THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 1st Samuel 28 When any of us falls into the trap of deception, it is very hard not to go further in duplicity when other situations will reveal our falsehood. One lie will lead to others that must be told to try to cover the first one. Before long, we have gone so far down the road of fear that we start believing our own lies. David put himself into a position where he, the one anointed king over Israel, was told he had to be "the keeper of mine head" by the leader of one of Israel's greatest enemies. David did a word dance to try not to express a lie outwardly, yet it was said in such a way that Achish believed his allegiance had been given to him.
David was deliberately ambiguous when he stated his military skills were well-known in Gath. He did not say specifically that he would fight with the Philistines even though he would be in danger of his life if he refused. Accepting sanctuary in tribal areas in those days included an obligation to military service. Achish would have him under constant surveillance by having David as a personal bodyguard. He could not be loyal to Achish without fighting against Israel.
This scene teaches us that life will become much more complicated if we doubt God and go out on our own. We should never lose sight of the path of faith on which God has placed us. If we revert to the ways of the world, we may find ourselves opposing what God has established. If we take a false position, there will be consequences from which we will not be easily freed. God allows us to feel the pain of unbelief and His strong hand of correction when we act in fear and the flesh instead of faith. Losses of peace, a calm spirit, our reputation, the value of our name, our family, and our joy are often the consequences that follow, reverting to the ways of the religious and secular world.
In David's case, the Lord intervened and prevented him from fighting against his own people. By His grace, God delivered David, but he had to accept the chastening of the Lord that comes to those He loves when they go their own way. Remember, “Whom the Lord loves, He chastens.”
Between the first two verses of this chapter and chapter twenty-nine is a parenthesis telling of the dark shadows of the doom of Saul. Samuel had died and was buried sixty miles away from where Saul was. There was no link between Saul and the Lord. Saul had broken his personal tie with God long before this time. The shadow of death was there as the Philistines gathered for battle against Israel. Saul, the king, had left the nation open and weak before the Philistines because he had left God. He was forsaken by God, who was silent about his entreaties. This was the darkest shadow of all because it was God who gave victories to Israel over their enemies.
Samuel's death caused the shadow of death to fall on the whole nation of Israel when they realized they had lost their connection with God and His mouthpiece to them because they demanded a king. When a nation or people turn away from the road of faith, and the fear of God to their own way and the fear of man, a spiritual and moral shadow of darkness descends upon them, and that darkness covers the light in which they once lived. Obvious danger from strong enemies who have made their intention plain casts a dark shadow. The death of that nation is imminent if repentance and forsaking of sin doesn't soon happen. Even though Israel had gained great victories right where the Philistines had gathered, the past triumphs of faith did not bring present victories.
There is a greater condemnation when we fail in our obedience and faith in the place where God has previously given us spiritual victories. "If that light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness." To seek the Lord and for Him not to answer our plea is a result of the actions of self-will and disobedience. Some people seem to think they can do what they want and ignore God and righteousness, but when they call on God, they think He is obligated to answer them in the way they want. The heart is involved when people finally search for God after their chosen course in life has brought them failure. "Ye shall seek Me and find Me when ye search for Me with all your heart."
When Saul realized the Philistines would attack him, he knew God was no longer with him. Instead of repenting of his sin and turning in humility and contrition to God, he turned to that which God condemned. He did not pray to God, bow his heart in conviction of sin, and call on God for mercy. Instead, he bowed in fear before an old woman who was a witch. How sad it is to see how far away from God a person can go who was once blessed by God. In Saul's wretched condition of soul, he said, "God is departed from me." It would have been much better if he had admitted, "I have departed from God." "A broken and contrite heart Thou wilt not despise, O God."
Even though Saul knew God was not with him, he did not call on the name of the Lord but on the power of darkness lurking in the shadows of death. When one has rejected and refused God, when things go wrong, they call on Him and blame Him for not getting them out of the awful situation they brought upon themselves. Saul went to the wrong place, knocked on the wrong door, came in the wrong way, and said the wrong things. He never repented of his sins and failures as king and never asked God to turn the kingdom over to one who would lead in the ways of the Lord. He just disobeyed God again, wallowing in self-pity, and ended his unfaithful life consulting with a witch.
We may make a great show of opposing sin like Saul did when he drove the wizards, witches, and those who dealt with spirits out of the land. But if one's heart is not right with God, the sin we denounce may replace what is right in our lives. God often allows difficulties and obstacles to turn us back to Him when we have strayed away. To turn to anything else for satisfaction and peace is futile. It will take us even farther away. God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached in fellowship with Him. God's ways are not confusing, strange, or difficult to understand, but what God says, He means. "He will by no means clear the guilty." God does not overlook sin.
The message was clear in whatever way the message came from Samuel, whether God allowed Saul in some way to hear him or whether it was some impersonation; Saul was done. He was at the end of the road of disobedience, self-centeredness, and self-will. It is understandable that he was terrified and prostrated himself in fear and weakness on the ground. He had put himself ahead of God, which always leads to failure. Samuel's message affected him so much that weakness and fear made him immobile. Instead of strength from the Lord, the food the witch gave him was enough to give him the strength to get up and go into the valley of the shadow of death, where he desperately feared the evil that would come on him. Contrast that with those who know the Lord; they "fear no evil for Thou art with me" when they go through the "valley of the shadow of death."
When Saul was lying in the dirt of the earth in fear, the shadows of hell were already on him and in his soul. He is brought down in terrible fear as judgment looms before him, from which there is no escape. Another Saul, Saul of Tarsus, also fell to the earth, but not because of darkness. Rather, there was a light above the brightness of the sun, and the glory of God blinded him in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first Saul was going down into darkness. The other Saul went into the light that leads to eternal day.
Going our own way and acting only in our interests may seem expedient now, but that path leads to the shadow of darkness now and fear of the future. To go God's way and walk in faith with the "Light of Life" is to walk daily "in the light as He is in the light" and to have sweet fellowship with the people of God who are also walking in the light. Contrast the life of Saul with the life of Samuel.
He was an answer to his mother’s prayer at the beginning of life. She prayed with sincere, earnest faith, knowing the nation was in seriously deep straits, troubled, and desperately needed God’s grace. In grace, God answered precisely with a boy she named Samuel, a lifetime reminder that “God heard” and answered prayer. Judging the nation with faith, he was truly a channel of communication and blessing to Israel. Whenever God spoke, His servant, Samuel, was there.
When that kind of life is over, all feel the loss. Spiritual men with the heart of a shepherd have more power than a king. Like Samuel, with prayers of intercession, they are loved by the needy, and they willingly pay the cost of being hated by others when they must bring bad news. We dare not be silent when speaking for God to His people who are going astray. God has appointed chosen servants to do this service. People need a voice to speak the truth of God’s Word, awaken their conscience and understanding, and give them wisdom on how to help others be holy, righteous, and godly. They need to remember God takes count of them, too. When such a voice is silenced from among us by death, may we all be ready personally to hear what God says to us. I can be sure what is said is His truth when “Thus said the Lord” is there.