to continue and his fear overwhelmed him that he didn’t want to live anymore.  Yet his people including the spiritist he hired to call on Samuel, urged him to eat to stay on.  Despite of knowing that he had no chance of winning, God wants Saul to keep living and fighting until the end and not just surrender or quit.  So God provided Saul his people who will encouraged him to stay on course and keep the fight until his last breath.  Wow!  What a great God!  Even with everything Saul did, disobeying and literally going against His will, His love for Saul is true and stayed on him till his last breath.  Praise Jesus!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Praise Your Name and Glory to You alone!  I am amazed of Your great love to us Lord.  Thank You for Your unending love for me despite of my wrong choices, my wrong decisions, Your love remains upon me.  Thank You Lord because until my last breath on earth, Your love will keep me standing right and in authority in Your Name for I am Your chosen one.  Lord help me to seek You always and not play god.  Help me Lord to always pursue Your will and not mine.  Lord I do not want You to leave me for I do not want to face the reality of destruction and ruin when You leave me.  Lord I do not want to go back to my old ways and so I want You in my life Lord.  I want You living in me at all times and helping me moving on instead of going back.  Help me Lord to do the right decisions and make the right choices to fulfill Your will and not my own.  Thank You Jesus because I can trust You to be with me at all times.  I love You Lord, In Jesus’ Name, Amen!