Samuel: Called From the Dead

Saul’s great fear.
1. After anointing David to be Saul’s successor as Israel’s king, Samuel almost disappears from the history given in Scripture.
2. The chapter begins with a description of the aggression of the Philistines (1).
  1. The presence of the Philistines was a serious attack, not just a border skirmish (4).
  2. The note of Samuel’s death (3a).
3. Saul “was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled” (5), “sore distressed.”
  1. The Philistines presence was the worst threat to his kingdom during his 40 year reign.
  2. What made it worse for Saul was that Jehovah was not available to Saul, though he tried to hear from Him.
Samuel’s appearance.
1. Saul is desperate for advice and he searches out a witch to whom he pays a visit at night under disguise (7,8).
2. She screams when she sees Samuel and realizes that it is King Saul (12).
The hopelessness of Saul: “I am sore distressed” (15b).
1. Saul’s desperation is evident in that he had to go around the Philistine camp in order to arrive at Endor.
2. He is abandoned by God, the terror of which is emphasized by the overwhelming threat of the Philistines.
3. Samuel declares the result to be that Jehovah would rend the kingdom out of Saul’s hand (17,18).
4. God is always just, but we cannot always see it.