Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow 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' (I Samuel 28:11-20).
"This form and voice named 'Samuel' was that of an evil spirit which pretended to be the prophet Samuel in order to lead Saul to despair and self-destruction. I would like to help you realize this by asking several questions:
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"Samuel's soul was in heaven; would Satan have power to pull souls out of their perfect state in heaven to bring them back into a sinful world?
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"In verse six of this same chapter, we read, 'And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets' (I Samuel 28:6). If God refused to answer Saul through means of His prophets on earth, would He consent to do so by a prophet who had passed into glory?
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''Would God answer Saul through a means which He had strictly forbidden to use -the means of a devilish familiar spirit?
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"The Lord informs us that Saul died because he asked counsel of a familiar spirit, and not of the Lord or His prophets -see I Chronicles 10:13-14. Was the counsel Saul received Samuel's or the evil spirit's?
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"The evil spirit 'Samuel' speaks of being brought up in verse 15. If it had truly been Samuel he would have spoken of being brought down. Why?
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"In verse 19, this evil spirit resembling Samuel states, 'tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.' If this were Samuel speaking, he would be lying, for Saul would not be in heaven with Samuel, but in hell.
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God's Spirit (and servants) warn sinners in order to lead and encourage them to repent. Satan's
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 inquire of it.
And inquired not of the LORD: therefore He slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
I Chronicles 10:13-14
