Village Schools of the Bible

A Devotional Study of 1 Samuel 28 - 29
by Max Frazier, Jr.

Well, what does the Word tell us for the week. We need some encouragement, don't we? And I can find no better place to turn than to what God has said. Our study this week is from 1 Samuel 28, which describes Saul's visit to the witch at Endor, and from 1 Samuel 29, which relates how David was spared from fighting with the Philistines against Israel and Saul.

I. Philistines prepare to fight Israel (1 Samuel 28:1-2)
II. Fear grips Saul's heart (vs. 3-7)
III. The witch calls up Samuel (vs. 8-14)
IV. Samuel tells Saul what is going to happen (vs. 15-19)
V. The witch feeds Saul (vs. 20-25)

How tragic when God's spirit no longer works within a man. How awful when God turns a deaf-ear to his prayers. How sad when he cannot find God although he would search for Him. Like Saul, his life is seized with fear and panic. All strength is removed. One realizes that for the battle at hand there will be no divine intervention on your behalf. It is at those times that a man turns to false gods for help. In this case Saul sought one who could conjure people from the dead. (Note: now this woman usually operated her business through charades because she screamed with unbelief when the form of Samuel appeared. I think for her this was a first time experience). Samuel confirmed the worst news to Saul, news that his death was imminent. And all this happened because Saul had chosen to disobey the voice of God. Centuries later a man by the name of Paul would write that the wages of sin was death. We can point back to Saul for confirmation of that truth.

Saul and the nation of Israel were experiencing desperate times. The Philistines had assembled a large army and had invaded Israel threatening to overthrow Saul and his government. Saul knew he needed some guidance and advice, something he was not usually prone to do. Here was a leader seeking advice and he could receive none. There was no prophet to advise him. God did not respond to his prayer and pleas. The nation of Israel became leaderless because their king had no leader. An effective leader understands that he too is under another's leadership. All leadership is involved in a chain of command, and for the king, his leader should have been God. But when God has turned away and is silent, leadership will fail. This chapter reminds me of the necessity of staying in communication with my leader.

I. Philistines voice concern over David's presence with them (1 Samuel
29:1-5)
II. David forced to return from the battle (vs. 6-11)

Talk about being in a tight spot. That was David. Here was the future king of Israel, anointed by God, heading north with the king of the Philistines to do battle against the nation over which he was to be king. How could he battle against the armies of Israel? And yet, if he turned and ran the Philistines would attack him as being a traitor. Ever found yourself between a rock and a hard place? Ever been in a situation where it seemed that any choice you made would be the wrong choice? How many times have we witnessed the power of God coming to our rescue. Although David had curried favor with the Philistine king, he had not really endeared himself to the other Philistine leaders. They still viewed David with suspicion. So, when the time for battle drew near, God moved in their hearts to ask David to withdraw from the battle. Their motives were selfish. They did not want David to be given the opportunity of turning against them. Yet, in their selfishness, they were being used by God to answer that ache within David's heart. David found that God does provide a way of escape, sometimes it is a literal escape, when temptations appear to overtake us. We just need to wait in patience before Him. God will make a way even when there seems to be no way. Praise the Lord!

There are a couple of statements Achish makes in this chapter that cause me to reflect upon the testimony David had before him. In verse 6, Achish says, "As surely as the Lord lives," and in verse 9, referring to David, "you have been as an angel of God." Now those seem like inappropriate words from a pagan king. So, why would he make those remarks? First, the Philistines were very aware of the God of the Hebrews. They had had first hand demonstrations of His power on several occasions in their history. Second, I believe Achish had observed the walk of David and his men. They had done nothing to bring disgrace to their God. Once again it shows how so many are watching us to see if we live everyday what we have taught.

1Samuel 26-27 Return to the Table of Contents 1Samuel 30-31