Today's Reading
1 Samuel. Several of you will have questions about the medium/witch at Endor. The answer is that we don't know for sure what happened. Because of other Scriptures, I think it's possible that she called up a spirit impersonating Samuel. Obviously, much of what the spirit told them was true. However, the truth drove Saul into fear and despair rather than toward God's comfort. Therefore, I believe it was probably an evil spirit.
John. What do you think Jesus was angry about in today's passage? Was it the unbelief of the people? Was it the power of sin that brings death? Was it the devil who tempts us and draws us astray? What do you think?
Psalms. God's faithfulness goes on forever. If a Bible chapter includes only two verses (this is the center chapter of the Bible), isn't this a great message to put there?
Proverbs. Wise advisors are worth their weight in gold. Or platinum. Or...
What are your thoughts today? Questions you want to consider?
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Out of curiosity, why don't you think it was really Samuel? If it's possible to bring up an evil spirit, why isn't it possible to ask a dead good guy to make an appearance?
ReplyDeleteI love how different Martha is in this passage than when we saw her complaining about Mary not helping in the kitchen. It gives me hope. :)
ReplyDeleteWhy WAS Jesus angry???? The NIV doesn't use that word, it says he was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled." I'd always assumed it was because he hated to see Martha and Mary so sad.
Well, O curious one, I don't think it was really Samuel because...
ReplyDeletea) 2 Chronicles 18 pulls back the curtain between the temporal and the eternal. There we discover the lying/deceiving spirits are allowed by God to pull people in a sinful direction.
b) The message given wasn't one of hope and repentance, but one of unmitigated doom. That is contrary to the Good News and it was contrary to the general direction of Samuel's life. He did proclaim judgment while he was alive, but he also proclaimed hope that would come out of brokenness and repentance. If this had been truly him, wouldn't he have called Saul to repent and seek God?
3) The only time Scripture speaks of someone coming back was when Moses and Elijah met Jesus on the mount during His transfiguration. They came back to encourage their Lord and appeared in an exalted state.
4) In the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16), the rich man wanted to return or even to send Lazarus back and it was forbidden.
There is a whole false religious system based on the idea of communicating with the dad. It is firmly forbidden (Deuteronomy 18). It seems outside of God's character to forbid something as a false religion, then co-opt it by sending Samuel back in this way.