You do not believe that the Lord could have been the one who raised Samuel to speak with Saul? That it was not by the power of the witch of Endor that he was raised but that it was instead by the Power of the Lord?
Did Samuel in chapter 28 speak that which was contrary to God? If not then does Satan(and the other fallen angels) speak God's truth to people when they are summoned(as Samuel did to Saul in 1 Samuel 28)?
Why was the witch of Endor terrified when she Saw Samuel? Why was she so afraid of what rose up from the earth if she had done this so often before? Why was she more terrified by the form of Samuel that was risen, than by Saul who in her mind only sought to kill those like her?
Remember it was not until she saw Samuel that she was afraid.
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.
Not to detract from the current OP brother I just want to get a better understanding of how you view this chapter, and what your answers are to each of these questions. If you would like we can discuss this over message if you feel it would distract others from the OP. I'll leave it up to you brother, I look forward to your response.
Hello brother StephenDiscipleofYHWH nice to see you.
I will add the rest of the post and scriptures provided before commenting further for background below. As posted earlier...
Using a necromancer or those that have a familiar Spirit was an abomination in God's eyes and was against God's Mosaic laws as shown here....
DEUTERONOMY 18:10-12 [10], There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. [11], Or a charmer, or a
consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a
necromancer. [12],
For all that do these things are an abomination to the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD your God does drive them out from before you.
The MOSAIC law commanded God's people not to contect those with familiar spirits of necromancers and these people were to be put to death...
Commandments of God from the Mosaic law.
LEVITICUS 19:31:
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be
defiled by them; I am the Lord your God.
The Hebew word used here for defiled is טמא; ṭâmê' (H2930) A primitive root;
to be foul, especially in a ceremonial or moral sense (contaminated): - defile (self),
pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce)
unclean, X utterly.
LEVITICUS 20:27: 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.
.........
According to God's WORD our SINS separate us from God as shown in these scriptures here...
PROVERBS 28:9 [9],
He that turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
ISAIAH 59:2 But
your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.
According to God's WORD God departed from King Saul because of his SINS and God would not hear him *ISAIAH 59:2; PROVERBS 28:9 and would no longer speak to him through his dreams or His prophets *1 SAMUEL 28:6; 1 SAMUEL 28:15-18.
Now before continuing lets summarise the scriptures so far;
1. God's people were forbidden by God as a commandment of God they were
not
to consult witches and those with familiar spirits and necromancers *DEUTERONOMY 18:10-12;
LEVITICUS 19:31.
2. Those who practiced witchcraft or those having familiar spirits or necromancers were to be put to death *
LEVITICUS 20:27.
3. Those who practiced witchcraft with familiar spirits and necromancers were an abomination in God's eyes *
DEUTERONOMY 18:10-12
4. These practices were a demonic abominiation to God which was forbidden in the Mosaic law *LEVITICUS 19:31;
LEVITICUS 20:27; DEUTERONOMY 18:10-12.
5. God had departed from King Saul because of his SINS and God would no longer speak with him in His appointed ways through dreams and His prophets when Saul was seeking council of God when God's judgments were about to be poured out because of his sins *1 SAMUEL 28:6; 1 SAMUEL 28:15-18
..........
Now the scriptures in regards to the witch of Endor that had the familiar spirit says this..
1 SAMUEL 28:6-19
[6],
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
[7], Then said Saul to his servants, Seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that has 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 you, divine to me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name to you.
[9], And the woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: why then lay you a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
[10], And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.
[11], Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up to you? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
[12], And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? for you are Saul.
[13], And the king said to her, Be not afraid: for what saw you? And the woman said to Saul,
I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
[14], And he said to her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man comes 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 have you 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 answers me no more,
neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.
[16], Then said Samuel, Why then do you ask of me, seeing the
LORD is departed from you, and is become your enemy?
[17], And the LORD has done to him, as he spoke by me: for the LORD has rent the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David:
[18],
Because you obeyed not the voice of the LORD, nor executed his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore has the LORD done this thing to you this day.
[19], Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines: and
to morrow shall you and your sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
Now BEFORE this time that King Saul visited the witch with a familiar spirit, SAMUEL had died *1 SAMUEL 28:3. BEFORE SAMUEL'S death Samuels final words to King Saul because of his SINS were;
1 SAMUEL 15:26-29
(26) And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for
thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
(27) And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
(28) And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
(29) And also the Strength of Israel
will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
Of course, the
Strength of Israel is God himself (
Psalm 18:2,
46:1,
68:35).
We know the outcome of this story from the orginial prophecy against King Saul while he was alive and elsewhere in the scriptures *1 SAMUEL 30 and elsewhere it is written of King Saul;
1 CHRONICLES 10:13 [13] So Saul died
for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and
also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it.
..........
Now let's pull it all together.
1. God's people were forbidden by God as a commandment of God they were
not
to consult witches and those
with familiar spirits and
necromancers *DEUTERONOMY 18:10-12;
LEVITICUS 19:31.
2. Those who practiced witchcraft and those having familiar spirits or necromancers were to be
put to death *
LEVITICUS 20:27.
3. Those who practiced witchcraft and those with familiar spirits or necromancers
were an abomination in God's eyes *
DEUTERONOMY 18:10-12
4. These practices were a
demonic abominiation to God which was forbidden in Mosaic law *LEVITICUS 19:31;
LEVITICUS 20:27; DEUTERONOMY 18:10-12.
5.
God had departed from King Saul because of his SINS and God would no longer speak with him in His appointed ways through dreams and God's prophets as foretold by Samuel
when he was alive when Saul was seeking council of God when God's judgments were about to be poured out because of his sins *1 SAMUEL 15:26-29; 1 SAMUEL 28:6; 1 SAMUEL 28:15-18
.........
What makes you think that when God said to King Saul when Samuel was alive that "you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel" *1 SAMUEL 15:26-29 that God changed his mind?
If King Saul was still in his SINS and God had departed from him and rejected him as KING and would no longer communicate to Saul in his appointed ways through dreams and His prophets because of his SINS then why would God change his mind and start communicating to King Saul again in a way that God had forbidden his people to do as a commandment in His Word by telling his people NOT to communicate to the dead? God's WORD says that this practice was an ABOMINATION to the Lord.
Why would God use a demonic practice that he commanded his people not to practice through his law (under death penalty) in place of his appointed ways (through dreams and His prophets)?
Do God's come out of the earth *1 SAMUEL 28:13?
What is mean't by the familiar spirit saying
"Why have you disquieted me, to bring me up?" * 1 SAMUEL 28:13-15?
.........
Your questions
Did Samuel in chapter 28 speak that which was contrary to God?
It was not Samuel it was a familiar Spirit. Samuel already outlined what would happen to King Saul while he was alive in *1 SAMUEL 15:26-29
If not then does Satan(and the other fallen angels) speak God's truth to people when they are summoned (as Samuel did to Saul in 1 Samuel 28)?
2 CORINTHIANS 11:14-15 [14], And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. [15], Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
God's law and commandment to God's people was not to consult with those with familiar Spirits. What is the payoff here? It is alright to not believe God's WORD and consult with those who have familiar spirits when God's WORD commands us not to.
Why was the witch of Endor terrified when she Saw Samuel? Why was she so afraid of what rose up from the earth if she had done this so often before? Why was she more terrified by the form of Samuel that was risen, than by Saul who in her mind only sought to kill those like her?
Remember it was not until she saw Samuel that she was afraid.
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.
All part of the show. Before this time God's people had gone through the land according to God's WORD while Samuel was alive and killed those who had familiar Spirits and necromancers according to Gods WORD *1 SAMUEL 28:3; LEVITICUS 20:27. The witch thought it was a trap and she would be put to death according to the Word of God.
Hope this helps.
