EGW Writings1 Samuel 28

From Eternity Past

Chapter 66—Saul Takes His Own Life

EP 490.1

“The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem,” while Saul and his forces encamped but a few miles distant at the foot of Mount Gilboa. Saul felt alone and defenseless, because God had forsaken him. As he looked abroad upon the Philistine host, “he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.”

EP 490.2

Saul had expected that the son of Jesse would take this opportunity to revenge the wrongs he had suffered. The king was in sore distress. His own unreasoning passion to destroy the chosen of God had involved the nation in great peril. While pursuing David, he had neglected the defense of his kingdom. The Philistines, taking advantage of its unguarded condition, had penetrated into the very heart of the country. While Satan had been urging Saul to destroy David, the same malignant spirit inspired the Philistines to work Saul’s ruin. How often the archenemy moves upon some unconsecrated heart to kindle strife in the church, and then, taking advantage of the divided condition of God’s people, he stirs up his agents to work their ruin.

EP 490.3

On the morrow Saul must engage the Philistines in battle. Shadows of impending doom gathered dark about him. He longed for guidance; in vain he sought counsel from God. “The Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.”

EP 490.4

The Lord never turned away a soul that came to Him in sincerity. Why did He turn Saul away unanswered? The king had rejected the counsel of Samuel the prophet; he had exiled David, the chosen of God; he had slain the priests of the Lord. Could he be answered when he had cut off the channels of communication that Heaven had ordained? It was not pardon for sin and reconciliation with God that Saul sought, but deliverance from his foes. By rebellion he had cut himself off from God. There could be no return but by penitence and contrition.

EP 491.1

“Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.” Necromancy had been forbidden by the Lord, and the sentence of death was pronounced against all who practiced its unholy arts. Saul had commanded that all wizards and those that had familiar spirits should be put to death. But now, in desperation, he had recourse to that which he had condemned as an abomination.

EP 491.2

A woman who had a familiar spirit was living in concealment at Endor. She had entered into covenant with Satan to fulfill his purposes and, in return, the prince of evil revealed secret things to her.

EP 491.3

Disguising himself, Saul went by night with two attendants to seek the sorceress. Oh, pitiable sight! the king of Israel led captive by Satan! Trust in God and obedience to His will were the only conditions upon which Saul could be king of Israel. Had he complied with these conditions, his kingdom would have been secure; God would have been his guide, the Omnipotent his shield. Although his rebellion and obstinacy had well-nigh silenced the divine voice in the soul, there was still opportunity for repentance. But when in his peril he turned to Satan, he cut the last tie that bound him to his Maker. He placed himself fully under the control of the demoniac power which for years had brought him to the verge of destruction.

EP 491.4

Under cover of darkness, Saul and his attendants safely passed the Philistine host. They crossed the mountain ridge to the lonely home of the sorceress of Endor. Disguised as he was, Saul’s lofty stature and kingly bearing declared that he was no common soldier. His rich gifts strengthened her suspicions. To his request the woman answered, “Saul hath ... cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” Then “Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.” And when she said, “Whom shall I bring up unto thee?” he answered, “Samuel.”

EP 492.1

After practicing her incantations, she said, “I saw gods ascending out of the earth... . An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.”

EP 492.2

It was not God’s prophet that came forth. Samuel was not present in that haunt of evil spirits. Satan could as easily assume the form of Samuel as he could assume that of an angel of light when he tempted Christ in the wilderness.

EP 492.3

The message to Saul from the pretended prophet was, “Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?” Saul answered, “I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.”

EP 492.4

When Samuel was living, Saul had despised his counsel. But now, in order to communicate with Heaven’s ambassador, he had recourse to the messenger of hell! Saul had placed himself fully in the power of Satan, and now he whose only delight is misery and destruction made the most of his advantage to ruin the unhappy king. In answer came the terrible message, professedly from the lips of Samuel:

EP 492.5

“The Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy... . The Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David: because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines.”

EP 493.1

Satan had led Saul to justify himself in defiance of Samuel’s reproofs and warning. But now he turned on him, presenting the enormity of his sin and the hopelessness of pardon, that he might goad him to desperation. Nothing could better drive him to despair and self-destruction.

EP 493.2

Saul was faint with fasting, terrified, and conscience-stricken. His form swayed like an oak before the tempest, and he fell prostrate to the earth.

EP 493.3

The sorceress was filled with alarm. The king of Israel lay before her like one dead. She besought him to partake of food, urging that since she had imperiled her life in granting his desire, he should yield to her request for the preservation of his own. Saul yielded, and the woman set before him the fatted calf and bread hastily prepared.

EP 493.4

What a scene! In the wild cave of the sorceress, in the presence of Satan’s messenger, he who had been anointed of God as king over Israel sat down to eat, in preparation for the day’s deadly strife.

EP 493.5

By consulting that spirit of darkness, Saul had destroyed himself. Oppressed by the horror of despair, it would be impossible to inspire his army with courage. He could not lead the minds of Israel to look to God as their helper. Thus the prediction of evil would work its own accomplishment.

EP 493.6

The armies of Israel and the Philistines closed in mortal combat. Though the fearful scene in the cave of Endor had driven all hope from his heart, Saul fought with desperate valor. But it was in vain. “The men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa.” Saul had seen his soldiers falling around him and his three princely sons cut down by the sword. Himself wounded, he could neither fight nor flee. Escape was impossible and, determined not be taken alive by the Philistines, Saul took his own life by falling upon his sword.

EP 494.1

Thus the first king of Israel perished, with the guilt of self-murder on his soul. His life had been a failure, and he went down in dishonor and despair.

EP 494.2

The tidings of defeat spread far and wide, carrying terror to all Israel. The people fled from the cities and the Philistines took undisturbed possession. Saul’s reign, independent of God, had well-nigh proved the ruin of his people.

EP 494.3

On the day following, the Philistines discovered the bodies of Saul and his three sons. They cut off the head of Saul and stripped him of his armor. Then the head and the armor, reeking with blood, were sent to the country of the Philistines as a trophy of victory, “to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.” Thus the glory of victory was ascribed to the power of false gods, and the name of Jehovah was dishonored.

EP 494.4

In Beth-shan the bodies of Saul and his sons were hung up in chains, to be devoured by birds of prey. But the brave men of Jabesh-gilead, remembering Saul’s deliverance in earlier and happier years, now manifested their gratitude by rescuing the bodies of the king and princes and giving them honorable burial. Thus the noble deed performed forty years before, secured for Saul and his sons burial by tender and pitying hands in that dark hour of defeat and dishonor.

Conflict and Courage

No Answer From God, June 14

CC 171.1

The Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 1 Samuel 28:6.

CC 171.2

The Lord never turned away a soul that came to Him in sincerity and humility. Why did he turn Saul away unanswered? The king had by his own act forfeited the benefits of all the methods of inquiring of God. He had rejected the counsel of Samuel the prophet; he had exiled David, the chosen of God; he had slain the priests of the Lord.... He had sinned away the Spirit of grace, and could he be answered by dreams and revelations from the Lord? Saul did not turn to God with humility and repentance. It was not pardon for sin and reconciliation with God, that he sought, but deliverance from his foes. By his own stubbornness and rebellion he had cut himself off from God. There could be no return but by the way of penitence and contrition; but the proud monarch, in his anguish and despair, determined to seek help from another source.... It was told the king that a woman who had a familiar spirit was living in concealment at Endor.... Disguising himself, Saul went forth by night with but two attendants, to seek the retreat of the sorceress....

CC 171.3

What bondage so terrible as that of him who is given over to the control of the worst of tyrants—himself! Trust in God and obedience to His will were the only conditions upon which Saul could be king of Israel. Had he complied with these conditions throughout his reign, his kingdom would have been secure; God would have been his guide, the Omnipotent his shield. God had borne long with Saul; and although his rebellion and obstinacy had well-nigh silenced the divine voice in the soul, there was still opportunity for repentance. But when in his peril he turned from God to obtain light from a confederate of Satan, he had cut the last tie that bound him to his Maker....

CC 171.4

By consulting that spirit of darkness Saul had destroyed himself. Oppressed by the horror of despair, it would be impossible for him to inspire his army with courage. Separated from the Source of strength, he could not lead the minds of Israel to look to God as their helper. Thus the prediction of evil would work its own accomplishment.25Patriarchs and Prophets, 676-681.

Conflict and Courage

That’s Not Samuel, June 15

CC 172.1

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Ecclesiastes 9:5.

CC 172.2

When Saul inquired for Samuel, the Lord did not cause Samuel to appear to Saul. He saw nothing. Satan was not allowed to disturb the rest of Samuel in the grave, and bring him up in reality to the witch of Endor. God does not give Satan power to resurrect the dead. But Satan’s angels assume the form of dead friends, and speak and act like them, that through professed dead friends he can the better carry on his work of deception. Satan knew Samuel well, and he knew how to represent him before the witch of Endor, and to utter correctly the fate of Saul and his sons.

CC 172.3

Satan will come in a very plausible manner to such as he can deceive, and will insinuate himself into their favor, and lead them almost imperceptibly from God. He wins them under his control, cautiously at first, until their perceptibilities become blunted. Then he will make bolder suggestions, until he can lead them to commit almost any degree of crime. When he has led them fully into his snare, he is then willing that they should see where they are, and he exults in their confusion, as in the case of Saul. He had suffered Satan to lead him a willing captive, and now Satan spreads before Saul a correct description of his fate. By giving Saul a correct statement of his end, through the woman of Endor, Satan opens a way for Israel to be instructed by his satanic cunning, that they may, in their rebellion against God, learn of him, and by thus doing, sever the last link which would hold them to God.

CC 172.4

Saul knew that in this last act, of consulting the witch of Endor, he cut the last shred which held him to God. He knew that if he had not before wilfully separated himself from God, this act sealed that separation, and made it final. He had made an agreement with death, and a covenant with hell. The cup of his iniquity was full.26The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 2:1022, 1023.

Conflict and Courage

God’s Secrets, June 16

CC 173.1

It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Acts 1:7.

CC 173.2

The witch of Endor had made agreement with Satan to follow his directions in all things; and he would perform wonders and miracles for her, and would reveal to her the most secret things, if she would yield herself unreservedly to be controlled by his Satanic majesty. This she had done.27Ibid., 1022.

CC 173.3

By the prediction of Saul’s doom, given through the woman of Endor, Satan planned to ensnare the people of Israel. He hoped that they would be inspired with confidence in the sorceress, and would be led to consult her. Thus they would turn from God as their counselor and would place themselves under the guidance of Satan. The lure by which spiritualism attracts the multitudes is its pretended power to draw aside the veil from the future and reveal to men what God has hidden. God has in His word opened before us the great events of the future—all that it is essential for us to know—and He has given us a safe guide for our feet amid all its perils; but it is Satan’s purpose to destroy men’s confidence in God, to make them dissatisfied with their condition in life, and to lead them to seek a knowledge of what God has wisely veiled from them, and to despise what He has revealed in His Holy Word.

CC 173.4

There are many who become restless when they cannot know the definite outcome of affairs. They cannot endure uncertainty, and in their impatience they refuse to wait to see the salvation of God. Apprehended evils drive them nearly distracted. They give way to their rebellious feelings, and run hither and thither in passionate grief, seeking intelligence concerning that which has not been revealed. If they would but trust in God, and watch unto prayer, they would find divine consolation. Their spirit would be calmed by communion with God. The weary and the heavy-laden would find rest unto their souls if they would only go to Jesus; but when they neglect the means that God has ordained for their comfort, and resort to other sources, hoping to learn what God has withheld, they commit the error of Saul, and thereby gain only a knowledge of evil.28Patriarchs and Prophets, 686, 687.

Patriarchs and Prophets

Chapter 67—Ancient and Modern Sorcery

PP 683.1

The Scripture account of Saul’s visit to the woman of Endor has been a source of perplexity to many students of the Bible. There are some who take the position that Samuel was actually present at the interview with Saul, but the Bible itself furnishes sufficient ground for a contrary conclusion. If, as claimed by some, Samuel was in heaven, he must have been summoned thence, either by the power of God or by that of Satan. None can believe for a moment that Satan had power to call the holy prophet of God from heaven to honor the incantations of an abandoned woman. Nor can we conclude that God summoned him to the witch’s cave; for the Lord had already refused to communicate with Saul, by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets. 1 Samuel 28:6. These were God’s own appointed mediums of communication, and He did not pass them by to deliver the message through the agent of Satan.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)

Ms 58, 1886

4LtMs, Ms 58, 1886, par. 19

Saul’s life was most pitiful. None need to envy the honors of a king whom God does not bless and honor. Saul felt that his soul was divorced from God, that he no longer had His favor, but was left to his own will and his own judgment. It is a fearful thing to be left to the damning power of evil. It is a terrible calamity to sin against light and to grieve the Holy Spirit of God away forever. The king was forsaken of God. Saul’s life was one of unsubdued pride and remorse. There was living at Endor a famous sorceress. She was called the witch of Endor. Saul, in his desperation, went to this woman for counsel. He concealed his identity as king of Israel by assuming the common apparel of a citizen. He went in the darkness of night. The very man who had made laws to cleanse the land of familiar spirits and wizards sought one himself. This witch knew the sentence had been passed to put all such characters to death, and she did not discern that her visitor was the king of Israel until his request was made to bring up Samuel. Then she discerned the true state of things. “Wherefore,” said she, “layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” [1 Samuel 28:9.] Saul gave his oath that no punishment should come upon her.