Saul and the Medium of Endor – Part 1
The story Saul and the Medium of Endor in 1 Samuel 28 (click here for the full text) is the fullest account in Scripture of what we today would call necromancy, the summoning of the dead. Many Christians have puzzled over this strange story. Often, explanations are attempted, but when examined in detail, they do violence to good exegesis of the passage. We shall explore some of these interpretations, showing their weaknesses.
But before we do, as good biblical theologians, we must study to show ourselves approved of God by going to the text and the context. It is hoped that by studying the passage alongside archaeological evidence from the surrounding cultures, we may be able to understand what happened during this fateful meeting. By careful study of the text, we may also be able to tell what Saul and the woman encountered.
If you want to skip ahead to me addressing seven common objections to this being the ghost of Samuel being raised from the dead, click here.
Clearing the Land
The first thing to note is that Saul had removed all the “mediums and wizards” from the land (v3). What the wizards were is for another post, as this passage revolves around a woman classed as a medium (v7) (or as the King James labels, a “witch”, a loaded term influenced from King James’ own personal fear of witches).
As we peel back the layers of text and context of the story of Saul and the Medium of Endor, we shall discover the following:
- the spiritual dynamics and beings in operation in this passage,
- the real identity of the apparition that the Biblical text calls Samuel
- what kind of ritual the woman was engaging in
- was necromancy (summoning of the dead) actually possible, and
- how time passes during Saul’s visit.
I believe your analysis is quite helpful and the direct scriptures guided you into a real summary of the truth. I am using this same scripture within a time frame to request God’s resurrection of my family member whose life was taken away due to plots and negligence. Is it possible for God to raise him in His will?
Hi,
Many thanks for your comment and I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your family member. You asked whether it is possible for God to raise him in his will, to which I would reply that all things are possible with God if it’s within his will to achieve this. That said, I would not put human time frame limits on your request, and leave that open to God to fill in the timescale. It could be that the raising of your family member is scheduled for the resurrection of the dead at the end of this age, so I would just pray that they enjoy being in God’s light, presence and safekeeping until the appointed time.
Every blessing.