Death of Saul
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from God to obtain light from a confederate of Satan, he had cut the
last tie that bound him to his Maker; he had placed himself fully under
the control of that demoniac power which for years had been exercised
upon him, and which had brought him to the verge of destruction.
Under the cover of darkness Saul and his attendants made their way
across the plain, and, safely passing the Philistine host, they crossed
the mountain ridge, to the lonely home of the sorceress of Endor. Here
the woman with a familiar spirit had hidden herself away that she
might secretly continue her profane incantations. Disguised as he was,
Saul’s lofty stature and kingly port declared that he was no common
soldier. The woman suspected that her visitor was Saul, and his rich
gifts strengthened her suspicions. To his request, “I pray thee, divine
unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall
name unto thee,” the woman answered, “Behold, thou knowest what
Saul hath done, how he 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.”
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.”
It was not God’s holy prophet that came forth at the spell of a
sorcerer’s incantation. Samuel was not present in that haunt of evil
spirits. That supernatural appearance was produced solely by the
power of Satan. He 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.
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The woman’s first words under the spell of her incantation had
been addressed to the king, “Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art
Saul.” Thus the first act of the evil spirit which personated the prophet
was to communicate secretly with this wicked woman, to warn her
of the deception that had been practiced upon her. The message to
Saul from the pretended prophet was, “Why hast thou disquieted me,
to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the
Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and