It’s a strange story that makes for many questions. The Philistines were breathing their hot breath down the neck of Saul and instead of consulting the Lord, he consults a medium. He asks for the prophet Samuel to be brought back in spirit from the dead (1 Chr 28:11). The woman does so and the prophet is somehow summoned. Samuel then tells Saul that the Philistines will defeat him and he will die.
This brings up several questions. Is it Ok to consult a medium? How come this medium was successful in speaking to the dead? Was this really Samuel?
Consulting a Medium
Without a doubt consulting a medium was something evil. The Scriptures say in Leviticus 19:31
“‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.”
In fact it was so bad that if someone consulted a medium they were to be cut off from Israel (Lev 20:6). If they became a medium they were to receive the death penalty (Lev 20:27).
This doesn’t mean we resurrect the witch trials of old as Israel was a covenant nation and this was the old covenant. But it does mean that having anything to do with a medium is an evil act. This is affirmed in the New Testament.
Paul was preaching in Ephesus, a place known for massive levels of sorcery, mediums, witchcraft and the like. Upon his preaching many turned to the Lord. But in their repentance they needed to turn away from what they were doing.
“Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (Acts 19:18-20).
On a side note a drachma was a days wage. Just 365 drachmas was a year’s wage. This was 50,000 drachmas of books and trinkets that were torched! That’s the equivalent of millions of dollars.
What’s important though to note is that they “openly confessed their evil deeds.” This affirms that their participation in these things were evil. This was something to repent of and remove from their lives and homes.
How come the medium was successful?
Just because something is real doesn’t mean it’s right. We know throughout Scripture that the demonic world is real. Evil is real. Wicked things are real.
I have had several people I have talked to have visions of angelic or heavenly beings. But with these one needs to be careful. “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14).
Experiences, visions, real events, etc…do not necessarily mean they are true, right, good, and righteous. One should not follow such things because they are real. There are many things that are real that are not necessarily good.
Was this really Samuel?
We really don’t know if this was Samuel’s spirit or demonic. It was certainly not of the Lord (1 Chr 10:13-14). I think many who go to mediums and communicate with the dead are actually communicating with demons.
Consulting the dead was also listed in the realm of evil practices to abhor:
“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God“ (Deut 18:9-13).
Instead we are to consult God.
“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” (Is 8:19).
This was Saul’s downfall. He did not consult the Lord in his hour of need.
Where to from Here?
I have a friend who was part of a theater in her college many years ago. Prior to the show, there was a tradition of passing around a wooden turtle, kissing it, and asking for it somehow to make the show go well. It was off.
She was a Christian and when it came to her, she refused. She knew in her spirit it was not of God. This tradition had gone on for some time but after she refused, it soon came to an end.
This is the response we need to take with such things. It is not just a game for giggles at a party, or something casual to consult, or a game to play or a great book to read. It can lead down to deadly roads. We are to have nothing whatsoever to do with it. This includes books we have, games, movies we watch, books the youth have, etc… Have nothing to do with them. At all.
Is there anything you need to rid from your house? Is there books that shouldn’t be your church library? This isn’t a game. It’s real life.
