What the Bible Says About Magic and Ghosts
1 Samuel 28:3-25
Englewood Baptist Church
Sunday Evening, May 18, 2008
In this passage, Saul is coming to the end of his rope. He is self-destructing and the book of 1 Samuel is basically the story of God’s choice to put David on the throne, as well as Saul’s choice to remove himself from God’s protection. So, in a nutshell, 1 Samuel could be described as the rise of David, and the fall of Saul.
I am about to read to you the account of the final straw that breaks Saul’s back. Saul pays a visit to a medium—one who claims to consult with the dead. And while this passage is not focused on the subject of the spirit world, we can certainly learn some things about the subject.
So let me turn to that subject and offer some introductory remarks. It is no secret that a growing number of people are becoming engrossed in various forms of magic, spiritism, astrology, witchcraft, and sorcery. Disney studios, with all its animated cartoons often depicts of the use magic. Growing up, I watched the Smurfs. Do you remember the Smurfs? These miniature blue creatures were hated by the evil sorcerer, Gargamel. He was always looking in his books for some magical potion that would destroy those little tiny critters.
We all know about the Ouija board, a game of communicating with the dark spirit realm. This game has surpassed Monopoly as the top selling board game on the market. I think you can get one at most toy stores. Just look at the video games that your kids are playing. Many of them involve wizards, witches, spells, violence, and evil characters. There is a new television show called “Medium.”
Witches don’t seem to be around much, but that is because they have changed the name on their business cards. Today, they are called “Channelers”, and they act as intermediaries or mediums in the spirit realm. Just blocks from this church, you can stop by and get a quick reading of your tarot card or get your palm read. Astrology is everywhere today. Millions of people follow the teachings of various astrologers. Many will not go to work in the morning unless they have read their horoscope in the morning paper. Tabloids are full of the predictions of various psychics which have a miserable success rate in their predictions of less than 5%. A child could do predict better, yet people continue to go down that road.
Tonight, as we read this account of Saul, he is heading down the wrong road. I would like to teach this passage and then make some general remarks about magic, the demonic world, and what Christians should know.
Before I read, let me set the context. David is still on the run from King Saul, but King Saul’s days are coming to a close. The Philistines, Goliath’s family, are pressing in on Saul, and he is in a state of panic. The Philistines have assembled at Shunem, which Bible scholars tell me was a very flat land. Israelites fought best in the hills because they did not have the advantage of chariots, but this battle was going to happen on smooth terrain and Saul knows that death knocks at his door. This will be a bloody defeat and he is in panic mode. What do people do when they are in panic mode? They get desperate. Watch this man self-destruct…
Read 1 Samuel 25:3-20.
A missionary from Africa tells a story of a follower of Mohammed who became a follower of Jesus. Some of his friends asked him, “Why have you become a Christian?” He answered, “Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly it forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men, one was lying dead and the other standing alive—which one would you ask which way to go?”
In the text that I just read to you, Saul has done the unthinkable. He no longer has the ear of the Living God so he disguises himself and breaks his own law in order to consult with a dead man. And so he goes to see this medium, and he knows this is wrong. The Bible says in v.9 that Saul had cut off the mediums and spiritists, yet he now seeks the advice of one. Now it’s important to notice why he did that. Look what verse 6 says…
Saul had inquired of the Lord. There were three basic ways that God communicated with this people back then. One, he spoke through dreams. Joseph had a dream where God told him that his brothers would one day bow before him. God used visions and dreams. Two, God spoke through Urim. Now, we don’t know exactly what the Urim was but the priest could use it as a tool for discerning the will of God. But Saul didn’t have the Urim because the priest had left him and gone with David. So, no dreams, no Urim. What’s left? Prophets. God spoke through the prophets, but there were no prophets talking to Saul. And he was desperate to hear from God.
And there is a lesson to be learned here. Disobedience will turn the ear of God. If you are choosing to deliberately sin against God, do not expect to hear his voice. Like the prodigal son, you have taken your money and run. You have removed yourself from the will of God. And Saul knew that, but he also heard the rumble of the Philistine chariots and he was desperate for help. Just like so many people today, he went running to some woman in a shop that claimed to call upon the dead. Like the boy in the movie, she said, “I see dead people.” And Saul said, “Great, I need to see Samuel.”
Now it’s important that you understand that God had outlawed the use of mediums and magic. In the Old Testament, if you consulted with a spiritist, God called it “playing the harlot” and it was punishable by death with stones. Just like an unfaithful woman who puts herself in the arms of another man, Saul was uniting himself with another power. It was idolatry, and God has little patience with idolaters. When you make someone else your sole fountain of wisdom—whether that is Dr. Phil or a witch doctor—you put someone else in the place of God. And God will not compete for your affection. You are going down the wrong road. Now let’s follow Saul.
Beginning in v. 8, the scene is as eerie and dark as any ghost story you’ve ever heard. Saul creeps out at night to this haunted house and asks for this medium to call up the spirit of a dead person. This woman is at first suspicious, but Saul promises her his own personal vow of protection. The irony is heightened by his promise in v. 10 …Saul swears by the Lord, as if he has any connection with Him. He was writing checks he couldn’t cash!
What happens next has been the subject of speculation and debate among Bible scholars for many generations. It looks like the séance works: the woman sees an elohim= a word usually reserved for God, but here referring to a spirit being= god. In the form of an old man wrapped in a robe it rises from the ground like a ghost rising from the grave. In some way the medium suddenly sees past Saul’s disguise, and only another promise of protection keeps her from calling the whole thing off. Through the medium, Saul speaks to Samuel with a tone of pitiful urgency. Saul cries out, “I don’t have anyone else to turn to, Samuel! Please tell me: What should I do?”
What happened here? Did this woman call up Samuel’s ghost, or was it a demon? Can a person really communicate with dead people? Scholars disagree. Some say this ghost was not really Samuel but a demon disguised as Samuel. Others say that God allowed the spirit of Samuel to reappear and communicate with Saul (which is what I believe). It’s really not easy to say for sure one way or the other. What is plain is that Saul has put the nail in his own coffin by attempting to consult the dead.
I want you to notice what Samuel says in v. 16, “What do you want me to do about this?” He is like a father who visits his son in jail. He says, “Son, I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do. You have made your bed and now you have to lie in it.” And I cannot warn you enough, church. The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found.” In other words, don’t wait to obey God. Delayed obedience is disobedience and you are gambling when you continue to live that way. If you have known sin in your life, confess it, make it right, and be right with God. Saul waited too long and it was too late. This passage explains why God finally took his life.
Now, let me deal with a few questions concerning magic…
Questions about Magic and Ghosts
1. Does the Bible support the idea that the dead can readily return to interact with the living?
The answer to that question is “No.” The Bible does not support that idea. In fact, this is the only time in Scripture, in 1 Samuel 28, that this idea of consulting with the spirits of the dead is mentioned. Isaiah 26, the prophet speaks about those who have gone to the grave. Isaiah 26:14 says, “They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise….”
The Bible tells us that the ghosts or spirits of people who have died are located in one of two places. They are either in hell awaiting their Day of Judgment at the Great White Throne. Or they are in the presence of their Savior, Jesus Christ, in heaven. There is no holding tank for souls like purgatory.
If you have seen the movie, Ghost, with Patrick Swayze, it is not that way. The dead do not decide to hang around on earth to solve murder cases or to handle unfinished business. Once a person dies, there is no unfinished business. You can’t change your eternal status after you die. That must be taken care of before you die.
If you remember in Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Both of these men die. Lazarus was escorted to Paradise and the rich man to hell. And you remember, hell is such a terrible and final place, that the rich man calls out to Abraham who is in heaven, “Father Abraham, I beg of you, send Lazarus to my five brothers who are living. Warn them not to come here!” And Abraham denies his request and says, “They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.”
“But you don’t understand!” The rich man screams. “If a dead man goes to them, they will most certainly listen.”
And Abraham simply says, “No, they won’t.” The dead are not allowed to return.
The magician and escape artist, Harry Houdini, visited so-called spirit mediums in every city where he toured, hoping to contact his deceased loved ones; but invariably he recognized that those “mediums” were using stage-magic, and he exposed them as frauds. We can safely assume that the same is true today; these people are hucksters, a few might use demonic power, but none are what they say they are. The only way to see your dead loved ones again is to meet them in the Kingdom of God.
I remember, in high school, there was a graveyard located way out in the boondocks and there was a belief among students that when you drove over the hill that leads into the cemetery, you would see the New Bedford Ghost. My friends and I must have driven that path 100 times and all I ever saw was some fog. It was all just a big fairy tale and so it is with so much of the discussion about ghosts today. The dead are still alive—but they aren’t found on earth. They are in heaven or hell, and those places are not fairy tale.
2.Is it possible to see a spirit?
Yes. I think the Bible does suggest that there are two invisible forces at work today. There is the host of God’s angelic army, which I could show you countless verses in the Bible that they not only exist but they are everywhere.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2
So angels are visible at times. But not only that, look at that classic passage on spiritual warfare, Ephesians 6.
Christians are warned to …
"…put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:11-12).
Today, many people dabble in the mystical, occultic arts. Is there anything wrong with being involved in these practices? Yes, the Bible takes a clear position on this subject, strongly denouncing these practices. God’s Word indicates that these practices are part of Satan’s strategy of evil tricks and deception, designed to lead us astray. Satan and his demons are real beings set on our destruction. And since demons are nothing more than fallen angels, it seems logical that they have the ability to take human form.
3. How should I respond when I am confronted with dark magic?
Just like King Saul, those who follow the path of the magic arts are on the wrong path - a road that leads away from God, not toward Him. In one way or another, the end will be disaster. The evil Queen Jezebel practiced witchcraft (2 Kings 9:22) bringing catastrophe on herself and all Israel. Over and over, God denounces those who "conjure spells" (NKJV) and those who practice witchcraft and sorcery. The Bible says that anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; 2 Kings 21:6; Micah 5:12; Isaiah 47:12; Ezekiel 13:18, 20; Acts 8:11-24; Leviticus 20:27; Exodus 7:11; Revelation 9:21; 22:15).
God warns of the ultimate punishment.
Revelation 21:8 says,
"…those who practice magic arts …their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur… the second death" (NIV).
Those who practice witchcraft (sorcery) will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:20-21). These practices are anti-God and are in rebellion against Him. You are playing the harlot when you open yourself up to another power other than God.
Now, let me deal with two very practical questions…
4. Is Harry Potter harmless?
Let’s talk about Harry. Harry Potter is a household name all across the world. This has become a reading phenomenon known and it truly has an international presence as readers in 200 nations, in over 40 languages, indulge in this series. A U.S. consumer research survey reports that "over half of all children between the ages of 6 and 17 have read at least one Harry Potter book".
Public school educators and many parents in America are thrilled with a series that has captured the imagination of children like no other in history, prompting a revived interest in reading. Reading is a good thing, but should our children be reading about witchcraft.
I want to tell you that respectable Christians disagree here. Wise men like Chuck Colson say that Harry Potter is harmless—that it is simply a world of make-believe that captures the imagination of children. Parents should simply talk to their kids and help them understand that these things are fictional.
Other Christians, however, think we are playing with fire as we encourage our children to develop an interest in occultic practices. And there is something to be said for this argument. One headmaster of a school said this:
"With the growing popularity of youth-oriented TV shows on witchcraft -- ’Sabrina, the Teenage Witch;’ ’Charmed;’ ’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ -- a generation of children is becoming desensitized to the occult. But with Hollywood’s help, Harry Potter will likely surpass all these influences, potentially reaping some grave spiritual consequences." --John Andrew Murray
In the same way that Hollywood is normalizing homosexuality, is the media also taking something evil like sorcery and repackaging it to make it seem less dangerous? Certainly we must recognize this is possible!
So where do I land on this issue with Harry Potter? I say follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. If you think those books will encourage your child to read and you don’t sense any danger, then use your own discretion. But if you sense, at any time, a proclivity toward dark magic, throw them in the trash.
Personally, I am not offended by parents who read those books to their children. However, I probably won’t buy those books for my kids simply because there are so many great Christian books out there for kids. Witchcraft may have J.K. Rowling, but we have J.R.R. Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings. We have C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia. There are so many wonderful Christian fiction books for kids that I will try to steer my kids in that direction.
One final question…
5. Should we have Christian magicians and illusionists?
Someone asked John MacArthur that once. On a website, I read his response. Let me show it to you…
It depends on what you are doing. Magician is the wrong word in a sense, because that conjures up the occult, and mysticism, and all of that. What we know today as magicians are not functioning with supernatural power--they have technique. They have just mastered a certain technique and they deceive you…When they do a disappearing trick that is all a technique…
When you are talking about Satanic activity and how much power Satan has--that’s a very difficult question for me to answer. We know that during the time of the end, certainly 2 Thessalonians talks about it, that there is going to come certain powers. Jesus in the Olivet Discourse talked about antichrists who would deceive, and even deceive the whole world. You know in Revelation we find the Antichrist with an amazing ability to deceive people. Just how extensive and how that functions and so forth from a Satanic perspective I am not sure I really know. The Bible doesn’t really give us what you could call a breakdown of how that works, but I really think, for the most part what we are dealing with, with magicians is just really technique. –John MacArthur
Are these magicians the sign of the anti-Christ? When the Bible says that the endtimes will demonstrate new powers, are we talking about modern magicians? Well, I concur with MacArthur on this. Most of the magic that you and I see today has nothing to do with supernatural power. It’s a guy that has learned how to do a trick, and it’s fun to watch. All you grandpas out there know how to make your thumb come off your finger, right? Kids love it.
When I’m at home, I like to play a game with my kids where I take an object like a hot wheel, and I put it my hand, and I say which, “Which hand is it in?” Some would say, “Hey, you’re teaching your boy how to gamble! Why don’t you just pull out the roulette wheel?!” Others would say, “You’re introducing your kid to deception. That’s the mark of the antichrist.” No. I don’t see it that way. I see it as an entertaining game that children love.
A few months ago, for the Father-Daughter banquet, we had an illusionist in. B.J. Harris. He was a Christian and presented a great gospel message and entertained the children and the dad’s. We had a great time and I can assure you that the Devil wasn’t pleased.
So, what’s the final verdict?
Stay away from any form of magic that has even the appearance of evil. If you want advice, don’t go to a psychic, go to God. And put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the invisible forces of evil. They are real.
