1st Samuel 28 THE SHADOW OF DEATH When any of us falls into the trap of deception, it is very hard to not go further in duplicity when other situations arise that will reveal our falsehood. One lie leads to others that have to be told to try to covert 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 to be 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 outwardly express a lie, yet it was said in such a way that Achish believed his allegiance had been given to him.
We should never lose sight of the path of faith on which we have been placed by God. In David's case, the Lord intervened on his behalf and preserved him from fighting against his own people. 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 are going to 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 in the flesh instead of in 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.
Samuel's death had 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, there is a spiritual and moral shadow of darkness that 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, also 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 in the place the Philistines had gathered, the past triumphs of faith did not bring about present victories. When we fail in our obedience and faith in the place where God has previously given us spiritual victories, there is a greater condemnation. "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 he was going to be attacked by the Philistines, and 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 nor did he bowed 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." How much better it would have been 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 called on the power of darkness that lurks in the shadows of death. When one has rejected and refused God, when things go wrong, they call on God and blame Him for not getting them out of the awful situation they have brought upon themselves.
Saul went to the wrong place, knocked on the wrong door, came in the wrong way and said the wrong things. 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 very sin we denounce may take the place of that which is right in our own lives. Difficulties and obstacles in life are often allowed by God 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 that is 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.
In whatever way the message came from Samuel, whether God allowed Saul in some way to hear him, or whether it was some impersonation, the message was clear. 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 and that always leads to failure. The message of Samuel had such an effect on him that weakness and fear made him immobile. Instead of strength from the Lord, the food the witch gave him gave him enough 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. The contrast is for 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 earth in feat, the shadows of hell were already on him, and in his soul. He is brought down in terrible fear as coming 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 he was blinded by the glory of God 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.
To go our own way and act only in our own interests may seem expedient now, but that path leads to the shadow of darkness now and fear in 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.