June 7| The King Who Consulted a Witch: When Desperation Destroys Everything You Stand For
Picture this: A king crouched in shadows outside a cave, hands trembling not from cold but from desperate fear. He's wearing a disguise, meeting someone in secret like a mob boss with an informant. Inside that cave sits a witch - the exact type of person this king made it illegal to consult, punishable by death. And in minutes, he'll ask her to raise the dead.
This isn't fantasy or folklore. This is First Samuel, chapter 28. What happens next is either the most supernatural encounter in the Bible or the most tragic case of a leader so desperate that he destroyed everything he stood for in one night.
The King Who Made Consulting Witches Illegal
King Saul was Israel's first king, chosen by God himself. He had spent years cleaning up Israel's spiritual landscape, driving out mediums, fortune tellers, and spirit channelers. Consulting the dead became a capital offense under his rule. Saul basically declared war on everything supernatural that wasn't directly from God.
But now everything was different. The Philistines had massed for war with an army so massive that seeing them made Saul's heart "tremble greatly." When the king of Israel tried to get guidance from God through dreams, priests, and prophets, he got complete silence.
The silence wasn't mysterious - it was earned. Earlier in his reign, Saul had directly disobeyed God's command to completely destroy the Amalekites. Instead, he kept their king alive and saved the best livestock for himself. When the prophet Samuel confronted him, Saul tried to spin it as religious devotion: "We were saving the best animals to sacrifice to God!"
Samuel's response was devastating: "To obey is better than sacrifice. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."
When God Goes Silent: The Psychology of Spiritual Desperation
When you've spent years ignoring legitimate voices trying to guide you, suddenly illegitimate voices start sounding reasonable. Saul had burned bridges with God through disobedience, dismissed prophets, and rejected divine guidance. When consequences came crashing down, he tried to bypass the very God he'd been ignoring.
Late at night, Saul turns to his servants with words that should have shocked them: "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."
Think about this. The king who made consulting mediums punishable by death is asking his staff to help him find one. His servants don't even hesitate: "There is one in Endor."
This tells us something crucial - despite Saul's crackdown, despite the death penalty, despite years of persecution, there was still a witch operating in the shadows. There's always someone willing to profit from desperate people's spiritual hunger.
The Midnight Journey to Endor
Saul disguises himself, changes clothes, covers his face, and sneaks out with trusted men like he's conducting a covert military operation. Except instead of meeting foreign spies, he's consulting the exact kind of person he's spent his career eliminating.
When they reach the medium's house, she doesn't recognize the king of Israel standing in her doorway. He says, "Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name."
The woman is terrified this is a sting operation: "Don't you know that Saul has cut off all the mediums and spiritists from the land? Why are you setting a trap for my life?"
But Saul swears an oath: "As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this." The cognitive dissonance is staggering - the king who banned mediums swearing by God's name to protect one.
When the Supernatural Becomes Horrifyingly Real
The woman finally agrees. "Whom shall I bring up for you?" "Bring up Samuel."
Samuel - the prophet who anointed him king, who told him God had rejected him, who died knowing Saul's reign was doomed.
The medium starts her ritual, probably expecting the usual tricks. But then something happens that terrifies her more than getting caught by Saul's men. She sees Samuel and screams - not theatrical gasps, but genuine terror.
Here's what's mind-bending: The medium screams not because she's faking it, but because she's not. This wasn't supposed to actually work.
"Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" she shouts, recognizing him because what she's seeing is so supernaturally real that she knows this can't be some random desperate client.
The Dead Prophet's Devastating Message
Samuel's spirit appears, and he's not happy about being disturbed. "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"
Saul pours out his desperation: "I am in great distress; the Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."
Samuel's response destroys Saul completely:
"Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. Because you did not obey the Lord, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me."
Samuel just told Saul that he and his sons would be dead within 24 hours.
The Ultimate Irony: Getting What You Ask For
Saul collapses, literally falling face down, overwhelmed with terror. The witch who started the evening afraid for her life now finds herself comforting the king of Israel lying catatonic on her floor.
This story is haunting because Saul got exactly what he was seeking. The séance worked. Samuel appeared. The supernatural consultation happened. Divine communication was restored.
And it was the worst possible outcome.
The next day, exactly as Samuel prophesied, Saul and his sons died in battle. Saul, severely wounded, fell on his own sword rather than be captured alive. The king who started his reign chosen by God ended it consulting witches and committing suicide.
What This Biblical Story Teaches Us About Desperation
I recognize something terrifying in Saul's desperation. There are moments when we're so desperate for answers that we start considering sources we once found repulsive. When legitimate voices go quiet, we become willing to listen to anyone who promises supernatural insight.
But here's the question that keeps me awake: Was God's silence punishment, or was it mercy?
Maybe when God stops answering, it's not because He's abandoned you. Maybe it's because the answers you're seeking aren't the ones you need.
Saul wanted supernatural guidance about the Philistines. What he really needed was supernatural forgiveness for his rebellion. He wanted prophetic strategy for winning battles. What he needed was humility to lose his pride.
The witch gave him what he asked for. God's silence was trying to give him what he needed.
The Modern Application: When You're Tempted by Wrong Sources
What desperate question are you carrying tonight? What door are you tempted to knock on because legitimate ones seem locked? What voice are you considering listening to because the right voices have gone quiet?
Before you disguise yourself and sneak out in darkness to consult sources that promise easy answers, try listening to the silence first.
Sometimes God's silence isn't rejection - it's protection. Sometimes the worst thing that could happen is getting exactly what you're asking for.
The story of the king who consulted a witch reminds us that desperation can drive us to destroy everything we once stood for. But it also teaches us that there's no place too dark for God's redemption - if we're willing to listen to what He's really saying in the silence.
Learning from Saul's Tragic Choice
King Saul's consultation with the witch of Endor stands as one of the Bible's most chilling examples of how fear and desperation can lead us away from God rather than toward Him. When we stop listening to God's voice through legitimate means - His Word, prayer, wise counsel, and His Spirit - we become vulnerable to voices that promise quick fixes but deliver destruction.
The real tragedy isn't that God wouldn't speak to Saul. It's that Saul wouldn't listen to what God had already said. Sometimes the most supernatural thing we can do is trust God's silence and wait for His timing rather than forcing our own solutions.
What whispers are you listening to in your moments of desperation? Choose wisely - some doors, once opened, can never be closed again.
An Invitation to go Deeper….
If today’s message spoke to you, join the FaithLabz 30-Day Prayer Challenge and strengthen your connection with God’s unshakable love. You are never alone—let’s grow together!
