Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Guidance from the Medium - The Book of 1 Samuel

Transcript

Guidance from the Medium - The Book of 1 Samuel · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Heavenly Father, in moments of silence, when
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: I am in between my present circumstance and my future promise,
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Teach me to wait on you and your voice. I
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: have made a conscious decision that when I desire answers
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: to life's problems, I will not seek them in false mediums, astrology, psychics,
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: or those connected to the dark arts. Instead, I will
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: position myself to be in your presence and to hear
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: your voice. I decree and declare that your word is
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: my guiding light. I decree and declare that Your voice
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: has the ability to cut through any dark times I
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: may be facing. Your Word is a lamp unto my
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: feet and a light unto my path. And because I'm
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: connected to Your Spirit, I don't have to settle for
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: ungodly and false spirits. I will choose to wait for You, Lord,
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: knowing that as I do, my help will arrive at
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: just the right time. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: for praying with me today.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: David once again had the opportunity to end Saul, and
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: with him all the fleeing and exile. Yet David's conviction
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: as a man of God stood its ground. He spared Saul,
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: and Saul once again repented and left David's presence. Now
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: David dwells in the land of the Philistines, serving under
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: King Achish. David and his men made raids on the
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: enemies of Israel, pretending to make raids for the Philistines.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: In this story, the Philistine horde rises up against Israel.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: David continues to wrestle with his alliances, while Saul, now
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: living apart from the Spirit of God, turns to dark
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: arts to settle his weary and restless soul. Inspired by
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: the book of 1 Samuel.
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode,
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: We saw that David's loyalties were tested as the Philistines
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: gathered to do battle against Israel and David and his
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: men were among the ranks ready to attack. We saw
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: how God prevented David from going into battle against his
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: own people and protecting him from the consequences of terrible decisions.
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: Today we'll return to Israel to meet up with King
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: Saul and see what he was doing in the lead
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: up to this same battle. While yesterday we saw David
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: seek God's guidance before fighting the Amalekites, Today we'll hear
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: how Saul turns to the occult for guidance. It is
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: a final turning away, a terrible apostasy from God that
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: will spell ultimate disaster for him. Let's now listen to
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: today's reading from God's Word.
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: The days grew darker and darker. War between the Israelites
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: and Philistines raged like wildfire. Both sides struck devastating blows,
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: and the spirit of both nations were growing dim. Valleys
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: became swamps with the blood and gore of battle. Villages
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: and towns were destroyed from plunder. Yet the Philistines were
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: great in number and continued to bang on the drums
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: of war against Israel. David still dwelled with his men
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: and King Achish and the two became very close. David
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: began to struggle with his identity as a Hebrew while
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: in the presence of Philistine friends. Though he did not
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: slay any Israelites, his association with the enemy made him guilty. However,
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: He could not return to Saul, for his mind was
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: like a tempest, tossing him to and fro. The Philistine
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: horde approached the borders of Israel once again. Saul looked
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: upon the sea of soldiers with fear and trembling. Saul's
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: mind had grown weary and tainted with hatred. His soul
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: was tormented and unsteady. A subtle madness overcame Saul, and
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: since God had removed his spirit from him, there was
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: no rest. Saul had not truly felt peace since David
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: last played songs for him in the throne room. It
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: seemed like a hundred years since that time. Samuel, who
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: was his guiding compass, had been long dead. Night had fallen,
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: and the Israelite camp was quiet and dimly lit by torches.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Saul walked to the outskirts of camp and fell to
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: his knees. The only sounds were Saul's tears as he
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: wept before God. He buried his face in the dirt,
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: begging God to speak to him once again. Silence. He
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: looked to the stars, listening for any semblance of God's voice.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: Nothing.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: Saul sought prophets, but there was no response. Saul waited
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: for dreams, yet he was still met with nothing but torment.
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: Saul arose from his bed and woke up his servant.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Find me the necromancer woman from Endor, he commanded. So
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: the servant departed to find her and set up a
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: meeting for her and Saul. If God would not respond
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: to his prayers, perhaps another being would lend its ear.
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: So Saul ventured a few miles north to meet her.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: A different type of darkness covered the city. A shroud
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: of evil hovered over Endor like storm clouds. Saul disguised
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: himself in a cloak to hide his identity and traveled
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: the alleyways of Endor with secrecy. Saul entered into the
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: necromancer's home. The room reeked of spice and death. Saul
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: uncovered his hood and looked around the room. Dead ravens
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: hung from the ceiling and incense burned under carved images
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: of wicked gods. The room was dark and lit only
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: by a few faint candles. There, in the corner of
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: the room, a woman sat at the edge of her bed.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: She was equally revolting and intoxicating. She wore a scalding
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: stare that shook Saul's spine. Saul stood a few feet
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: away from her and whispered, I need you to bring
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: forth a spirit for me. The woman remained silent and
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: arose from her bed. She passed Saul and circled him
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: like a lioness. You know that the righteous King Saul
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: has banned all mediums and necromancers from the land. This
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: could very well be a trap for me. The woman
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: spoke with a smooth voice. She did not yet know
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: it was Saul who stood before her. Saul clenched his jaw.
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: As the Lord lives, I can assure you no punishment
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: will await you, Saul said. He did his best not
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: to stutter when he spoke, for even Saul knew that
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: he was playing with unknown power. The necromancer stood a
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: foot away from Saul and looked him in the eye.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: She was silent for a few moments, staring at Saul
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: with an uneasy gaze. Whom shall I bring for you?
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: she asked. Samuel, the prophet, Saul said. The woman took
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: a step back and bowed her head. Her hair covered
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: her face as she bent her neck forward. Saul could
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: hear faint mumbles from the woman. She shook her shoulders
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: back and forth, and her mumbles grew louder and louder.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: The woman began to shake uncontrollably, and a loud scream
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: came out of her. You deceived me, the woman shouted.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: You are King Saul! The woman gritted her teeth and
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: pointed toward Saul. I promise you will not be harmed,
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: Saul said.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: Now tell me.
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: What you see. The woman's eyes rolled back with her head.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: She mumbled and jolted her neck back and forth. I
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: see a man crawling up out of the ground, she said.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: He is old and wrapped in a robe. The necromancer
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: began to tremble and scream in fear. She had come
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: in contact with demonic spirits before, but now she was
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: dealing with the Spirit of God. Saul fell on his
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: face before the woman. He knew who she was seeing
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: was indeed Samuel. The woman loomed over Saul, and the
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: tone of Samuel came forth from her voice.' Why have
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: you disturbed me?' he said. Saul looked up, still kneeling
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: on the floor, and said,' I am in great distress.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: The Philistines are overtaking us, and God has turned away
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: from me. I am lost without guidance. What shall I do?'
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: Tears fell from Saul's eyes, and his hands were shaking.'
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: Why do you ask me? God has made you his enemy, Saul.'
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: I told you that he would take your kingdom from
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: you and give it to another. Now you know it
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: to be David. There was a silence for a moment.
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: Saul began to speak until Samuel interrupted him, saying, Saul
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: lay prostrate on the floor, and the woman shook her
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: head and stumbled backwards. Saul's strength had departed him, and
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: his face grew pale at the news. The woman composed
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: herself and offered Saul food before he left. Saul refused,
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: but his servants insisted, since his face was so pale
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: and deathly. Saul ate in silence on the woman's bed.
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: He stared into the blackness, fearing every moment might be
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: his last. Saul had called forth Samuel to be comforted,
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: but he was met only with more sorrow.
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: Today.
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: Story begins with the Philistines gathering for battle against Israel.
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: David is still in Philistine territory, but as we saw yesterday,
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: he would not be a part of the fight. Still,
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: the Philistine army is large and powerful, and King Saul
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: is filled with fear of this mighty enemy. Saul wants comfort.
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: He wants assurance of victory. He wants to hear from God.
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: But Samuel has been dead now for some time. Saul's
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: connection to God is cut off. He seeks other prophets,
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: but God does not listen. He waits for God to
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: speak to him in dreams, but there's no revelation. Saul
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: had strayed far, far from God. He had lived in
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: disobedience and carnality. He had neglected to listen to God
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: for so long that God is not responding to his cries.
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: And so now he's desperate, so desperate that he makes
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: a tragic decision. He appeals to ungodly spiritualism. He seeks
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: counsel from a witch. Desperation is no excuse for sin, ever.
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: And Saul wasn't really seeking God for guidance and wisdom.
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: He was just seeking his own comfort and trying to
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: save his own life. His motives were terribly wrong. Saul's
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: actions were not only a violation of God's law. They
• 11:18
  Speaker 3: violated his own laws. He had given orders to clear
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: the land of all practitioners of spiritism and the occult.
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: But because Saul was desperate, he sins for a necromancer.
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: He disguises himself carefully so that his sin and hypocrisy
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: isn't revealed. He entered the Median's home in the town
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: of Endor and made his request. He needed her to
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: summon a spirit from the dead. Even this witch was
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: afraid that this was a trap. So Saul swore an
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: oath in the name of the very God he was
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: betraying that she would not be harmed. Saul told her
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: he wanted to speak to the prophet Samuel, who had died.
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: He wants to speak to the dead. To this woman's
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: great surprise and horror, Samuel appeared. This was not an
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: evil spirit pretending to be Samuel, and it wasn't a trick.
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: This was real. She wasn't expecting it. You see, this
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: had nothing to do with her powers. This was God
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: at work, and this woman somehow knew it. She then
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: recognized that it was Saul who'd come to her. Why
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: did you lie to me? she asked in terror. But
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: Saul told her nothing bad would happen to her. Just
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: tell him what she saw. So she told him, and
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: Saul knew it was Samuel. He bowed in reverence, surely
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: thinking he was about to get the comfort that he needed.
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: But then Samuel spoke directly to him, asking why he
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: had disturbed his rest. Saul told Samuel God had fallen
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: silent and he was in distress over the Philistines. Samuel's
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: response was clear. God did exactly as he said he would,
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: because Saul had disobeyed God and turned from him. Not
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: only that, he confirmed what God had already said to Saul.
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: The kingdom would be taken from him. David would soon
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: be the king. sooner than Saul could have imagined. Then
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: Samuel gave Saul the most devastating news in 1 Samuel 28, 19. Moreover,
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: the Lord will give Israel also with you into the
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your son
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: shall be with me. The Lord will give the army
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: of Israel also into the hands of the Philistines. Saul
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: was devastated, and rather than leave with confidence and comfort,
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: he left with dread. for he knew that God's will
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: could not be changed and his word would come true.
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: The next time, we'll see how this all plays out
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: in God's plan. Dear God, how we thank you for
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: your word, the Bible. We thank you that these stories
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: are not fables or fairy tales, but these are true
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: stories inspired by your Holy Spirit. Always let us learn
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: the lessons that we need to learn and to believe
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: you and to obey your word. In Jesus' name. Amen.
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: and make prayer and Bible study a priority in your life.
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: love or know, and by sharing this podcast, we can
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: get the Word of God to the world. And if
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: you want more resources on how to tap into God's
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: power for Christian living, be sure to visit jackgraham.org. God
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: bless you.