| ARM Prison Outreach International |
INTRODUCTION: A wealthy man called on his dentist in great distress over a broken front tooth. The dentist told him it must come out. "No, no, you must build it up," exclaimed the man of riches. "I can't spare that tooth. Its removal would make my mouth look like an open port-hole." "Oh, well, I can replace it," complacently answered the dentist. "The old one must certainly come out, but I will put in a new one that will make you look better than ever before. It will be firm and regular and much more attractive than the old one." "Ah!" muttered the wealthy man. "That's what I want, make it as attractive as possible. Say, doctor, couldn't you set a large diamond in the middle of it?" "Oh, no, I wouldn't do that," replied the dentist, hastily. "Of course I know you can well afford it, but it would look--well, just a trifle too conspicuous, don't you know." Perhaps the rich man was only joking, but there are a good many people who wear their profession of religion like that. It is all show and display, and no loving obedience or humble service in it. One ounce of obedience is worth a ton of showy sacrifice.
Text Background: Saul has failed to obey God in 1 Samuel 15; he didn't destroy the Amalekites as he was commanded. God rejected him from being king and Samuel told him so.
1 Sam 15:13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions."
14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"
15 Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."
16 "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied.
17 Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.
18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites….
19 Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?
"20 "But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.
21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal."
22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
OUR TEXT: 1 Sam 28:1-25
1 Now it came about in those days that the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, "Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men." 2 And David said to Achish, "Very well, you shall know what your servant can do." So Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life." 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists
It is inevitable! Philistia and Israel will fight again! Now David is allied with Achish!
Saul’s godly campaign against mediums and spiritists was founded in Deuteronomy & Leviticus:
Lev 19:31 'Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Lev 20:6 'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
Lev 20:27 'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.'"
Deut 18:10-12 "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 "For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.
Now the battle is set and Saul is fearful! "heart trembled greatly!"
4 So the Philistines gathered together and came and camped in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped in Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. 6 When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor."
1. WHEN WE DISOBEY WE ARE DRIVEN TO DESPERATION AND MORE DISOBEDIENCE!
In the absence of Samuel as resource, Saul tries what? (Dreams, Urim, Thummin, prophets.)
No answers from the Lord! Run from Him, ignore His commands, then expect His counsel??
They find a lady of En-dor, a medium, spiritist, a witch, a sorcerer, has a familiar spirit, wizards
178 SPIRITIST, HAVING A FAMILIAR SPIRIT 'owb (obe); from the same as 1 (apparently through the idea of prattling a father's name); properly, a mumble, i.e. a water skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar): KJV-- bottle, familiar spirit.
3049 WIZARD, MEDIUM ONE WHO TALKS WITH THE DEAD, (NECROMANCY n. The practice of supposedly communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future) yidde` only (yid-deh-o-nee'); from 3045; properly, a knowing one; specifically, a conjurer; (by impl) a ghost: KJV-- wizard.
Then Saul approaches her clandestinely and seeks Samuel for consultation! (Samuel died in 25:1) THIS WAS STRICTLY AGAINST GOD'S WILL AND SAUL KNEW IT! But compromise was easy for Saul now.. he had been practicing it TOO LONG!
A hunter raised his rifle and took
careful aim at a large bear. When about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a
soft soothing voice, "Isn't it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want?
Let's negotiate the matter." Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, "I want a
fur coat." "Good," said the bear, "that is a negotiable question. I only want a
full stomach, so let us negotiate a compromise."
They sat down to negotiate
and after a time the bear walked away alone. The negotiations had been
successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur
coat!
Satan says to you, "Let us negotiate." But there are some things that
cannot be negotiable. We cannot compromise the church with the world. Christ and
His church deserve our very best and utmost loyalty.
2. WHEN WE DISOBEY WE LEAD OTHERS INTO DISOBEDIENCE!
The unfilled spiritual tank is an invitation to disaster, and many of us have known that awful moment when, like a car out of gas, we seem to cough and sputter and pull over to the shoulder, out of service, not able to go any farther. We have all seen the car out of gas in a long tunnel or on a narrow bridge at rush hour. Thousands of people are potentially affected by the clogged-up mess that follows. And it can happen in spiritual life also. One empty spiritual tank can affect a score of other people. It has happened more than once.
8 Then Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, "Conjure up for me, please, and bring up for me whom I shall name to you."
9 But the woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?"
10 And Saul vowed to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD lives, there shall no punishment come upon you for this thing."
She doesn’t know it’s Saul - referring to Saul’s extermination of mediums – am I being trapped?
He responds with an oath that she is safe, then specifies Samuel.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul."
NOT when he ASKED for Samuel did she cry out, but WHEN SHE SAW SAMUEL? WHY?
I have an idea .. she was used to 'familiar spirits' -- demons IMPERSONATING THE ONE DESIRED -- NOT THE "REAL MCCOY!" But she GOT SAMUEL!! And it wasn't going to be a "pretty picture."
Ben Alexander’s wise teaching on evil spirits impersonating our dead loved ones. HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OCCULT!
The story continues....
13 And the king said to her, "Do not be afraid; but what do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up out of the earth."
14 And he said to her, "What is his form?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.
Then Saul got a description of the spirit, divine, old man, wrapped in a robe, Yes, Samuel!
Saul pays homage, something he failed to do when Samuel was still alive.
3. WHEN WE DISOBEY WE REMOVE OURSELVES FROM GOD'S PROTECTION!
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 answers me no more, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do."16 And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary?
17 "And the LORD has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.
18 "As you did not obey the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the LORD has done this thing to you this day.
19 "Moreover the LORD will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Indeed the LORD will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!"
Samuel does what? Immediately chastises Saul for breaking the law of God and disturbing him!
Saul describes the fix he is in, and begs for help! Samuel says God’s forsaken Saul as he said.
He further confirms the kingdom will be David’s; he ties it all to the incident in 1 Sam 15
Then he predicts defeat and the death of Saul and his sons.
4. WHEN WE DISOBEY WE TAKE A WRONG TURN ONTO THE FREEWAY TO DEATH!
In the Belgian Congo, the weather was
hot and dank. No breath of air stirred; leaves hung from the trees as though
they were weighted. In the garden not far from the missionary home, a small boy
played under a tree. Suddenly, the father called to him: "Philip,
obey me instantly--get down on your stomach." The boy reacted at once.
"Now
crawl toward me quickly," his father continued. The boy again obeyed. After he
had come halfway, the father said, "Now stand up and run to me."
The boy
reached his father and turned to look back. Hanging from the branch under which
he had been playing was a 15-foot serpent.
Are we always as ready to obey? Or
do we say, "Tell me why?" "Explain to me?" "I will later." Let it be, Speak,
Lord, Thy servant hears."
Satan LOVES to DISASSOCIATE disobedience from death. But God's Word says: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die!"
20 Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified, and said to him, "Behold, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.
22 "So now also, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you that you may eat and have strength when you go on your way."
23 But he refused and said, "I will not eat." However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.
24 And the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it; and she took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it.
To unsubscribe just reply to this
email with "NO MINUTE" in the body of the email.
Remain faithful unto death .."
Rev. 2:10B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rod
Farthing, ARM National Development Director rodfar@arm.org
RR 5 Box 159, Salem, MO 65560
Check out our web sites:
www.arm.org
www.abarc.org www.raphahouse.org www.daughtersofruth.org
In 2007, ARM donated over 5.28 MILLION DaySpring Greeting cards
to
prisons!