Hobie
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The Witch of Endor story in the bible has some wondering if this is allowed by God and the implications. So lets look at the story and what it shows on King Saul's disobedience, especially on Gods view of witchcraft, wizards, or those that use divination.
1 Samuel 28:3-20
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, 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?
10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, 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.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, 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 answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
Now Witches and Wizards had been sentenced to death and banned from the land, we see in verse 3 'And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land' and Leviticus 20:27..
Leviticus 20:27
27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
But now King Saul has a problem as God had departed from Saul and would not communicate with him, so he disobeys God and goes looking for someone that had familiar spirits, expressly as God forbid. We see it in verse 7, 'Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.'
Samuel was supposedly brought up out of the earth as we see it said several times, 'ascending out of the earth,' 'cometh up," and "bring me up.' So clearly its a unclean spirit pretending to be but not Samuel, even those who try to claim we have 'immortal souls' would not say this is Samuel.
Samuel is described as an old man covered with a mantle. We see in verse14, 'An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle', and notice King Saul didnt see anything but asked, 'what sawest thou?' So not only did King Saul disobey God but now he is allowing himself to be deceived as it says 'And Saul perceived that it was Samuel'.
Did God obey the beck and call of the witch and raise up Samuel? Of course not, so this is nothing but a demon pretending to be Samuel, and King Saul no choice now and has to throw in his lot with this unclean spirit. So he asks, God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.' The demon clearly has him helpless and even taunts him, 'Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?'
And it gets worse as the demon then tells King Saul 'and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.' Saul committed suicide on the battlefield the next day. Where did this demon pretending to be Samuel dwell, if Saul who had turned against God, was to go to the same place?
The Bible never says that Saul saw Samuel. He received his information secondhand from the witch, and only concluded it was Samuel from her description. The truth is that the devil deceived the dissolute old woman, and she deceived Saul. It was nothing more than a devil-generated séance, with a demon pretending to be Samuel.
1 Samuel 28:3-20
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, 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?
10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, 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.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, 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 answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
Now Witches and Wizards had been sentenced to death and banned from the land, we see in verse 3 'And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land' and Leviticus 20:27..
Leviticus 20:27
27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
But now King Saul has a problem as God had departed from Saul and would not communicate with him, so he disobeys God and goes looking for someone that had familiar spirits, expressly as God forbid. We see it in verse 7, 'Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.'
Samuel was supposedly brought up out of the earth as we see it said several times, 'ascending out of the earth,' 'cometh up," and "bring me up.' So clearly its a unclean spirit pretending to be but not Samuel, even those who try to claim we have 'immortal souls' would not say this is Samuel.
Samuel is described as an old man covered with a mantle. We see in verse14, 'An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle', and notice King Saul didnt see anything but asked, 'what sawest thou?' So not only did King Saul disobey God but now he is allowing himself to be deceived as it says 'And Saul perceived that it was Samuel'.
Did God obey the beck and call of the witch and raise up Samuel? Of course not, so this is nothing but a demon pretending to be Samuel, and King Saul no choice now and has to throw in his lot with this unclean spirit. So he asks, God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.' The demon clearly has him helpless and even taunts him, 'Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?'
And it gets worse as the demon then tells King Saul 'and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.' Saul committed suicide on the battlefield the next day. Where did this demon pretending to be Samuel dwell, if Saul who had turned against God, was to go to the same place?
The Bible never says that Saul saw Samuel. He received his information secondhand from the witch, and only concluded it was Samuel from her description. The truth is that the devil deceived the dissolute old woman, and she deceived Saul. It was nothing more than a devil-generated séance, with a demon pretending to be Samuel.
