The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/1_samuel/28.htm

‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 19:31.
“Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” – 1 Samuel 28:7

The Philistines had gathered against Saul, and David and his army were with the Philistinian army. We don’t know what David will do yet…he only went to Achish for protection from Saul, and went out under the ruse of invading Israeli cities when in fact, David was conducting raids on cities in Philistia. But now Achish is going against Saul, and expecting David to help with the battle.

On Saul’s side, he knows he has a battle with the Philistines, and he knows what David is capable of. And Saul is afraid. Samuel is dead and he cannot seek his guidance. Finally, after all of this time, Saul seeks the help of God, but Saul has “made his own bed” so to speak, and likely, God knows the heart of Saul. If God comes to Saul’s rescue now, just like David, Saul will turn against him tomorrow.

So Saul seeks a medium, which is clearly against God’s law. And this story becomes known as “The Witch of Endor”. While the location of Endor isn’t specifically known, it is believed too be southwest of the Sea of Galilee.

What’s funny is that Saul has to disguise himself, because as King of Israel, and as initially promoting God’s law, it is against the law for the witch to practice sorcery. And the witch may have suspected it was Saul because she was hesitant to perform her work, but Saul ensured her she would not get in trouble, and he asked her to perform a seance to bring Samuel’s spirit back from the dead so Saul could seek his wisdom.

And with that, I’ve just opened a can of worms.

“For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.L”- Ecclesiastes 9:5
“Your dead shall live; Together with [k]my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.” – Isaiah 26:19″For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly [h]mistaken.” – Mark 12:25-27
“These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” – John 11:11

Why did Jesus have to raise Lazarus from his sleep? When Lazarus died, didn’t he immediately go to heaven, the place where God resides, where there are no more tears, or sadness, or pain? And if it was just Lazarus’ body in the tomb, and Lazarus had ascended into that place, wonderfully described as Heaven, why would Jesus want to bring him back to this wicked and sinful world?

And of anyone, when Jesus was crucified, why didn’t He ascend into Heaven upon His death? Jesus could have immediately ascended, but He didn’t, He went to His tomb, He rested on the Sabbath, then He arose from the dead.

I don’t believe that when we die, we either go to Heaven or Hell (oh, and I don’t believe in Hell either). I believe we simply sleep in our graves, and we are resurrected from the dead, the same as the resurrection of Lazarus and Jesus, upon Christ’s second coming. There are two resurrections; the first is the resurrection of the righteous when Jesus returns, the second is the resurrection of the wicked, when God once again cleanses the earth with fire. But until those times, we simply sleep in our grave.

There are a few people in Heaven…not all go to their grave. Scripture plainly says that “Enoch was taken by God”, that “Elijah was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire”. While scripture doesn’t indicate, Jewish tradition and history says that Moses was in his grave for three days, then he was resurrected by God, and this seems logical considering it was Moses and Elijah who returned to earth for the transfiguration of Jesus. And, when Jesus died on the cross, scripture says there was a great earthquake and that several graves opened and bodies ascended to Heaven, but scripture doesn’t indicate who those individuals were. Scripture indicates there are 12 Elders in Heaven in the end, and that may have been the elders that were resurrected upon the death of Jesus.

I’ll certainly discuss my views later when we cross that bridge, but my point here and now is that Samuel was dead, sleeping in his grave. A medium could not “bring his spirit back to life” so Saul could talk to him. I do not believe in the ghosts of dead people.

Do I believe in evil spirits and demons? Yes. But I believe these spirits are the fallen angels, doing the work of Satan for him. There are passages and stories about Jesus casting out the evil spirits from people.

So, when this “spirit of Samuel” was brought up by the Witch of Endor, I in no way think that that was the true spirit of Samuel. I believe it was one of the fallen angels, sent by Satan, to further confuse and condemn Saul, as well as the medium herself.

Ouija boards. Seances. “The Living Dead”. Voodoo. Black magic. Witch spells. Haunted houses. There are people who find these things interesting. But I for one do not recommend toying with that realm. I believe it is true or God would not have have to issue a law about it. Satan’s angels, those fallen angels he was able to convince and turn against God, are real spirits, and while I don’t believe they can physically do things that are physically harmful to you, I believe they can do things that mentally alter you, causing you to do harmful things to yourself and to others. The brain is a very, very delicate organ. One word, one suggestion, can alter the thought process. Think how many times we sin without even thinking about it, and after we’re convicted, we realize we did it without even thinking. That is Satan or his fallen angels, tempting us. And hope we don’t intentionally and knowingly sin, because that may mean the spirit is within you.

So, follow God’s law, have nothing to do with mediums. do not play with Ouija boards, don’t go to “psychics”, don’t go to seances….if you need help, turn to God.

And this thought just popped into my head, thinking about the “Witch of Endor”. Do you remember the 60’s television sitcom “Bewitched”, about a modern day witch who was trying to live a normal life without witchery, but her witch and warlock relatives were always using it for pranks and such. Yes, it was a comical show. But was it harmless?

It just now struck me, the star of the show, “Samantha Stevens”, her mothers name was “Endora.” Coincidence? I think not. Sounds cute, but I’m not so sure I was be poking fun at a Biblical truth.

But I will end with a joke.

I went to a psychic once and knocked on her door. She yelled out, “Who is it?” So I left.