Saul, abandoned by God because of his disobedience, desperately summons the deceased Samuel for guidance but receives only a reminder of his own failure and the irreversible consequences of forsaking the LORD’s commands.
Then we read in 1 Samuel 28:15: Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” (v.15). This extraordinary event took place near the end of King Saul’s reign in roughly 1010 BC, when he was on the brink of facing the Philistine army. At this point, the prophet Samuel had already died, and Saul’s desperation drove him to seek out a medium in the town of Endor, a place about six or so miles northeast of the Philistine encampment. Although Saul had previously banished mediums and spiritists from Israel, he disobeyed his own decree by consulting a medium in an attempt to glean guidance from his deceased mentor, Samuel.
The prophet Samuel’s response—“Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”—reflects his disapproval of Saul’s improper actions. When Saul explains his grave predicament, he reveals his fear and state of spiritual isolation: “God has departed from me and no longer answers me.” Saul’s earlier disobedience (see 1 Samuel 15) had led to God’s rejection of him as king. As a result, the presence of the LORD and direct communication through prophets or dreams were withdrawn. Saul’s tragic realization that he could no longer find God’s counsel underscores the seriousness of straying from God’s commands. It also demonstrates that true guidance cannot be obtained by violating God’s instructions, such as by seeking forbidden spiritual practices.
By invoking Samuel, Saul hoped to overcome God’s silence. Instead, he received a sobering reminder that no ritual or desperate measure can undo his long-standing pattern of disobedience. King Saul’s attempt only emphasized the sense of hopelessness engulfing him and pointed to the truth that turning away from God’s ways leads to the loss of both spiritual and moral clarity.
Saul’s distress at Endor exposes the critical nature of abiding in God’s will and the folly of attempting to manipulate divine guidance.
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1 Samuel 28:15 meaning
Then we read in 1 Samuel 28:15: Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” (v.15). This extraordinary event took place near the end of King Saul’s reign in roughly 1010 BC, when he was on the brink of facing the Philistine army. At this point, the prophet Samuel had already died, and Saul’s desperation drove him to seek out a medium in the town of Endor, a place about six or so miles northeast of the Philistine encampment. Although Saul had previously banished mediums and spiritists from Israel, he disobeyed his own decree by consulting a medium in an attempt to glean guidance from his deceased mentor, Samuel.
The prophet Samuel’s response—“Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”—reflects his disapproval of Saul’s improper actions. When Saul explains his grave predicament, he reveals his fear and state of spiritual isolation: “God has departed from me and no longer answers me.” Saul’s earlier disobedience (see 1 Samuel 15) had led to God’s rejection of him as king. As a result, the presence of the LORD and direct communication through prophets or dreams were withdrawn. Saul’s tragic realization that he could no longer find God’s counsel underscores the seriousness of straying from God’s commands. It also demonstrates that true guidance cannot be obtained by violating God’s instructions, such as by seeking forbidden spiritual practices.
By invoking Samuel, Saul hoped to overcome God’s silence. Instead, he received a sobering reminder that no ritual or desperate measure can undo his long-standing pattern of disobedience. King Saul’s attempt only emphasized the sense of hopelessness engulfing him and pointed to the truth that turning away from God’s ways leads to the loss of both spiritual and moral clarity.
Saul’s distress at Endor exposes the critical nature of abiding in God’s will and the folly of attempting to manipulate divine guidance.