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Offline oklawall

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1 Samuel 28
« on: January 26, 2019, 09:25:57 PM »
I'm a discussion group leader for Bible Study Fellowship and this year we are studying People of the Promise Land Part 1 and last week we had a spirited discussion and wanted to see what your men of GOD think. In 1 Samuel 28 when Saul went to the medium was it in fact Samuel that the medium and Saul saw and spoke to or was it a evil spirit?

We had basically 2 camps. 

1) It was a evil spirt using Samuel words.
2) God allowed Samuel to be called back to give Saul one last chance to repent.

What do you think do you have something we didn't think of?

Offline Atkinsmatt

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Re: 1 Samuel 28
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2019, 07:19:36 PM »
I think God allowed Samuel to come back and repeat what he had already told Saul.  That he had ripped the kingdom from him and given it to David.  Saul had not changed his ways or repented.  Samuel always confronted Saul when it needed to be done and I think God allowed Samuel to do it again.  Below is from the Enduring Word Commentary.  Hope this helps.

.""" Some believe that this was a hallucination of the medium. But this doesn’t make sense because it doesn’t explain why the medium was so frightened. It doesn’t explain why Saul also saw Samuel and why Samuel spoke to Saul, not to the medium.
ii. Some believe that this was a deception by the medium. But this also isn’t an adequate explanation, for the same reasons given to the previous suggestion.
iii. Some believe that this was a demonic impersonation of Samuel. It is possible that the medium, with her occultic powers, summoned a demonic spirit that deceived both her and Saul. But this suggestion is also inadequate, because it does not speak to the issue of motive. After all, what advantage does Satan gain by “Samuel’s” words to Saul?
iv. Some believe that this was a genuine (but strange) appearance of Samuel. This is the best explanation because it is supported by the reaction of the medium, who got more than she bargained for. It is also supported by the truth of what Samuel said (and the text says that Samuel said it). Some may say that it is impossible for Samuel to reappear in some way, coming from the world beyond back to this world. But Moses and Elijah also came from the world beyond back to this world when they appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3).
v. Clarke makes an additional valuable point: “I believe that the woman of En-dor had no power over Samuel; and that no incantation can avail over any departed saint of God, nor indeed over any human disembodied spirit.” Samuel really came, but not because the medium called for him. Samuel appeared because God had a special purpose for it."""
Matt
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