It's that time of the year again when people seem to think that pumpkin is an acceptable additive to coffee, orange is the new black in shop front design and Christians get worked up about the dangers of the occult.
Like every Christian parent, I want my children to grow up strong in their faith and I can't say I'm not annoyed when I take my four year old to the post office only to be confronted by ugly masks and blood-stained plastic severed limbs. But I also want my family to know the reality of evil, the impact of the spiritual and the power of the victory of God. Rather than skirt around the issue, I decided this year to go straight for the biblical jugular (though I admit I used Star Wars as rhetorical bait) and take some of my teens through the details of arguably the creepiest episode in all of scripture: the story of Saul and the Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28. Here are the things we learned along the way.
1. The silence
It was a voice beyond the grave that King Saul was looking for. Once the poster boy first king of Israel, he had now become a lame duck leader, eclipsed by David the shepherd boy giant-slayer. Saul had got into a habit of consistently disobeying God, and things came to a head when, while conquering the Amalekites, he refused to put into practice God's prohibition of taking plunder. There was a fierce conversation with Samuel, Israel's prophet-in-residence, which involved King Saul tearing the prophet's robe. Samuel turned to Saul and said, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbours – to one better than you." (1 Samuel 15:28-29). That was the last time Saul saw Samuel because the old prophet was soon dead – haunting last words for the King. So haunting, indeed, that Saul could not hear God's voice from that day onward. So when the mighty Philistine army lined up against Saul he felt fearful, isolated and desperate. Thus despite having been the one who got rid of all the sorcerers and magicians from Israel, Saul now became so desperate that he asked his men to find him a medium. For many, like Saul, spiritual silence is a terrible thing.
2. The séance
Saul's men found him a witch in Endor. (Apparently the similarity with the location of the epic battle that turned the entire conflict in Star Wars is limited only to the name and is entirely coincidental). The witch, or "medium" as new translators describe her, was rightly nervous. She was fearful of a covert sting operation because of the thoroughness of Saul's clean-up operation in Israel to rid the land of pagan practices. But King Saul, who was in disguise, ironically swore, "As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this," (1 Samuel 28:10). Sometimes our words betray us: Saul knew God lives yet was still willing to completely ignore him in order to get the reassurance he wanted. Saul was so desperate with the silence of God that he was willing to do anything, and say anything, just to hear something. When people consult mediums they are often at a very desperate stage in their lives, mourning or grieving. It is this observation that has led friends of mine to go to spiritual fairs, offering Christian hope and help to people who are at those very difficult points.
When the medium of Endor was asked by Saul to conjure up a spirit, none other than Samuel himself, and she did indeed see an apparition of the deceased prophet, her reaction was to scream. Some hear in her scream proof that all mediums are charlatans as they argue she was not expecting anyone to actually reply to her summons. While there is no hint that scripture sees the practice of sorcerers and mediums as futile, the Bible is clear to prohibit their practice (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). There really are evil powers at work in our world.
In this séance, only the witch saw the fearful apparition. Saul comforted the woman and asked her to describe what she could see. When she said, "An old man wearing a robe is coming up" that was enough for Saul to know that it was indeed Samuel. The robe seems to have become symbolic of Saul and Samuel's broken relationship. Perhaps it was this reminder of God's judgment and the reality of the séance that floored Saul, who prostrated himself on learning of the appearance of the robed prophet.
3. The undead
"Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" asked Samuel. Again there is no hint that this event is a fake as it stands as part of the revealed word of God. There is not a lot of clarity in scripture about the intermediate state; i.e. what happens to people between death and the general resurrection from the dead that takes place at the end of history (see 1 Corinthians 15), so it would be wrong to build a whole theological framework on these few verses. However, perhaps a few observations might be useful. Firstly, Samuel – though dead – still lives. Whatever people say about the Old Testament and its views of an afterlife, here is a clear indication that it affirms the belief in life beyond death. Secondly, Samuel describes being disturbed; perhaps hinting that he was at rest before the séance. There does seem to be wider evidence that for believers at least, we Rest In Peace beyond the grave. For example, this language used in the book of Job:
"For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
with kings and rulers of the earth,
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins," (Job 3:13-14).
Thirdly, the fact that Samuel is recognisable, coherent and communicative hints at the importance of persistence of memory, identity and our humanity. Two hundred years later Elijah will of course raise the widow's son from the dead, foreshadowing Jesus – the resurrection and the life – for whom raising the dead is as easy as waking someone from sleep. For all Halloween's emphasis on the spooky, the creepy and the unsettling, knowing that there really is a hope of life beyond death is something worth holding on to. In fact, that may be why Halloween was invented by the church in the first place.
4. The warning
Saul received what he wanted; a long distance call to his old mentor even though death had separated them. But the message he heard was anything but comforting. With the Philistines preparing for war, we can understand why Saul might feel in need of a little help. Here, the aphorism "there are no atheists in foxholes" rings true. Often it is facing our own mortality that wakes us up to consider the meaning of life, the hope of immortality and the existence of God. But if this is Saul's foxhole moment, he receives no consolation here. Despite pouring out his heart he finds no solace for his soul. Saul pleads with Samuel:
"God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do," (1 Samuel 28:15).
In reply, Samuel simply repeats the message that Saul had already heard. Perhaps this is the clearest evidence that this is a genuine connection with the dead prophet rather than a charlatan offering false hope for cash. Samuel's reply is the most chilling aspect of this episode:
"Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy... The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me," (1 Samuel 16 & 19).
No hope was offered for Saul. He seems to have passed the point of no return with God and so was provided with no way out and no way forward. Instead, he received the worst news – his own death warrant. Forget the fear-inducing horror movies that circulate around Halloween, there can be no more frightening position to be in than to find yourself a marked man by God, to be told that the Lord himself is your enemy, and that the grim reaper is on his way for you within 24 hours. The urgent warning of this passage is important for us all to hear. Whoever we are – whether a royal like Saul, a dabbler in the occult like the Endor witch, or anywhere inbetween – we must all must respond to God's warnings with utter seriousness. Right now, humanity is given the chance to respond with repentance and faith towards God – this is the gospel age. But from Saul we see that there is a point when God says enough is enough and we are beyond grace. Whether for us that takes place at death or before is unclear, but why risk it? We must respond to the grace we are being offered right now, or face the consequences like Saul.
5. The necromancer
Saul the mighty King collapsed when he heard his death sentence. Interestingly, the writer attributes some of the reaction to Saul's having not eaten. This detail allows us to witness something strange. Rather than portraying the witch of Endor as purely a cardboard cut-out villain, as is the way of some of the low-budget Halloween horror flicks, instead we see her humanity shine through. She prepares a royal banquet for the condemned man and implores him to take some food. This reminds me of the beautiful truth that scripture teaches about both the brokenness and the beauty of all human beings. Those who celebrate Halloween in a very different way to us, participating in occult practices and even encouraging others to do so, are both broken and beautiful too. Though we rightfully disagree we must never lose sight of our common humanity. Like us, they are made in the image of God and should be shown respect and compassion. The necromancer at the centre of this spooky story shows kindness and honour even to a man under a death sentence. Perhaps there is a little light in this dark tale.
Saul is a dead man walking, and this may have been his last meal. For commentator Dale Ralph Davies, this reminds him of a last meal thousands of years later; where another condemned man walks out into the night after sharing supper with his friends. Then, it was Judas disappearing into the darkness to betray the son of God.
Judas was so close to Jesus, and yet so far. In this story, it is Saul the failed king whose life and death speak about the dangers of presuming on grace. Saul had so many opportunities to be close to God – a prophet who spoke truth to him, he saw miracles in his life and even had a Psalmist sing him to sleep. He was so close and yet so far from grace. This is a sobering tale for us to check where we are with the God who judges the living and the dead. When the Pumpkin Lattes are flowing, surely that's something truly scary to think about this Halloween.
