When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was terrified
In the French translation: he “trembled like a leaf”. Especially in those decisive moments in life, Father, strengthen me with your strength (Psalm 138:1-3).
…he asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord did not answer him at all, either by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets.
Abandonned to his sort. All the bad decisions made throughout his life are finally coming home to roost. How sad. Lord, please continue to take care of me as you always have (Psalm 27:7-10)!
Then Saul ordered his officials, “Find me a woman who is a medium, and I will go and consult her.”
What was once a barely visible fault line in his character is now a gaping abyss. Despite the tough exterior, he was all clay within, brittle as a straw. Saul’s zeal where he once expulsed mediums or unjustly killed the people of Gibeon (2 Samuel 21:2) was devoid of true knowledge (Romans 10:2). May mine be truly rooted in a mind transformed by your Spirit, Lord (Romans 12:2).
So Saul disguised himself; he put on different clothes, and after dark he went with two of his men to see the woman. “Consult the spirits for me and tell me what is going to happen,” he said to her. “Call up the spirit of the man I name.”
The woman answered, “Surely you know what King Saul has done, how he forced the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. Why, then, are you trying to trap me and get me killed?”
Then Saul made a sacred vow. “By the living Lord I promise that you will not be punished for doing this,” he told her.
Religion was never far from Saul’s lips… He kind of reminds me of Esau who was always trying to please but never seemed to get it (Genesis 28:6-9). May I only seek approval from you, Lord (Galatians 1:10).
“Whom shall I call up for you?” the woman asked.
“Samuel,” he answered.
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and said to Saul, “Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!”
“Don’t be afraid!” the king said to her. “What do you see?”
“I see a spirit coming up from the earth,” she answered.
Her reaction leads one to believe that this is the first time she actually sees something (all the other seances in the past being a scam)!