2780 AM (980 BCE) – THE SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE
The Philistines began to prepare for a massive invasion of Judah, and Saul was terrified. He had never seen such an army, and he longed for the counsel of Samuel.
Now Saul had been zealous for Adonai about removing spiritists and occultists, under penalty of death, but now he was desperate to talk to Samuel, who no longer walked among the living. So, Saul disguised himself and sought out someone in Endor whom he knew dabbled in the occult—a medium he had left for such a time as this, you know, just in case he needed her.
Saul knocked.
The medium from Endor opened the door only a crack and looked up, “What do you want?” she implored harshly.
“I need you to consult a spirit for me,” Saul requested.
“You know that Saul has forbidden such practices. Are you trying to trap me?” she asked.
“I swear by Adonai,” Saul tried to assure the medium, “that no harm will come to you.”
Again, the medium looked Saul up and down, glancing at the two men with him. “Alright. Come in. Watch your head,” she warned.
They all sat around a table, and Saul gave her a bag of coins. She hefted it in her hands, then stuck it in a drawer. She began to gently hum and chant, and then asked, “Whom shall I bring up?”
“Bring up Samuel, the seer,” Saul said.
The medium looked at Saul and had to fight the urge to shake her head. She knew it was Saul sitting there. She knew the Philistines were gathering like locusts on the borders of Judah, and she knew that not even Samuel would help them. She had heard many stories of Samuel and had even watched him before a sacrifice teaching about Adonai. She also knew the kingdom was ripped from Saul and was honestly surprised that he was still king.
But Saul was a paying customer, so she supposed she had to try.
She closed her eyes and spoke in a humming voice, “I see a man … oooooh … and he is rising from the ground, from the darkness, from the grave … oooooh!”
“What does he look like?” Saul asked nervously.
“Oooooh, his beard is long and gray, and his robe looks to be from Ramah,” she cooed.
“It’s Samuel!” Saul shouted, standing up quickly, almost smacking his head on the short ceiling.
“He’s speaking,” the medium once again said in her humming voice. “Saul! Saul! Why have you disturbed me?”
“The Philistines are upon us!” Saul confessed. “They want war, and Adonai has abandoned me! The conflict has already started!”
The medium answered … or rather Samuel answered, “If Adonai has abandoned you, then He has become your enemy. He has torn the kingdom away from you. You did not destroy Amalek. You did not obey Adonai. Go fight for Israel while you can, for tomorrow, you and your son will be with me … ooooooh!”
Saul fell to the ground, pale as bleached fabric. The medium felt bad. At least he got his money’s worth.
“You are King Saul?” the medium said, pretending to be surprised. “I have put my life in your hands! Still, I can’t send you out like this. Please, have a meal. Regain your strength. I have a fattened calf, and I will bake some bread for you.”
She left to prepare the meal and returned to feed those at her table. Finally, after they had eaten, they left. She quickly retrieved the bag from the drawer and counted the gold coins.
“Totally worth it,” she said with a smile, rolling several coins around in her hand.
Still, this was quite possibly the truest her words had ever been, and certainly the truest of any performance the medium of Endor had ever given, since every one of her predictions came true to the very last detail.
Used with permission by the author. Find the author’s complete works online: Complete Works of Mack Samuels
