1 Samuel 28: 1 – 25
You can’t En Dur the truth
28 Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.” 2 So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.” 3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. 4 Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.” 8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” 9 Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” 10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 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!” 13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.” 14 So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down. 15 Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.” 16 Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy? 17 And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.” 20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
It’s very common to hear people repeating famous movie quotes, you could even say they are part of our everyday lives. Many of the most famous movie quotes are used frequently and have even become colloquial sayings. Some people may remember the funny quotes, some the meaningful ones but there are famous movie quotes that everyone knows. I find it amazing how many times a day I hear colleagues and friends using famous movie quotes when chatting or usually to make a point.
See if you can spot any quotes in the following list that are familiar to you from real life situations, you’d be surprised just how many you’ll recognize. . .
I'll be back. - The Terminator
I'll make him an offer he can't refuse - The Godfather
You're gonna need a bigger boat – Jaws
The name's Bond, James Bond.
To infinity and beyond - Toy Story
Go ahead, make my day. - Sudden Impact
You've got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk? - Dirty Harry
There's no place like home. - The Wizard of Oz
We're on a mission from God. - The Blues Brothers
Get busy living, or get busy dying - The Shawshank Redemption
You can’t handle the truth – a Few Good Men
Does the last one strike a note with you thinking? Kind of sounds familiar to today’s topic doesn’t it? The only difference was in the language spoken thousands of years ago. King Saul as we have covered for quite a few chapters is coming to the end of his life. In his lack of obedience and love for Yahweh God he has been trying to do everything without God’s help. You and I both know that kind of attitude will never work. In his refusal to repent before his Holy God Saul has cut off all communication with Adoni Yahweh. God will not answer him through prayers. In murdering God’s servant the priests and prophets he has cut off the means of hearing the guidance of God. He now will do another abominable thing which is to turn to a witch for advice. He will hear something but like the famous movie line he will be told ‘You can’t handle (En Dur) the truth!’
28 Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.”
However, inevitably the day arrived when what David had probably constantly feared came about. A full-scale invasion of Israel was planned by the Philistines, in contrast with mere border raids. This was not to be merely for booty. The time had come when the five lords of the Philistines wanted vengeance for past defeats, to re-subjugate Israel, and to expand their territory even further. This may partly have been initiated because of Saul’s activities in the valley of Jezreel by which he was cutting off the Philistine trade routes. They had built up their strength and trained their troops, and now they mustered their whole armies and of course, any mercenaries. It was for activities such as this that mercenaries were mainly hired. Along with the Philistine standing armies they would be the core of the fighting strength, trained fighters who lived for nothing else but warfare. So, it is not surprising that Achish called on David and his men and told them to stand ready. They would be required to go out with the Philistine host as part of his contribution to that host.
Achish now had no doubt about David’s faithfulness. Why, had he not already proved his willingness to despoil his own countrymen? Why then should he hesitate in taking part in an exercise that would bring him even more booty and reward?
2 So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”
When David was called on he assured the king that he ‘would know what David his servant would do’. To Achish this was an assurance of total loyalty and an indication of a desire for battle. To those who knew David better it might have appeared to be somewhat of an evasive answer. But Achish was satisfied, and assured David that it was because of his dedication and faithfulness that he would make him the permanent ‘keeper of his head’. In other words, David and his men would be his personal bodyguard and his constant protector. He knew that they were the toughest of his troops.
Having briefly summed up the situation from the Philistine point of view, our Precious Holy Spirit now switches to Saul’s situation as the king who had learned that his country was about to be invaded by an army much more powerful than his own. He had become aware of the large-scale gathering of a massive Philistine army, something clearly much different from a border raid, and the question was, what was he to do? But when he turned to the sources from which he expected to obtain answers to his questions he received no response. Yahweh was not answering him. That was why in desperation he determined to turn to forbidden sources. If God would not answer him he would try to contact Samuel through a necromancer, a medium, or also known as a witch.
This was one great difference between Saul and David. In such a situation David would have flung himself down before Yahweh in tears, pleading to be shown where he had gone wrong, and repenting deeply. In the face of Yahweh’s silence Saul rather preferred to turn to a woman who dealt with fallen spirits. He was lacking depth of soul.
We note that in this extreme situation it was to Samuel, the mentor of his youth, that he determined to turn, even though Samuel had been the instrument of his rejection. He apparently saw Samuel as a kind of back door to God. Samuel would no doubt know what was best for him to do. But Samuel was dead, and thus to contact him would involve him in the forbidden area of necromancy (necromancers purportedly contact the dead through familiar spirits).
The description of what follows inevitably leaves us with unanswered questions, simply because it is dealing with matters beyond our knowledge, for the thing that surprises us is that it appears that he was in fact able to contact Samuel. It should, however, be noted that the medium was equally as surprised as he was. She had not expected to see Samuel. She had expected her own ‘familiar spirit’. So, what happened appears to have been outside her experience as well as his. It would seem probable therefore that God had in this case determined to act uniquely to again pronounce judgment on Saul and exalt David, a judgment which resulted from Saul’s earlier gross disobedience, a disobedience in respect of which he had never truly repented. And it was in fact God’s previous sentence on that disobedience that had preyed on his mind and had made a major contribution towards his mental illness. Now he was to be reminded of that disobedience again.
It is a dreadful warning to us all that if we do not truly repent from our past sins and seek God’s forgiveness while we can, we too may end up in a state of hopelessness in which we are simply reminded of our past sins, and with our hearts darkened and hardened.
We should also note that it did not bring Saul what he was really seeking. What it brought home to him was not how to fight and win his battles, but rather the certainty of his forthcoming defeat and death. He couldn’t En Dur the truth. It was information that he would have been better without. Had it been left to the necromancer, of course, he would probably have received a comforting message. But in his case Yahweh God intervened.
It reminds us that even at its best necromancy can only offer false comfort, for it never results in genuinely true benefit, even though initially it might appear to do so. It causes us to rest on false hopes.
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.
Our Holy Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most Hight – has made it very clear in the Scripture that it is sinful to use ‘mediums’ and if found in the land of Israel that they should be put to death (Leviticus 20.27).
4 Then the Philistines gathered together and came and encamped at Shunem. So, Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa.
The Philistines had gathered themselves together and had come in massive force to encamp in Shunem. So, the situation is laid bare. Samuel the prophet of Yahweh was dead, all who claimed to consult the dead were no longer available, and the Philistines had gathered for the kill. This was a Philistia at the height of its power facing a bankrupt Saul.
Shunem was in the territory of Isacchar near Jezreel. It was on the south west lower slope of Mount Moreh opposite Mount Gilboa. The Philistines probably hoped to engage in battle in the plain of Esdraelon where their chariots would be most effective. They had learned that dealing with the Israelites in the mountains was a much more difficult proposition By taking up this position they had cut Saul off from the northern tribes, while at the same time occupying Israelite territory.
Saul meanwhile had little alternative but to react to Philistine belligerence and to send out to the tribes the call to arms in order to gather the armies of Israel together, for Israelite territory had been occupied. It was in accordance with treaty obligation under Yahweh’s covenant with His people that in times of trouble all the tribes who could would muster in order to assist their fellow tribesmen.
Possibly had he had wise advice he would have withdrawn his army to the hills, where they would have had a far better chance of defeating the Philistines. But that would have meant leaving good portions of the lowlands of Israel open to the ravages of the Philistines, a price a tougher general would have been willing to pay. But it would have put Saul in a bad light before many of his countrymen and have diminished his popularity. They had got used to the idea of Saul confronting their enemies on the border. No wonder that he did not know what to do.
5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
Surveying the Philistine hosts from his position on Mount Gilboa Saul was able to assess the size and weaponry of this massed Philistine army which clearly meant serious business. He did not like what he saw and was afraid. He knew that his own army was no match for them in view of their numbers, their skill in warfare, and their superior iron weapons. Thus, he was afraid. Perhaps he even began to wish that he had David with him. David was a skilled general and would surely have known what to do. We must not think that Saul was a coward. It was simply that he recognized the odds against him. What he needed was the good old-fashioned intervention of Yahweh God Himself. Indeed, he recognized that otherwise the cause was lost. For a long while now he had relied on a superficial relationship with Yahweh. He had ‘done all the right things’(works), without really becoming too personally involved. Yahweh had not very often entered his thoughts, partly because the Philistine menace had not been so great. But now that he wanted His activity as never before, he was to learn that God could not just be sidelined and then called on to be available as the Emergency God when wanted. Rather He Is near to those who are continually of a humble and contrite spirit (Isaiah 57.15). And that was what Saul was not. Furthermore, such an attitude could not just be manufactured at any time for the sake of convenience. It was one that had to be developed
6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.
Saul turned in desperation to Yahweh God, because he had nowhere else to turn. He ‘enquired of Yawheh.’ by every known means, but none worked. None of his dreamers and visionaries could have the right dreams. When he consulted the Urim and Thummim through the high priest and the ephod he obtained the message, ‘No answer’. The lot went against him. Even his prophets whom he called on informed him that they had no message from Yahweh. Saul grew desperate. If only, he thought, Samuel had been here. He would have been able to obtain a word from Yahweh. He would have known what to do.
We must recognize that Saul had chosen his own way, and when rebuked had shrugged off the rebuke rather than turning in deep repentance towards our Holy God. He had also refused to become reconciled with Samuel, even though he had had a secret admiration for him and had feared to act against him. He had thus chosen his own road. Now he was to discover that he was on the road to destruction. He was to learn that, ‘God Is not mocked. What a man sows, that will he also reap’ (Galatians 6.7).
Indeed, the darkness in which he found himself was so intense that his thoughts turned to the forbidden way. Perhaps, he thought, if he consulted one who dealt with spirits he could get in touch with Samuel. Surely Samuel, who had once been his mentor, would be able to help him. The very fact that he could think in this way was an indication of the condition of his heart. It was typical of Saul’s religion. When it appeared to fail he did not turn in genuine repentance towards Yahweh. Rather he tried some other method to get around it. And he was to learn that he was wrong.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”
So he called on his servants to seek out a woman who had a familiar spirit, a medium, one who had contact with the spirit world, so that he might go and enquire of her. Once again, we see the superficial nature of Saul’s attitude towards our Great and only real God. Can you believe that he was hoping to obtain advice from the only True and Living God by using means forbidden by Yahweh God. He does not seem to have considered the fact that such a method was self-defeating.
It is possibly significant that his servants knew where to find such a medium. The days when Saul was thorough in obedience to YHWH were long past. Even though they were still forbidden, mediums had gradually crept back into the land. Thus his servants were able to inform him that in fact there was such a woman not far away, in En-dor (‘fountain of the dwelling’). Her claim to fame was to be able to contact the dead.
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”
So, Saul divested himself of his royal robes and put on some common clothing. He wanted to ensure that he was not identified, otherwise he knew that the woman would not help him. Had he appeared as Saul he would have met a barrier of total silence. Then, sufficiently disguised, and taking two of his men with him, he set off by night and came to where the woman lived. The phrase ‘by night’ is used with significance. He had been an was currently walking in darkness.
It was a disreputable act. By it he was demonstrating why Yahweh would not help him. It was because his heart was not set towards righteousness and towards truth. He wanted Yahweh’s instruction with no strings attached, and by whatever means. And Almighty God Is not available on those terms.
On reaching the woman, who did not recognize who he was, he called on her to contact her familiar spirit and raise up for him the one whom he named. He wanted her to enable him to contact his only hope, Samuel.
9 Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”
But the woman was wary. She knew of far too many of her fellow-mediums who had betrayed themselves in response to such a request. And so she replied that in the light of Saul’s treatment of mediums she would not even admit that she could do so. She charged them with wanting to entrap her into suggesting that she was a medium. Did they not recognize that for someone to admit that they were a medium in Saul’s Israel, was to court death?
Her question brings out the depths of Saul’s hypocrisy. He who was supposed to be the champion of Yahweh, and had to some extent been so, was now taking the way which was in the opposite direction to the will of Yahweh. It is almost inconceivable that he did not realize how foolish he was being by expecting an answer from Yahweh when he was using means which were condemned by The Holy One of Israel.
The only thing that does make it conceivable is the incredible way in which so-called Christians today can behave in a similar manner and yet convince themselves that there is no harm in it. The truth is that if we are not careful, when it comes to God we try to manipulate Him into being what we want Him to be, and then persuade ourselves that it is okay.
10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
Saul took the only step that he could think of to convince her. He swore ‘by Yahweh’ that ‘as God lived’ no punishment would come on her. At this point his foolishness is seen to have reached its greatest height, for this was a contradiction in terms. The truth was that if he thought that Yahweh truly lived he should have been casting this woman from the land in accordance with the covenant Law. He should not have been consulting her. It once again emphasizes his religious superficiality.
However, the strength of his oath was such that it convinced the woman. She recognized that such an oath was to be taken seriously and was clearly binding. To go against it would have been to make an attack on the very life of Yahweh. And she knew that no one who was here on behalf of Saul, and intended her harm, would have made such an oath. The oath had made her inviolable. It is like what we see on television today with these political evil people who will allow amnesty to a lower crook in order to catch a bigger one.
11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
So, she asked the stranger who it was that he wanted to be called up, and Saul eagerly replied, ‘bring me up Samuel.’ This was not the give-away that it might seem to us because Samuel was famed as a giver of advice and it did not necessarily therefore mean that she was involved with Saul’s men.
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!”
It was only when she saw Samuel that she became aware of the truth. This would most probably have been because some gesture of Samuel’s on rising made clear that he was aware that she was facing the king. Thus, when she saw the gesture she knew that Saul must be the king because the gesture was one that would only have been made towards the king. That then was when she recognized that this stranger in front of her must be Saul. Turning to Saul in great distress she asked him bitterly why he had deceived her so utterly.
It should be noted that at this time she still did not realize that the figure who had come up was Samuel as her subsequent remarks make clear (‘I see -- an old man in a robe’). What must therefore have shaken her also, as well as her recognition of Saul, was that that this was not the usual image that she was used to seeing. This figure was unlike any that she had previously experienced and was totally unexpected. This counts against any suggestion that she really could raise up genuine people.
13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.”
Saul, however, told her not to be afraid and asked what she saw. It is clear from this that the figure was invisible to all but the woman. She then described the figure and that Saul recognized that fact. Here it clearly meant an ‘other world figure’, someone not of this world. And she describes him as ‘rising from the earth’. He was clearly not strictly physical, for Saul could not see him (and possibly never did) and his non-physical nature is confirmed by his rising from the earth. And yet the woman discerned his form and shape and saw him as clothed
14 So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.
Unable to see what the woman saw Saul asked her to describe it, and she replied, ‘an old man comes up and he is covered with a robe’. The word ‘robe’ indicated to Saul the prophet’s mantle, and he thus recognized that what she was seeing as a phantom was the form of Samuel himself. It was invisible to Saul.
15 Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore, I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”
Samuel’s words that follow will now reveal that there was something genuine about the situation. God had so arranged it in order that He could speak to Saul through Samuel, rather than through the woman’s familiar spirit. He wanted the lesson to come home.
Samuel’s first words were a word of rebuke. Samuel had been at peace. Why then had Saul disturbed him by bringing him up? It is one of the rare hints in the Old Testament that the truly godly who die are at peace.
Saul’s reply was that it was because he himself was not at peace. Indeed, he was sore distressed, because the Philistines had arrived in massive force to make war ‘against him’.
Saul then explained that ‘God’ had departed from him. The use of God instead of Yahweh illustrated the fact that Saul was far from Him. And he then went on to point out that the result was that he could obtain no answer from Him, neither through prophets or dreams. That then was why he had called on Samuel so that he could make known to him what he was to do. (Saul appears to have no sense of shame in having called on Samuel in this way. He was probably exultant that it had worked. It is a further indication of his religious shallowness in what was a very religious age).
16 Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?
Samuel pointed out that he had condemned himself out of his own mouth. If Yahweh had departed from Saul and had become his adversary, how could he expect a faithful servant of Yahweh to answer him? The idea was ludicrous.
17 And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.
What Saul should recognize was that this situation was the outcome of his earlier gross sacrilege when he had taken for himself what should have been devoted to Yahweh. As the anointed of Yahweh he had failed to obey Him in the most sacred of tasks. Yahweh was thus simply doing what He had promised at that time through Samuel, He was tearing the kingship out of Saul’s hands and giving it to his compatriot David.
19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
Samuel then removed from him all hope. He had had every opportunity to repent and had never done so. Now Yahweh was about to deliver Israel into the hands of the Philistines, and the result was that on the following day both Saul and his soldier sons would be in the after-world with Samuel. The fact that the host of Israel would be delivered into the hands of the Philistines is emphasized twice. It signals that the matter was certain and that nothing could be done about it. Thus, instead of receiving assistance, Saul had, by his unforgivable behavior, simply brought on himself a message of doom that he could well have done without. The one positive aspect of it was that it did, at least theoretically, give him the opportunity to repent.
We may rightly ask why, if Saul was doomed, Yawheh had allowed Samuel to come to declare to him his fate. Why had He not just allowed Saul a false assurance from the medium? I see two answers. Our Holy God deals with the truth. As Pilate look into the Son of God’s eyes he asked, ‘what is truth?’ He was looking at ‘Truth’. Secondly Saul was still being offered the opportunity of repentance. Had he truly repented, and had he thrown himself before Yahweh in tears over his sins and pleaded for mercy he might yet have had a hearing. But he did not do so. And the reason was because his heart was too hardened.
It is a reminder to us that if we would get right with God and are aware of stirrings within us that lead in that direction, we would be advised not to delay, and especially not to wait until the day prior to our death, for then it might well be too late as it was with Saul.
Once Samuel had gone Saul’s response to his words are illuminating. He had no thought of repentance or of calling on Yahweh. Rather he was terrified as he considered the implications of what he had heard. He was in no physical condition to withstand the shock. Thus, Saul gained nothing and was left distraught.
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.
This probably means that he fainted, and when he came to himself was filled with terror at the remembrance of what he had been told. We are then given the explanation for his fainting fit. All present believed that it was because he had not been eating properly. He had eaten nothing since daybreak. From what we already know of Saul this was probably because he was hoping thereby to ensure victory. Remember back when he pronounced the dumb curse on his soldiers not to eat until all their enemies are defeated. He was one who never learned from experience.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me.
Not surprisingly Saul was in great distress. The man whom he trusted more than any other had informed him ‘from the other side’ that the cause was already lost, and that there was no hope, at least in the short term.
The woman of En dor was very concerned for him. She pointed out to him that she had listened to his words, and had trusted him, even putting her life in his hands. Now she appealed for him to do the same for her, to listen to her and act accordingly.
22 Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.”
Accordingly, she begged him at least to listen to her and eat something to revive his failing strength. Soon he would be on his way, and if he was to make it back to his camp some miles away he must have something to eat. ‘Morsel of bread’ was a slight under-exaggeration. She intended to give him a substantial meal.
23 But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” So, his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.
Saul refused. He was an obstinate man and his religious inclinations which were based on false premises, were overriding his common sense. So he declared, “I will not eat.”
However, in the end, still lying faint on the floor, he did listen to the combined appeals of his men and of the woman and agreed to eat. Then he picked himself up and sat on the bed.
24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it.
The woman then hurried out and fetched the fatted calf (a calf kept especially fattened up in case important guests came). Then she killed and cooked it, hurriedly made some unleavened bread (there was no time for leavening).
25 So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
Then she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they all ate. Considerably strengthened they then went away ‘into that night’. They had come by night and they went out into the night. All was darkness. It was symbolic of their state of heart, and of what was to happen. It was the darkness before a dawn which would have such devastating consequences for Saul and for Israel. And it was symbolic of Saul’s life. Having refused the bread of Yahweh he partook of the bread of darkness. By this time, he had nowhere else to turn.
This whole incident summarized Saul’s life and superficiality. He looked for quick fixes without commitment. He was religiously orthodox about the externals, until it suited him to be otherwise, but he lacked heart. And he used his religion as a tool to obtain favor. However, once his heart was put to the test he failed. He was spiritually shallow. Unlike David he had no real conception of ‘the fear of God’.
