Root Words | 1 Samuel 28:15-25 “God has departed from me…. What should I do?”

In 1 Samuel 28 we read of the soon death of Saul and in his desperation he heirs a medium to conjure up Samuel. As we read in verse 15 Saul wanted to know one thing as he tells Samuel, “I have called you, that you may reveal to me that I should do.” The philistines were attacking, and Saul was unprepared because he was too busy going back on his word to David. Seven times Samuel uses the word to remind Saul that the Lord was not answering him because he had refused to listen over 20 years.

Oh, to God that Saul would have only shortened his question to, “God has departed from me…. what I should do.” There are a great many people in the world today that don’t want to hear what God has to say about sin and rebellion and they depart and go their merry way in disobedience. It is at the end of the life that they wanted to live apart from God that they ask like Saul, “How can I not reap what I have sown?” Samuel doesn’t tell Saul what he should do and instead only tells him what is going to happen. Dear ones, that which we fail to slay in our life will be that which dominates our lives and if allowed to stay will shorten our lives. “God never departs from a man until the man has departed from Him. Then, in the interests of righteousness, God is against that man.” In verses 16-19 we have Samuel’s answer is that Saul was only reaping what he had sown. Saul had refused to obey the Lord in 15:28 and now Samuel had been sent from the department of “accounts payable”. Apparently, in the fifteen or so years since the events of 1 Samuel 15, Saul thought that the time would change God’s mind; but time never changes God’s mind. Only genuine repentance and brokenness changes out eternal outcome, never time.

The next words of Samuel would at first seem to be the worst news of all, “tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.” But I see this is an act of mercy and grace towards Saul, “You have time, in fact you have eternity.”, God says through Samuel! Oh, make no mistake about it you and your sons will die tomorrow, and you will reap what you have sown but “you can be with me”. Saul could make another act of rebellion and chose to die apart from returning to the Lord. What a great word to all, you may have lived your life apart from God and he has honored your wishes even though He has loved you enough to send His only son to take your sins upon Himself. But it is not too late; God may have departed from you, but He longs to be near you if only you will turn from your sins and live. Saul lost the right to reign as king in Israel, but he could have a part of reigning with the KING of KINGS in the land of the living. Apart from all the blessings God gave Saul, all the opportunities to repent and get his heart right Saul remained unrepentant and in the end, like so many, He was unprepared to lead a nation, unprepared to fight a battle and unprepared to meet the Lord!

This has been Pastor Dale, BLESSINGS!!!