“When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets. Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.” His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.” So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men. “I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?” “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?” But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, “As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.” Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?” “Call up Samuel,” Saul replied. When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!” “Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?” “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” she said. “What does he look like?” Saul asked. “He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him. “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul. “Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.” But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy? The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites. What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.” Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, “Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life. Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back.” But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch. The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread. She brought the meal to Saul and his advisers, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.”
1 Samuel 28:5-25 NLT
Saul had grown as a man, but he hadn’t grown in his character. When we first met Saul, he was off seeking to divine the whereabouts of his flock. In those days, it was God who sought him out and lifted him from his useless life to that of a king. Despite this, we see that he never really progressed as a person. Here he is, still fretting about something that is large to him, but small to God. Beyond this, he was doing so by consulting other gods, demons, and witches. Saul was perhaps smarter, as he did this in secret, but he wasn’t wiser. In him, there was still no repentance found and none possible. This act bookended his life, and his journey of development was finally full. He had made it clear that he was done growing. And so here is where final judgment was proclaimed. The judgment wasn’t new. Yet Saul, neglecting to change, still thought it ought to be. So often we too are troubled and anxious before God. We expect him to move to change things in our life when he has already given us all the power. We ought to question if we are like Saul come judgment day. How has our journey with God grown us to be able to repent when the signs of impending doom are so close? God will not keep giving us signs. Eventually, we will arrive at the fateful destination we were always heading. Not without warning, God allows us our free will.
Saul’s Character: Saul remained unchanged despite being chosen by God, demonstrating a lack of growth and repentance.
Saul’s Actions: Saul’s secret consultation with mediums showcased his lack of wisdom and continued disobedience to God.
God’s Judgment: God’s judgment upon Saul was a consequence of his unrepentant nature and refusal to change.
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