Saul's Final Inability: 1 Samuel 28:20-25
We are far better off relying upon God than standing upon our own understanding. We have limits, and when we reach the end of our limits we always fail. God is limitless. He never fails because He never reaches the end of what He can do.
When Saul hears from Samuel how he and his sons will die at the hands of the Philistines, he falls off the couch and onto the floor. The news staggered Saul. He lost control of his ability to stay upright. I can only imagine how I would receive the news if God told me I was going to die the following day.
Saul also hadn’t eaten. He might have been fasting before a battle to make himself hungry and focused. He might have been fasting because he knew he was coming before a spiritist and she might have demanded it. He might have fasted because he tried to go before the Lord when the Lord wouldn’t answer him. Whatever the reason, Saul receives news of his death at a time when his energy reserves are very low. He has no stamina to help him take the news with any kind of grace.
At this point, the spiritist takes over. She knows she shouldn’t be practicing spiritism inside the Hebrew lands. She knows she shouldn’t be entertaining the king while doing spiritism. She knows Samuel’s appearance means God is aware of her activities. She also has Saul, a very emotional king, laying on her floor having heard about his impending death; there is predicting his reaction to the news once he regained his faculties. This spiritist woman had every reason to want the episode over.
The spiritist prepares a fatted calf and sets a meal before Saul and his men. She doesn’t have to feed them, and her motivations are far from being based on hospitality. She wants Saul gone before she gets caught up in anything more dire than has already happened.
Saul refuses to eat at first. He could be in shock. He could be macho. He could be stubborn. He might think by continuing to fast he showed devotion to his god. It is hard to guess Saul’s reason for refusing to eat, but fortunately Saul’s men take over and convince him to eat.
This is the perfect ending to Saul’s life. Saul wasn’t prepared to face the Philistines. Saul couldn’t determine the proper course of action. He couldn’t even decide without help about whether to eat when food was set before him!
Saul’s story is spiraling out of control, and his ability to lead is rapidly dwindling. His lack of a desire to repent and lean upon God has brought him to this end. He stands alone on what little humanity he has left, and it isn’t enough. The lesson is simple. We are far better off relying upon God than standing upon our own understanding.
