When God Becomes Your Enemy

Presented to:

Bethel Chapel Pentecostal Church

Auditorium Sunday School Class

Granite City, IL

8 September 2019

Updated: September 7, 2019

By:

Boyce Belt

When God Becomes Your Enemy

Opening:

• Prayer

Text:

1 Samuel 28:3-20 (KJV) Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. 4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. 5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. 6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. 9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? 10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. 11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. 13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. 14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh 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 himself.

15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. 16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? 17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: 18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. 19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. 20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

Introduction:

Spiritism is sternly condemned in Scripture.  

• Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (KJV) When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
• Leviticus 19:31 (KJV) Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.
• Leviticus 20:6 (KJV) And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Mediums do not really contact the dead, but usually communicate with familiar spirits.  This story gives no justification for attempting to make contact with the dead.  The woman was amazed and terrified when Samuel actually appeared; this implies that she was expecting not Samuel but a demonic spirit.  Clearly Samuel’s appearance was not the result of her witchcraft.  This was an extraordinary act of God in order to deliver God’s final message of judgment.^[1]

1. Disobedience—1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV) For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

1. Partial—in chapter 15 Saul did not destroy all the Amelekites but kept back the best of the spoil.
2. Stubbornness (My Way)

1. 1 Samuel 28:15 (KJV) And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
2. Its all about me —Saul was self-centered^[2]

3. Rebelion

1. Saul turned to the very thing he once condemned
2. The degree to which we can deceive ourselves and rationalize our sin is incredible.  Saul swears to an outlaw necromancer by the Lord!^[3]

4. Unrepentant—The sin mentioned here was early in Saul’s reign

2. Silence

1. Harbored Sin—Psalms 66:18 (KJV) If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
2. Tell Me What I Want to Hear — Saul sought a word from God that would Condone His rebellion
3. Separation—Persisting in ungodly ways instead of following the leading of the Spirit cuts us off from God’s help.  Calling on Him will be useless unless we turn from our ungodly ways.^[4]

3. Death

1. Certain

1. Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
2. Ezekiel 18:4 (KJV) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
3. Ezekiel 18:20 (KJV) The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
4. Romans 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
5. Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

2. Fear

1. Saul is terrified learning of his impending demise.  The true believer does not fear death.
2. 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (KJV) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Conclusion:

Next Week: When Your World Is Upside Down—1 Samuel 29-30

Prayer