1Sam 25 -28 “Sin is Like a Barrier”
King Saul is in a predicament. He started out right but in the end, Saul will fade away into the annals of history as a king who failed because he took his eyes off the Lord. There will be others who do as well and we do well to learn from Saul the consequences of sin. God graciously gave Saul a wise counselor in Samuel. However, his impatience and disobedience led Samuel to prophesy that the kingdom would be turned over to David and now it will happen just. as. Samuel. said.
In his early years as king Saul had removed all mediums and astrologers just as God had demanded but now because God no longer hears Saul’s prayers he turns to the very ones that he had removed. When God is silent, where do you turn? Could it be that had Saul repented, God would again hear his prayers? Truly God hears the prayers of the repentant just as we saw in the life of David and will see again. But, also this is true: Psalm 66:18 “If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
What is the point of this whole strange bizarre tale of disguises, night wanderings to a witch’s home, lying and the entrance of the dead prophet Samuel that God has included? First is the verse from Psalm 66. Sin is like a barrier between you and God. God does answer repentant prayer which Saul did NOT employ. Another lesson is that the enemy of our souls knows our very weaknesses and our strengths. Thirdly, sometimes God uses the bizarre to get our attention so that we would repent so He could bless!