1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28

MacArthur writes "God—much to the medium’s shock and to Saul’s horror—actually allows the deceased prophet to speak words of rebuke to the wicked king." (See 1 Samuel - The Lives of Samuel and Saul). And Saul answered, "I am greatly distressed - Saul answer is summed up by the fact that he is now in deep trouble. for - This term of explanation introduces two major reasons Saul is feeling such intense pressure. the (1) Philistines are waging war against me, and (2) God has departed from me and (3) no longer answers me (contrast David 1Sa 23:2-4,9-12), either through prophets or by dreams - Saul has in essence three serious causes for concern! He is not incorrect in his "theological" assessment! Note he does not mention the Urim (possibly because he recalls killing all the priests at Nob!) Saul informs Samuel of facts we have already seen in the preceding passages. The enemy has gathered and God had departed. Furthermore all Saul's attempt to communicate with Yawheh fell on deaf ears. One is reminded of Psalm 66:18 which says "If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear." Saul had regarded wickedness in his heart form most of his 40 year reign! He should not expect that he would have any communication with God. Departed is the Hebrew verb sur which means that the Spirit of God had gone away (1Sa 16:14) and is in the perfect tense denoting a completed action. The Septuagint translates sur with the verb aphistemi is also in the perfect tense which signifies that this departure occurred in the past and the effect is still in existence and implies permanence. Note what Saul does not say -- he fails to mention his own disobedience as the underlying theological problem! therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do - Therefore introduces Saul's desperate conclusion that he was out of options and the only possible one would be to hear from a dead prophet about how to engage the Philistines. Woodhouse - The contradiction involved in calling up from the dead Samuel, the great prophet of God, when God had turned away from Saul did not seem to bother the king.(1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader) Departed (turned aside)(05493) sur basically means to change direction, to turn away, to go away, to desert, to quit, to keep far away, to stop, to take away, to remove, to be removed, to make depart. Literally of turning aside or departing from the road a person is traveling (Jdg 18:3, 15) or departing from a road or path by turning aside from the original course (Ex 3:3; Dt. 2:27; Jdg. 18:3; 19:15; Ru 4:1; 1 Sam. 6:12; 1 Ki 22:32; Jer.5:23); to step out of line militarily (1 Ki 20:39); to retreat from a path (Ge 49:10; Ex 8:27; Nu 12:10; 14:9; Dt. 4:9; Jdg. 16:19; 1 Sa 6:3; 16:14)' Used figuratively, it has to do with the moral direction someone is taking; turning from the right road. Israel turned aside from the way of their ancestors walked (Jdg. 2:17) and away from God's commands (Mal 3:7). Sur uses in 1 Samuel-2 Chronicles - 1Sa 1:14; 1Sa 6:3; 1Sa 6:12; 1Sa 7:3; 1Sa 7:4; 1Sa 12:20; 1Sa 12:21; 1Sa 15:6; 1Sa 15:32; 1Sa 16:14; 1Sa 16:23; 1Sa 17:26; 1Sa 17:39; 1Sa 17:46; 1Sa 18:12; 1Sa 18:13; 1Sa 21:6; 1Sa 28:3; 1Sa 28:15; 1Sa 28:16; 2Sa 2:21; 2Sa 2:22; 2Sa 2:23; 2Sa 4:7; 2Sa 5:6; 2Sa 6:10; 2Sa 7:15; 2Sa 12:10; 2Sa 16:9; 2Sa 22:23; 1Ki 2:31; 1Ki 15:5; 1Ki 15:12; 1Ki 15:13; 1Ki 15:14; 1Ki 20:24; 1Ki 20:39; 1Ki 20:41; 1Ki 22:32; 1Ki 22:43; 2Ki 3:2; 2Ki 3:3; 2Ki 4:8; 2Ki 4:10; 2Ki 4:11; 2Ki 6:32; 2Ki 10:29; 2Ki 10:31; 2Ki 12:3; 2Ki 13:2; 2Ki 13:6; 2Ki 13:11; 2Ki 14:4; 2Ki 14:24; 2Ki 15:4; 2Ki 15:9; 2Ki 15:18; 2Ki 15:24; 2Ki 15:28; 2Ki 15:35; 2Ki 16:17; 2Ki 17:18; 2Ki 17:22; 2Ki 17:23; 2Ki 18:4; 2Ki 18:6; 2Ki 18:22; 2Ki 22:2; 2Ki 23:19; 2Ki 23:27; 2Ki 24:3; 1Ch 13:13; 1Ch 17:13; 2Ch 8:15; 2Ch 14:3; 2Ch 14:5; 2Ch 15:16; 2Ch 15:17; 2Ch 17:6; 2Ch 20:10; 2Ch 20:32; 2Ch 20:33; 2Ch 25:27; 2Ch 30:9; 2Ch 30:14; 2Ch 32:12; 2Ch 33:8; 2Ch 33:15; 2Ch 34:2; 2Ch 34:33; 2Ch 35:12; 2Ch 35:15; 2Ch 36:3 1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary? BGT 1 Samuel 28:16 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ ἵνα τί ἐπερωτᾷς με καὶ κύριος ἀφέστηκεν ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ γέγονεν μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον σου LXE 1 Samuel 28:16 And Samuel said, Why askest thou me, whereas the Lord has departed from thee, and taken part with thy neighbour? KJV 1 Samuel 28:16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? NET 1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel said, "Why are you asking me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and has become your enemy? CSB 1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel answered, "Since the LORD has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me? ESV 1 Samuel 28:16 And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? NIV 1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? NLT 1 Samuel 28:16 But Samuel replied, "Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy? NRS 1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? NJB 1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel said, 'Why consult me, when Yahweh has abandoned you and has become your enemy? NAB 1 Samuel 28:16 To this Samuel said: "But why do you ask me, if the LORD has abandoned you and is with your neighbor? YLT 1 Samuel 28:16 And Samuel saith, 'And why dost thou ask me, and Jehovah hath turned aside from thee, and is thine enemy? GWN 1 Samuel 28:16 Samuel said, "Why are you asking me when the LORD has turned against you and become your enemy? BBE 1 Samuel 28:16 And Samuel said, Why do you put your questions to me, seeing that God has gone away from you and is on the side of him who is against you? Why then: Jdg 5:31 2Ki 6:27 Ps 68:1-3 Rev 18:20,24 19:1-6 become: La 2:5 1 Samuel 28 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Samuel 16:13-14 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. SAMUEL'S CUTTING BUT TRUTHFUL WORDS Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary - Samuel the dead prophet still seems to be a true prophet for the words he utters are true. His words confirm that Saul is correct in saying the LORD had departed from him, and this seems to have actually occurred almost 40 years earlier when the Spirit came on David and departed from Saul. (1Sa 16:13-14+). Samuel's second prophetic word reminds one of the words of the greater Prophet Jesus Who declared "he who is not with Me is against me." (Mt 12:30a). Departed again as in the previous passage is the Hebrew verb sur which means that the Spirit of God had gone away (1Sa 16:14) and is in the perfect tense denoting a completed action. The Septuagint translates sur with the verb aphistemi is also in the perfect tense which signifies that this departure occurred in the past and the effect is still in existence and implies permanence. In short, the prophet Samuel (and I believe this was the actual prophet) gives his diagnosis. In other words Samuel is saying that God does not answer Saul because (1) He had departed from him and (2) He had become God's enemy! Woe! G C