Anesti Ministries

God’s silence.

What do you do when God is silent? God’s silence when you turn to Him in times of desperation is one of the most dreadful feelings. Saul was in a desperate situation. The Philistines were amassing their forces to attack Israel. Saul’s fear reveals that he no longer trusted God. Despite this, Saul still did what a Godly king would do. He sought the Lord through every means possible. But there was silence.

There are times when you may struggle to find a reason why God is silent. But no matter how desperate the crisis gets, do not turn to the world. Psalm 34:4 promises you that when you seek God with all your heart, He will surely deliver you.

Saul’s desperation.

When we are desperate, we can be tempted to find our own solutions to fix our problems. But we should never resort to any methods that violate God’s commands. Saul was out of options and chose to do what was forbidden in the eyes of God. v8 Saul had to approach the medium in disguise as he was the one who banished them from Israel (v3). v7 Although they were banished, it appears that there was one in the city of En-dor; a city in Northern Israel. v10 It is ironic that Saul used the Lord’s name to protect the medium who was breaking God’s command.

The appearance of Samuel’s spirit tells us that communication with the spiritual realm is real and not just superstition. God warns us to stay away from mediums and necromancy because it involves the demonic realm. Many ancient sorcery practices involved mutilations and child sacrifices. In Deuteronomy 18:9-12, God forbids such practices to protect His people from harm. He also commands us in Leviticus 19:31 not to seek answers from spirits or the spirits of the dead. We need not seek these things because we can seek the God who holds our future in His hands. God sent you the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth, plan, and purpose to you (John 16:13).

God’s judgement.

Even though Samuel is dead, his spirit is alive. This is proof that the Spiritual realm exists. When we die, our spirits continue to live. The people who died before the time of Jesus went to Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22). It was a holding place for Spirits to await the coming of Jesus. Ephesians 4:8 tells us that after Jesus paid the penalty for sin, He redeemed those in Abraham’s bosom and brought them to heaven.

Samuel reveals that God was silent because of Saul’s repeated disobedience. v16 reveals that Saul’s past actions made him an enemy of God. God was using the Philistines as His instruments to bring about His judgment upon Saul. While there are many reasons God is sometimes silent, disobedience hinders us from hearing God. We cannot hear God if we choose to harden our heart towards Him.

At times when I struggle to hear the Lord, I do what David did in Psalm 139:23. David asked the Lord to examine his heart to reveal his transgression. In the same way, I ask the Holy Spirit to examine my heart to point out any unrepented sin. 1 John 1:19 promises that when we repent, we will find forgiveness through Jesus.