Saul Seeks Out a Witch for Help Part 1

Guest (Male): Before you decide to indulge in sinful behavior, consider the cost.
Pastor Ed Taylor: There's always a price to pay for compromise. Every temptation that devil sends our way that's nicely wrapped up and attractive and and always see you know you think of temptation it wouldn't be that big a deal unless the temptation was pretty attractive, desirable and a viable option. You see when it becomes a viable option when it's on the table in full obedience well that's going to cost me partial obedience that's going to cost me but if I go this route I might get away with everything. Oh okay maybe maybe I should try it out. Maybe I'll dabble in it. When it's a viable option you have to remember that it's still sin and sin's going to cost.
Guest (Male): This is amazing grace. This is unfailing love. That you would take my place. That you would bear my cross. You laid down your life that I would be set free. Oh Jesus I sing for all that you've done for me.
Guest (Male): Under his mother's guidance Harry Ironside began to memorize scripture when he was three. By age 14 you read the Bible 14 times. For the rest of his life he would continue to read the Bible cover to cover each year. What a great example to follow. Each day on Abounding Grace Pastor Ed Taylor encourages us to get into the word and allow the word to get into us. It will help us make good life decisions and avoid foolish behavior. In 1 Samuel 28 we read of a couple of men that aren't in a good place. As we'll see there's always a price to pay for compromise and sin.
Pastor Ed Taylor: Take your Bibles if you haven't already open them to 1 Samuel chapter 28. 1 Samuel chapter 28 you'll recall in chapter 27 uh it opened a great a season of great compromise in David's life. He headed off in the beginning there into the area of Gath to the Philistine territory and lived a deceitful life there. He raided the areas where the Gerasites and the Gergites and the Malachites dwelt uh leaving nothing behind. It says in verse 11 of chapter 27 that David would save neither man nor woman alive and then bring news back to Gath saying lest they inform on us saying thus David did. He was a very deceptive man during this time running to the enemy to the territory of the enemy uh for safety which is a bad decision. In in verse 12 Achish believed David. He was a trustworthy man and he was believed uh saying he has made his people Israel utterly abhor him. Therefore he'll be my servant forever. But David actually was fighting against Achish and lying to them lying to him. And so with that in mind in verse 1 of chapter 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. And David said to Achish surely you know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David therefore I'll make you one of my chief guardians forever. Now it happened in those days which days does the author want us to know but those days of compromise in David's life. These it's those days where David is consorting with the enemy thinking that's a good place to hide going and being in a place of compromise. And this battle now is the Philistines are coming together that David is actually through his lies and deceit has emboldened Achish to take on Israel cuz he now thinks he has David on his side. And now he he can see as he's you know being manipulated he's also kind of thinking through well I can use this for my advantage. And I'm sure David didn't expect this. And you ask well expect what? I don't think David expected to be invited by the king of the Philistines to destroy Israel. I don't think he thought that far ahead. You know I think I'll go run to the Philistines and I'll kind of hide there for a while and and it'll be okay and I'll lie a little bit and it'll be fine and I'll get away with it. I don't think he thought this far ahead that he would gain so much confidence through his deceit and his lies that the king would ask him to be on his side and to fight against his own people. After all it makes sense doesn't it cuz Achish thinks he's already doing that anyway. He he thinks he's already against Israel so why not invite him to go full on in a battle to overtake and destroy Israel. And I don't think David expected this when he headed backward in his relationship with God. He was being enlisted to fight against the people of God. Now it reminds me that there's always a price to pay. You might just want to jot that down. There's always a price to pay for compromise. Every temptation that devil sends our way that's nicely wrapped up and attractive and and always see you know you think of temptation it wouldn't be that big a deal unless the temptation was pretty attractive, desirable and a viable option. You see when it becomes a viable option when it's on the table bunk you know full obedience well that's going to cost me partial obedience that's going to cost me but if I go this route I might get away with everything. Okay maybe maybe I should try it out. Maybe I 'll dabble in it. When it's a viable option you have to remember that it's still sin and sin's going to cost. Now I don't think you should really think I I don't know that you can fully comprehend. I don't think I can fully comprehend how bad it's going to be if I go in that direction. I just have to trust that it's going to be really bad. It's going to be very destructive and ultimately it's going to turn me against God. That where David is right here. He is being turned against God in his life. The man that's anointed the next king the man that God sovereignly protecting the man that's described as what? A man after God's own heart in his compromise and his deceit and his lies and and the fact that he's got all this confidence. You know Achish is emboldened but so is David. David's emboldened. He he sees this and he's I'm getting away with this. I'm hiding. It's fine. I I'm doing God a service by taking things into my own hands. You know he goes back and forth back and forth and here he is emboldened but in his emboldens he faced something he could never expect. And he's at another crossroads in his life. There's always a price to pay. It always taking the bait of temptation always unleashes the consequences of sin. Jot it down Galatians chapter 6 verses 7 and 8 says do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life. The thing that God the thing that David has going for him right now is God's sovereign protective hand. God is protecting him. He keeps David from participating. It's mind-blowing isn't it? It's mind-blowing to me. What do I deserve when I'm in places of compromise and temptation? Uh you know I deserve God just to let me go and destroy myself. And yet there are times where God will intervene to save us from ourselves. I mean I I'm so thankful for that. Sometimes it comes in the form of a friend. Sometimes it comes in the form of a text message or you know a whatever is left of your seared conscience. Uh it could come and you know you're just driving on your way to just whatever you're into that's against God and you see a little scripture on a church billboard and you're like oh man I can't do this. Or you know whatever I can think of a thousand scenarios where God will intervene and save us from ourselves. And this is an example. David couldn't be in a further place from the Lord and yet God even uses his own sin to protect him and accomplish his will because he's still not honest in verse two. He's not being direct. He is invited to fight and he's still kind of well you know you know what your servant can do. He doesn't say yes or no. He's still kind of being slick here. You know what I can do. And Achish said to David well I'm going to make you one of my guardians but all the while he's not he's still lying. He's not going to fight again. I mean he's got enough sense where this is the end of the road for him but he is in a tough spot. And I'm just so grateful that God can work all things together for the good. It's not going to come without penalty or pain but the reality is that God can even intervene in the midst of our own our own compromise. And I don't know you know when he will or if he will but he can. And I'm grateful for that. Verse three it says Samuel had died and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Rama in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. Then the Philistines gathered together and came in and encamped at Shunem. And so Saul gathered all Israel together and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines he was afraid and his heart troubled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord the Lord did not answer him either by dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets. So we learn of Saul if you guys have been with us for a while you remember we've already learned about Saul's death back in chapter 25 or excuse me Samuel's death back in chapter 25 verse 1. We've already looked at that. And now it's mentioned again and I think it's mentioned again for the sake of context. Sometimes we just have to remember the scene. We've already look in verse 1 in those days. You know it was those it happened in those days. What days were those? Well the days of David's compromise. But now we're also learning it's also in the days without Samuel. Samuel was a giant of a man spiritually. Incredibly important to the spiritual health of the nation of Israel. And the author's reminding us that he's not there. This is all happening in times of David's compromise in times of Saul's craziness and in time of without Samuel the spiritual leader. Samuel's absence is very difficult for the nation. Samuel's not there to rescue Saul as he had many times before. Samuel is not there to give good counsel to Saul. Even though Saul put out all the mediums and spiritists all the demon you know the the demon-based nonsense of those that were idolatrous they they've take he's put them out of the land. While that's a good decision there's still pressure going on. There's no spiritual leadership in the land. The king isn't seeking God. David is off. If there's any direct David is off doing his own thing and compromise. And the Philistines are coming. This is a difficult time. You know you could look at it in your own life and just think you know in those difficult times in your life it's when you're just backed up against the wall and there's nowhere to go. That's where the nation is right now spiritually. They're just backed up into a wall. That they have no one to cry out to no one to help. There's not even if if you look in verse 6 it's so bad that Saul's kind of asking from the Lord but God's not answering him. There's no there's no answer no wait nowhere he goes. He's not giving him dreams. He he's not giving him any anything with the Urim and the Thummim uh which were those stones that were used by the priests so that that's a mention the priests aren't hearing from the Lord. The prophets aren't speaking for the Lord. It's a very difficult time. And the Philistines are battling and pushing and pressing and it doesn't end. It's very difficult. And you think you know here they are in Shunem. They're getting close and deep into the the enemy is getting deep into the land of Israel. And we have to ask ourselves how does this happen? How did the Philistines get so deep into the land of Israel? It's very simple. Those of you that have been studying with us you'll know and recall that King Saul the leader of the land has been spending most of his time fighting a battle. But he's been fighting the wrong battle. He's been going after David instead of protecting the land. It speaks of a very deep warning to you and me. The same thing will happen to us if we get caught up in all the little problems and the little issues fighting the wrong enemy. When you choose to fight the wrong enemy the enemy's going to get deep into your land and deep into your heart and deep into your life. The enemy the you know we have a threefold enemy don't we? The world the flesh and the devil. It's always pressing in never leaves. The world's not going away. Your flesh isn't going away and the devil and the demonic realm the spiritual realm is very real always pressing in. And if you and I choose cuz there are little battles aren't they? Uh in even on the show today in the in um one of the questions we were talking about how easy it will be how easy it can be to go after you know I use the topic of gossip and slander but it could be all kinds of things. You know people talking smack about you in the world today. You can chase after everybody that has something evil to say about you but you are fighting the wrong battle. You commit them to the Lord. Or you got these people throwing stones at you. You know whatever it might be you've got a family situation. You've got a situation going on at work. You've got you're worried about some bills you're and you got all these little things and you're going after them and going after them and going after them. You got to be careful. You better fight the right battle. And the enemy can get you going a thousand different ways when you leave home base unprotected. What's home base? Your relationship with the Lord. You've got to protect that. You don't want the enemy pressing in and taking you away from intimacy and all I mean you you could be like you could have something coming in like the you could have you know a spiritual uh weakness in your life right now. You can have people coming after you. You can have things being set about you. You can you listen. That's just the way it is. And you got to be careful not to let the little things draw you away so you start fighting the wrong enemy. We see Saul in verse 6 trying to connect with God. The only problem was he wasn't in relationship with God. And the reason he wasn't in relationship with God is that he was unrepentant. He was unrepentant. He was a man living in sin emotionally giving the right words but he wasn't repentant. You're in 1 Samuel. Would you turn back to chapter 8? 1 Samuel chapter 8. I want you to see this in your own Bibles. 1 Samuel chapter 8 verse 18. When Samuel was talking about a king coming he would say to the people he was warning them about wanting a king. He says you're going to cry out in that day because your king whom you've chosen for yourselves and the Lord will not hear you in that day. You you're going to choose to disobey God and in your disobedience you're going to come to your senses and cry out but you're not going to he's not going to hear you. That's a warning. The Lord will not hear you in that day. Turn over to Psalm 18 verse 41. Psalm 18 verse 41. There's much to be said about this in the scriptures where Saul is right now where maybe you are right now. Psalm 18 verse 41. It says they cried out but there was none to save them even to the Lord but he did not answer them. It's like wow wait a minute. Jot this down. I'll read it to you in Isaiah chapter 1 verse 15. It says when you spread out your hands I'll hide my eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. You see King Saul was a talker. He knew all the right things to say. He had all the right words. It would be easy for you and I to observe Saul from a distance and come to the conclusion that's a man of God. He wasn't a man of God. He was far from God. And you know who knew that? God. You go how how can you say that Ed? Because when Saul inquired of the Lord the Lord did not answer him. You go wait a minute Ed. I've been seeking the Lord and the Lord hasn't been answering me. Of all many things that could be it could be a warning to make your calling and election sure. Your life that's right with the Lord. No matter what Saul tried he received no answer from God. God wasn't speaking to Saul through dreams through the priests through a prophetic word. Here's here is King Saul in the battle of his life. The battle the this is the culmination. This could be the end of his kingship the end of the nation where the Philistines take control. And God's not talking with him. And during most of his life he didn't want God's will because he wanted to do things his own way. That's what we've been studying in his life. That's the banner over his life. He's at the end of his life now. He's very close to the end and the banner over his life as an adult is that he's wanted things his own way. He's taking things into his own hands. He's tried to control his own thing his own destiny his own kingship all of it. He's rebelled against spiritual council. He's lied. There there's no repentance in his life. During most of his life he didn't want God's will. Is it any wonder at the end of Saul's life God turns a deaf ear to a desperate but unrepentant man? I mean this is like not good news. This is not a fun verse to study. You know wait a minute Ed. Man this is really this is tough. I I don't want to experience it personally on myself. I hope you don't either. Like you think you're getting away with something. You're not getting away with anything. And in your most desperate day you cry out to the Lord. If it's still from an unrepentant heart it's just I need help God. God is not obligated. Remember we did a whole study when Saul cried he he's cried out to himself he cried out verbally to David. He said I played the fool. And this what's this is what happens to people that play the fool with their lives. He cries out in the most desperate time and God doesn't answer. Now some of you are still not convinced. Some of you are still not convinced in Saul's life that Saul's in such a desperate place but I think there's an episode in his life that has been reserved for us just to show us how far away from God he really is. You know how can God choose not to answer? Well I believe he's chosen not to answer because of the distance of Saul. Saul is very far from God right now. God's king the one that God anointed the one that God chose the one that had so much potential the one that that could at any moment make things right. He is so far from God notice in verse 7. Then Saul said to his servants find me a woman who's a medium. Now if you like to write in your Bibles here's what you could write here. Saul said to his servants find me a witch. And I know that's not a word like a derogatory term for for someone. This is a literal find me a witch and a broom and everything. Find me a witch. That's who's going to help me. God's not speaking to me. So find me a witch. Now wait a minute Saul didn't you put them all out? Tells us something about Saul's character doesn't it? We'll get to that in a second. Let that kind of marinate in your mind for a moment. Find me a medium that I can go to her and inquire of her. And his servant said to him in fact there is a woman who's a medium at Endor. So Saul disguised himself put on other clothes and he went he and two other 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. Then the woman said to him look you know what Saul's done how he's cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. And then you do you lay a snare for my life to cause me to die? And Saul swore to her by the Lord saying as the Lord lives no punishment shall come upon you for this thing. Yep this is the same Saul that put out this mediums and spiritists is now looking for one that he knows they're still around. He knows that his his his command was not fully followed. And so for those of you that were holding out hope for Saul or thought in my teaching I was coming to the wrong conclusion every week now you know. He's rotten. Doesn't matter what it looks like on the outside. He's rotten and people that are rotten eventually their true colors show. It might take a year. It might take two years. It might take five years. It might take 10 years. But unless there's true change one or the other what it looks shiny and polished and pretty and so attractive on the outside what's rotten on the inside is going to come out. Cuz there's going to come a time like in all of our lives when we're faced with the greatest trial and the greatest battle of our life that will reveal our true condition. And that's where Saul is right here.
Guest (Male): Today on Abounding Grace we've been in 1 Samuel as Pastor Ed Taylor is leading us verse by verse through this marvelous Old Testament book. Now if you joined us late or would just like to hear the message again drop by aboundinggrace radio.com. Another way to take in a steady dose of God's word is through our app. It's free. Just search for Calvary Church. We're also on oneplace.com. Abounding Grace is made possible through the support of our listeners and when you give a donation of $25 or more to Abounding Grace you're invited to request a copy of Jim Symbolis book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. In it he shares unforgettable stories including from his own daughter. You'll see how the church has grown and how God has helped people through difficult changes, challenges, and encounters. Jim also reveals how God continues to reshape the lives of so many people who come to Jesus through the power of the gospel. Request a copy of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire when you give a donation of $25 or more today. We genuinely appreciate the generosity of our listeners. It helps us provide the teaching of God's word on stations all across the nation. So thank you for standing with us. Call 877-30 Grace. 877-30 Grace. You can also get the book online at Calvary co dot store. And then be sure to join Pastor Ed next time for more teaching from the book of 1 Samuel right here on Abounding Grace.
Guest (Male): This is amazing grace. This is unfailing love. That you would take my place. That you would bear my cross. You laid down your life that I would be set free. Oh Jesus I sing for all that you've done for me.
Guest (Male): Abounding Grace is brought to you by Calvary Church Colorado here in Aurora.