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Old 01-27-2013, 04:44 PM
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Lafon Lafon is offline
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Re: Where was Samuel ?

When God sent Samuel to deliver the news that He had repented for having made Saul king of Israel because of Saul's disobedience to His commandments, we find it written in I Samuel 15:35 - "And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel."

Indeed, Samuel did not "see" Saul again until the day of Saul's death, for Samuel died and was buried in Ramah after this visit to deliver God's message to Saul (see I Samuel 25:1).

When Saul disguised himself and sought the woman of Endor to "bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee," and then told her that he desired to see Samuel (who was dead, remember?), she did so and upon seeing that it was Samuel who was brought up (that is, awakened from the 'sleep of death'), she then knew Saul had concealed his identity and deceived her. When Saul also knew that this was Samuel, and recalling that Samuel had told him that he would not "see" him again until the day of his death, at that moment Saul became exceedingly frightened, for he knew that he would soon die. This was confirmed again by Samuel when Saul spoke to him after being "awakened" from death, for the conversation between them was as follows:

"And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, and bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philisitines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

And the LORD hath done to him as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David:

Because thou obeyed not the voice of the LORD, nor excutedst his fierce wrath upon Amelek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.

Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines"
(see I Samuel 28:15-19).


So, yes, it was Samuel whom Saul "seen" on that occasion, for it was only a short while afterwards that he was slain (at his own request) by his armourbearer (see I Samuel 31:4).

Last edited by Lafon; 01-27-2013 at 04:47 PM.
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