Originally posted: 12/15/2019
“The Lord has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David,” (28:17).
This chapter conjures up lots of questions, about spiritists and mediums and how Holy God allowed His deceased prophet, Samuel, to be brought up to speak to Saul. And, truth be told, I still have questions.
Saul himself had rid the land of the pagan practice outlawed by the Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 18:9-12; and yet because God was not responding, he himself sought out a medium.
…And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists, (28:3).
When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” (28:6-7).
Renowned Bible scholar, Matthew Henry offers his comments, from Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary:
While Samuel was living, we never read of Saul’s going to advise with him in any difficulties; it had been well for him if he had. But now he is dead, “Bring me up Samuel.” …Saul had despised Samuel’s solemn warnings in his lifetime, yet now that he hoped, as in defiance of God, to obtain some counsel and encouragement from him, might not God permit the soul of his departed prophet to appear to Saul, to confirm his former sentence, and denounce his doom? …There appears much solemnity in God’s permitting the soul of a departed prophet to come as a witness from heaven, to confirm the word he had spoken on earth.
In spite of Saul’s disobedience in seeking counsel from a medium, God confirmed His Word. I still have questions, but one thing I do not question… what the LORD says He will do, He will do; for He always does accordingly as He spoke to Fulfill His Word.
Consider Him Who Fulfills His Word
- He Fulfills His Word for He will not lie.
- “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
- “God is not a man, that He should lie,
- He Fulfills His Word by His love and faithfulness.
- “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments,” (Deuteronomy 7:7-9).
- He Fulfills His Word perfectly.
- Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass, (Joshua 21:45).
- He Fulfills His Word to accomplish His purpose.
- “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it,” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
- “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
How do we respond to Him Who Fulfills His Word?
As we consider Him Who Fulfills His Word, we can be filled with great joy or tremendous fear. I pray we will daily experience His joy because of our obedient faith in Him.
Saul, however, was terrified; for he had trusted in his own ways and disobeyed the Lord, and now he knew the Lord had left Him.
The only way we can be secure in His presence is by entering into His Covenant through faith in the shed blood of His Son.
Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins,” (Matthew 26:26-28).
If you have never fully trusted Jesus Christ alone for salvation, please do not wait another day; today can be that day.
“…what must I do to be saved?” 31 …“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,” (Acts 16:30, 31).
We receive His gift of salvation when we acknowledge our sin and place our faith in Jesus and what He alone accomplished for us by His death and resurrection.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
…and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform, (Romans 4:21).
We do not have to live in fear for the future when we know we belong to Him Who Fulfills His Word, and He has promised to never leave or forsake us.
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you,” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:6).
He is faithful; and we can live in His peace as we grow to fully trust in Him Who Fulfills His Word.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass, (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).