The Sin of Witchcraft

BUT let us further consider the question of Samuel's presence. If he were actually present, and this manifestation was not a satanic representation of him, he must have come, 1. As an immortal spirit from glory; or, 2. He must have been raised from the dead, and therefore been present with his own flesh and bones.

But the first of these views must be abandoned, for, 1. An immortal spirit from the realms of glory could not come up out of the earth. 2. Nor would such an one begin his work by a private communication with the witch. 3. It is moreover incredible that the incantations of her satanic craft should enable her to see such a holy being while Saul could see nothing.

Let us see if the second view is any less open to objection. The fact that this reputed Samuel arose out of the earth before this woman, as an old man covered with a mantle, may be supposed to substantiate the idea that Samuel was present with his own flesh and bones. Before disproving this view of the case, several questions concerning it may well be asked: 1. Samuel was buried in distant Ramah. See verse 3. How could he come out of the ground in Endor? 2. Can it be believed that he was raised by God to talk with Saul upon the devil's own ground? 3. Would such a man as Samuel, who held witchcraft as a heinous sin, 1 Sam. 15:23, before beginning his message to Saul, first hold private converse with this wicked woman in the midst of her incantations? 4. And what became of this old man thus raised from the dead? Did he go through the pains of a second dissolution? He might in such case well complain of being disquieted and brought up by Saul. Verse 15.

But there is one important fact that settles this question of Samuel's resurrection. Had Samuel been present in his own flesh and bones, and not as a matter of enchantment or sorcery, Saul would have seen him as well as the woman. That Saul could not see him is convincing proof that Samuel was not raised from the dead. He must have been raised—if raised at all—by God or by Satan. But the devil cannot raise the dead; and it is certain that the God of Heaven would not raise his servant in answer to satanic incantations.

We are therefore brought to the conclusion that Samuel was not present either as an immortal spirit from the third Heaven, or as resurrected from the dead. And therefore the conclusion is inevitable that this Samuel is no other than the familiar spirit personating the man of God. Saul had asked the God of Heaven to speak to him by his prophets; but for his wickedness this was refused. This time he asked Satan to send him Samuel; and Satan was not slow to answer the prayer by sending such a Samuel as he could produce. And now let us hear what this Samuel, produced by Satan, had to say:—

"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. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? 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: 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. 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. 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."

The first words of this so-called Samuel are remarkable. He does not wait to hear Saul's request, but asks Saul in a petulant manner what he has disturbed him for, to bring him up. This is an acknowledgment on the part of this reputed Samuel that he had come through Saul's act of seeking Satan. It is not holy Samuel, sent by God; but is that kind of Samuel that Satan could send. And observe, he does not represent himself as coming down from the courts of glory, but as coming up from the regions below. Those who think that Samuel was actually present from the heavenly Jerusalem may explain how wicked Saul could be present with him the next day. Verse 19.

Saul relates to Samuel his sore distress. And now behold the result of serving Satan, and then calling upon him for help in the day of dire extremity. Satan flatters men during all the time in which they can repent, telling them the path in which they are walking is the path of the righteous; or, if it is not, it is just as good as that of the righteous, and will end at last in Heaven; or, if it be not just right, there is plenty of time for repentance, and that they may safely neglect it for many years. But when the last hours of their probation are expiring, he comes upon his victims with overwhelming power, telling them that it is now too late, and drives them to despair by repeating the history of their sins, until, perhaps, they take their lives with their own hands. Such was the case with Saul. Satan led him to despise the warnings of the prophets, and to presume upon the mercy of God, till the very hour of his extremity was upon him, and then, by rehearsing his sins, and provoking him with David's certain triumph over him, and extinguishing every hope, both for this world and the next, he drives him to utter despair and immediate suicide. He tells him,

1. The Lord is departed from thee and is become thine enemy, i.e. there is absolutely no hope in your case.

2. The Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David. This was a keen thrust to such a man as Saul.

3. Your ruin was made sure by your sin in the memorable expedition against Amalek.

4. Your army will suffer a terrible defeat in the coming battle, and yourself and sons will be slain.

And now let us follow Saul to the battle. We cannot, indeed, say whether it came on the following day, but it was not delayed long. His army was defeated with a terrible slaughter, his sons were slain, and Saul, in utter despair, killed himself with his own sword. See 1 Sam. 31. Such was the result of his seeking to one that had a familiar spirit. But before we take leave of this extraordinary case, let us hear what is said of it by that sacred writer who makes the only other mention of it.

1Ch 10:13-14: "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; And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse."

It is worthy of observation that his passage names the familiar spirit as the one that Saul conversed with, and says not one word about Samuel, in whose form and dress he came, and under whose name he completed the ruin of Saul. It was the familiar spirit that he inquired of, and that held discourse with him. This is made very manifest by quoting this text without the supplied words: "For asking of a familiar spirit to inquire. And he inquired not of the Lord." It was the familiar spirit, and not the Lord through Samuel, with whom Saul conversed.

The sin of witchcraft, or the dealing with familiar spirits, consists, therefore, in holding intercourse with Satan under the name of conversing with the dead. And observe how completely, under such circumstances, men put themselves under the power of Satan.

With hearts wounded and bleeding under some great bereavement, they call up their dear departed. And when their peculiarities are exactly reproduced, and when little tokens of friendship, which were known only the inquirer and to the departed, are brought out, and matters best calculated to awaken all the fond remembrances of the past are called up, so that the inquirer becomes satisfied that he is conversing with his dearest friend, who now know a thousand times more than himself, he is not only thrown off his guard, but captivated by Satan, and caused to believe the doctrine of devils; for certainly, as he thinks, his dearest friend cannot deceive him.