The Witch of En Dor: Are You Deceiving Yourself?
March will be focusing on inspiring women from the Bible in a series called: “Bible Boss Babes.” As it is formally Women’s History Month in Australia, the UK and the US, and also with International Women’s Day having been on March 8th, it’s a month where Seele’s Editor, Ally will point out four inspiring women and share practical life tips that we can apply to our own lives.
Last week we looked at Deborah, Israel’s first female judge. This week, we’re looking at a woman who’s NOT Bible Boss Babe: The Witch of En Dor, but nevertheless a woman who we can learn something from. As you’re home during this Coronavirus time, may this post speak to you in some way:
Have you ever had a friend that’s a medium or psychic? What is your responsibility toward his or her beliefs? - To accept? To respect? To discourage? To warn? Is it advisable to walk away from that kind of friendship? I realize that this post will offend A LOT of people because many engage or have friends/family that: go to psychics, take value in horoscopes, do Ouija boards, hold seances in their homes, engage in voodoo, engages in blood worship, go to palm readers and fortune tellers, engage in African and Caribbean ancestral worship, studying deep into the Chakras, try and talk to their dead loves ones, go to medicine men, have charms, hamsas, crystals, and evil eyes hanging in their homes- uh oh- I’ve probably ticked you off already…. but should your interest be piqued and you’re still reading- halfway annoyed with me and halfway curious, I’d encourage you to go and read 1 Samuel 28: 3-25.
Before I begin, here are synonyms for a “medium”: wizard (KJV), psychic (NLT), necromancer (RSV), traffics with ghosts and spirits (NEB).
During the time of King Saul, the time of 1 Samuel 28, being a witch was a common occupation among ancient Near East women. Witches during the time of the Witch of En Dor were older, wiser, “deeply versed in human nature, acquainted with all weaknesses, hopes and fears of the human heart.”
People then, as people today are desperate for help when they seek witches, and witches desire to help people. They are misdirected but genuine and they see their craft as a way of assisting folks who are confused, lost or discouraged.
I’m now speaking to the church: If we don’t stand in the gap as “holy mediums” serving as Godly intercessors by sharing the truth of Christ with those who don’t know Him, our pagan counterparts of the of the dark side will. The witch of En Dor stood ready to serve and I take courage to speak out on this topic.
All of this happened around 1085 – 922 B.C in the town of En Dor (En meaning well/spring Dor meaning nearest town). It was 4 miles from Mount Tabor, a Canaanite and pagan stronghold where Jael killed Sisera (read about Jael and Deborah from last week). King Saul had banished witches (1 Samuel 28:3), but don’t be impressed. We’ll see in a minute how Saul managed to drive the devil out of his kingdom, and yet harbor him in his heart. Like us, he got his outward act together, but in the dark recesses of his soul, a rebellious spark still flowed.
On the eve of a key battle fear gripped Saul, and so, he was driven to consult a witch. Now, years earlier, God had rejected Saul because of his disobedience (1 Samuel 28:6), and God had turned His eye to David to be the next king of Israel, as a result, Saul was desperately groping for answers.
Out of desperation, King Saul went to the witch, wanting to know if he’d win a key battle the next day, as God stopped communicating with him due to his past disobedience. To get to her, he had to creep past the Philistine army to get the witch. Please read the details of the story in 1 Samuel 28… once you do, you know the Witch of En Dor called up the spirit of Samuel, who had recently died, and who was King Saul’s seer/prophet. (Every King of Israel got a prophet, who was also a seer).
Is Witchcraft and the work of mediums real?
Did the witch have a genuine craft- was she nervous)? She didn’t expect to see Samuel to make an appearance. She went about her craft without hesitation. She didn’t truly call forth dead spirits. It was nothing but smoke and mirrors, and giving people what they wanted.
Who was really doing the talking in the vision then?- God? Satan? The witch?
The Witch? Most likely not because she didn’t even expect Samuel to make an appearance. Her craft was nothing but smoke and mirrors and giving people what they wanted. She may have been the conduit but the prophetic words were not her own.
Satan? Satan could have impersonated Samuel since “he can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).” But probably not because Satan is not omniscient and only knows what’s in God’s Word. He didn’t know what was in Samuel’s prophecy because it was foretelling.
God? There are times we hear a small voice and wonder who’s talking.
How do we discern God’s voice from our own or Satan’s?
Ask yourself 3 questions?:
1). What’s the message?
2). What’s the outcome?
3). Who gets the glory?
The message was consistent with God’s Word and with Samuel’s previous prophecies (1 Samuel 28:19). King Saul was humbled on the spot and the next day on the battlefield as well when he died (1 Samuel 28:20). The glory went to God alone since in Samuel’s brief speech, he mentioned God 7 times- the number of perfection or completion in Scripture.
Imagine knowing the hour of your death- another good reason not to seek knowledge about future events. It nearly wiped Saul out (1 Samuel 28:20).
Takeaway and Application of the Witch of En Dor
The Witch of En Dor was a compassionate helper. She helped Saul in his time of need, she was a servant and a thoughtful hostess. But, she was a daughter of darkness, as she engaged in a sin that both God and her government had forbade. And, she used her evil powers for personal gain.
It’s easy to be taken in by her caring, generous ways, and her servant attitude. Visit a medium today and you’ll no doubt find the same warm welcome and desire to please. As a Victorian writer phrased it, “it brings a sign to think she was bad.”
But, ask yourself 2 questions: 1). Whom did the witch serve? 2). How does God view such activities?
It’s easy to be drawn to the practices I mentioned in the third paragraph, as they seem to offer immediate answers for life’s most challenging situations.
Historically women, and by God’s design, I believe are more spiritually sensitive and are drawn to deeper things. More women than men fill our churches. And for those still searching, many voices calling out to them are far more persuasive than the church.
Our relationship is not with dead spirits (and the practices mentioned in the third paragraph) but with the living Christ. God does not come from within ourselves, but from on high.
Spiritualist, witches, goddess worshipers, and others who beckon us with tempting ways to control our lives are collectively ignoring the Bible and creating their own creeds to suit their desires.
When God says “I hate this”- pay attention:
We are blessed to live on the other side of Calvary where grace abounds and forgiveness is eternally ours, and where wise women make it their business to know what our loving Lord despises. Though the world encourages a spirit of religious tolerance, God draws the line at the black arts. Shouldn’t we?
Dead men tell no tales. The living God does:
Departed loved ones, however much good counsel they once offered, no longer have the answers we need. Go does. Let’s turn to his printed Word- the Bible- and his Living Word- the Christ- rather than seeking man’s wisdom from ages past or horoscopes present.
The goddess didn’t die for your sins… Jesus did:
If goddess worship is “the fastest growing spiritual practice in the United States,” we’re dropping the ball as the church.
Test and see that the Lord is Good:
We too need discernment when it comes to those internal voices that nudge us daily. Is the message consistent with Scripture? Does it draw us toward the Lord… or away from Him? Is the tone one of loving concern…or of harsh judgment? And who will get the glory if we obey that inner prodding? With so many voices demanding our attention, these are questions worth asking.
The practices mentioned in the paragraph 3 are real. Just as God is real, Satan and practices that align with his kingdom are real. They may seem harmless and I may seem intolerant or ignorant to you, as you might know the depth of these practices more deeply than I, as I steer far clear from them. But, we are all human and spiritual beings. Anything spiritual that we touch will affect our lives and have eternal consequences. It’s easy to get into them but hard to come out. So, may we choose our spiritual practices wisely and stick with what’s safe and pure: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.