God's Will?
1 Samuel 28:3-20
One of the most disturbing passages in Scripture is today's reading from 1 Samuel, but it may help us understand why we can't have peace in the world.
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash
Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. Saul had expelled the mediums and the wizards from the land. The Philistines assembled, and came and encamped at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, not by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her." His servants said to him, "There is a medium at Endor." So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes and went there, he and two men with him. They came to the woman by night. And he said, "Consult a spirit for me, and bring up for me the one whom I name to you." The woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?" But Saul swore to her by the Lord, "As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He answered, "Bring up Samuel for me." When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" The king said to her, "Have no fear; what do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a divine being coming up out of the ground." He said to her, "What is his appearance?" She said, "An old man is coming up; he is wrapped in a robe." So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance. Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; so I have summoned you to tell me what I should do." Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done to you just as he spoke by me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you today. Moreover the Lord will give Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me; the Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines." Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. - 1 Samuel 28:3-20
If God commanded you to kill an entire nation, would you do it?
That is what lies at the heart of Saul's problem. God had commanded Saul to wipe out the nation of Amalek to fulfill what God said to his people when they were crossing over from Egypt and they were attacked by the Amalekites.
God promised to eliminate all memory of this ruthless people who went against God. God gave this assignment, to wipe out the nation, its people and all its cattle, sheep and livestock.
Saul did kill almost everyone, but he spared King Agag, and the best of the livestock and anything else he found of value. He failed to commit genocide. He failed to wipe the nation from the face of the earth.
Saul seeks the wisdom and support of Samuel, who is dead and buried, summoning him from his rest through a medium. He wants to know what to do to regain God's favor, but what's done is done.
Fast forward to today and our modern sensibilities.
What's wrong with this picture?
We wonder how people can justify their actions against one another, and here we have one possible reason: it is God's will.
But is it right to use God's war against Amalek as justification for one nation or one people seeking to eliminate another?
From the beginning of time, if one believes in Genesis, brother has risen up against brother, deceiving and killing to gain favor with God. And we have seen those battles continue from generation to generation.
It is easy to see how someone would assume the only way to stop the killing is to eliminate the enemy.
And here we are, doing exactly that.
We believe if we don't totally destroy our enemy, a future generation will rise up and destroy us, but has that happened in modern times?
We can say there is no justification for genocide, and we believe that. But when confronted by a people who o believe they are the only true race and all others should be destroyed, we draw the line in the sand.
I think that's what God did in the desert.
More to come...