Why did the dead Samuel accept a "divination request."

[JustinMartyr100]

1 Samuel 28:6-19 tells how Saul went to a medium and asked the medium to bring forth the dead Samuel via divination. Divination is forbidden in the books of Moses, why did Samuel, a man of God, allow himself to be subject to divination and be brought forth by it to speak with Saul?

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

simply to rebuke Saul in his sin. And, to tell him God’s judgement on him.

 

[JustinMartyr100]

simply to rebuke Saul in his sin. And, to tell him God’s judgement on him.

Fair enough, but still, Samuel is technically disobeying the law. The ends don’t justify the means, am I correct?

 

[NotWorthy]

Fair enough, but still, Samuel is technically disobeying the law. The ends don’t justify the means, am I correct?

I understand (and maybe it’s because of pop culture movies) that the dead are forced to return when they are summoned. With that in mind, did Samuel have a choice?

 

[Todd_Easton]

The divination was not the direct cause of Samuel’s appearance, God was. Divination of itself cannot conjure the spirits of the dead, only evil spirits. The divination request was merely the occasion of Samuel’s divinely-ordained appearance.

 

[jgmes2001]

Notice that even the witch herself is shocked when this happens - even she didn’t really believe she could raise the dead.

 

[JustinMartyr100]

Here is what the Navarre Bible Commentary Says:

28:8-14. The evocation of the ghost is interrupted when Samuel appears before the medium does or says anything (v. 12). In other words, these ceremonies for evoking spirits do not work; it is Samuel who takes the initiative and appears before Saul as a supernatural spirit ( a “spirit of Elohim”, according to the Hebrew text: v. 13) to speak not on his own behalf but in the name of God (vv. 16-19). By this literary device, the medium fades into the background and the focus is fixed entirely on the revelation of what the Lord has decided in Saul’s regard.

 

[Benadam]

It seems to me that since it was God’s will and pleasure even according to the commentary mentioned, that the information Saul requested be given him he could have just asked. Note that the summons began the moment Saul spoke indicated by the witch’s response to the sight. Also Samual’s words:

15 And Samuel said to Saul: Why hast thou disturbed my rest, that I should be brought up?

and

And Samuel said: Why askest thou me,

I think Saul was trying to avoid what he already knew. His insistence that God would not hear him was an excuse IMHO to not consult God for fear of bursting the bubble of denial he wished to strengthen.

Maybe Saul was running away from this revelation that was bound to happen no matter how far away he was, and it just so happened to be all the way to the other side of life both at this event and the actual event that fulfilled this prophecy already spoken by Samuel when he was alive.

 

[JustinMartyr100]

It seems to me that since it was God’s will and pleasure even according to the commentary mentioned, that the information Saul requested be given him he could have just asked.

Well, Saul did ask.

1 Samuel 28:6-7 - And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”

 

[Benadam]

Well, Saul did ask.

1 Samuel 28:6-7 - And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”

Hmmm, thank you. for the correction. Interesting that this prophecy of death is revealed in this way ie; seemingly through a necromancer. Prophecy of death through the dead. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Samuel had already prophecied the event in broader strokes when he was alive?

First Book Of Kings
Chapter 28
17 For the Lord will do to thee as he spoke by me, and he will rend thy kingdom out of thy hand, and will give it to thy neighbour David: 18 Because thou didst not obey the voice of the Lord, neither didst thou execute the wrath of his indignation upon Amalec. Therefore hath the Lord done to thee what thou sufferest this day. 19 And the Lord also will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines: and tomorrow thou and thy sons shall be with me: and the Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.