1 Samuel 28

There is a haunting quality to the twenty-eighth chapter of 1 Samuel. It captures a moment of profound spiritual unraveling—a king who once stood head and shoulders above his people now crouching in the darkness, seeking answers from the very source he had once condemned.

When we read of Saul approaching the medium at En-dor, it is easy to focus on the sensational aspects of the story. But beneath the surface, this chapter is a study in the dangerous erosion of the human heart. Saul’s descent into witchcraft wasn't an impulsive act; it was the final, tragic outcome of a life that had slowly decoupled itself from the authority of God.

The Illusion of the Silent God

Saul complains that the Philistines are pressing in and that "the God has turned away from me and answers me no more" (1 Samuel 28:15). There is a bitter irony here. God had not been silent throughout Saul's reign; He had been speaking through His prophets and through the Law. Saul simply didn't like the answers he was getting, so he stopped listening.

We often make the same mistake. When we declare that God is silent, we must ask ourselves: is He truly silent, or are we simply avoiding the "no" He has already given us? Saul reached a point where he demanded a different kind of revelation—one that would confirm his own desires rather than call him to repentance. When the legitimate channels of God’s voice became inconvenient, he went looking for a shortcut.

The High Cost of Shortcuts

The tragedy of this chapter is that Saul, in his desperation, was willing to trade his integrity for a moment of certainty. He was terrified of the future, and rather than trusting the One who holds the future, he sought comfort in the occult.

This serves as a sobering reminder of the temptation to control our circumstances. When we are anxious about the future or frustrated by a lack of clarity, we are prone to reach for "idols"—whether they are patterns of behavior, reliance on our own strength, or looking for answers in places where God is not present. We want control, and we want it immediately. But Saul’s experience reminds us that any "revelation" gained by bypassing God’s boundaries is ultimately a message of judgment, not peace.

Finding a Better Way

As I reflect on this passage, I am struck by the necessity of staying in the light, even when the path is difficult. Saul’s life reminds us that a heart that refuses to submit to God will eventually find itself searching for answers in the dark.

The Gospel offers us something entirely different. We do not need to go to En-dor to find the future; we have the One who is the future. In Christ, we are invited into a relationship where we don't have to manipulate or force clarity. We are invited to trust. We are invited to walk with the Father who speaks, who guides, and who is present—even in the seasons where we wish the answer were different.

The chapter ends with Saul left in his own terror, physically weakened and spiritually spent. It is a stark warning to keep our hearts tender and attentive to the voice of God as He has revealed it, rather than seeking our own way out of the silence.