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Saul Visits Endor's Shaman

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[1 Samuel 28:11]

Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

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Philistine soldiers camped in a place called Shunem to fight Israel.

King Saul's army camped at Gilboa to fight against these people.

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King Saul of Israel was terrified when he saw the Philistine army.

King Saul prayed to God for help. King Saul waited for God's answer.

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Saul thought that God would respond with a dream.

He also thought that he would respond with the “Urim” an instrument of asking God's will.

God did not respond with a dream or “Urim,”.

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Saul thought that he would respond through the prophet.

However, none of the prophets received God's answer.

God did not answer Saul's prayer, who rebelled against God's will and lived according

to his will.

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When there was no answer, King Saul stopped praying to God.

Rather, he decided to use the method that God hates most.

“Go and find a shaman. I have to ask him.”

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It is forbidden by the law for Israelites to become shamans or to rely on shamans.

Now King Saul is trying to rely on the shamans forbidden by God.

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His servants replied to King Saul, "There is a shaman in Endor."

Saul changed into a different outfit so that no one could recognize himself.

In the middle of the night, he took his two servants and went to see the shaman.

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When King Saul met a shaman, he made a strange request to the shaman.

“You memorize magic spells so that I can call out whoever I want.”

Saul asked the shaman to call the dead prophet Samuel.

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The shaman called Samuel's soul before Saul.

But Samuel appeared before Saul, and Satan took the form of Samuel to deceive Saul.

Appeared. It wasn't really Samuel, King Saul fell in front of him with his face to the ground.

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King Saul told Satan, who disguised himself as Samuel, about his situation. “God has left me.

God does not answer me either through prophets or through dreams. So I called you.

What should I do?” King Saul told the false Samuel, brought up by the shaman, to help him.

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Satan disguised as Samuel made a terrifying prophecy to King Saul.

“You did not obey God. God will deliver you into the hands of the Philistines.

You and your sons will be with me tomorrow.”

He told them that King Saul would die in that war and that his children would also die.

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Poor King Saul, who had lost his relationship with God, fell into a miserable state of knowing his future through Satan's mouth. King Saul, who heard Satan's words, was trembling with fear.

The image of King Saul is the poor image of a man whose relationship with God has been broken.

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Although Satan seems to have great power, he cannot do anything beyond the power of God.

Satan cannot or does not help King Saul against God's will.

This is because what Satan wants is for man to be cut off from God and perish like himself.

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The shaman grabbed a calf and prepared food for King Saul, who was trembling in fear.

King Saul barely regained strength after eating the food prepared by the shaman.

King Saul and his companions returned with heavy steps.

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We saw through King Saul how poor God is for those who do not answer.

Our greatest privilege as believing in Jesus and becoming children of God is to be able to pray directly to God. When we pray in the name of Jesus, God promises to answer us immediately.

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22)

We must always act carefully so as not to fall from this graceful life.

We must seek the help of the Holy Spirit and always maintain a right relationship with

God and live.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)