What the Witch of Endor Warns Us about Modern Witchcraft
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When we think of witches, the Bible is not the first place we consider looking. But in describing certain events which involve female necromancers, some Bible commentators have employed a feminine term (witch) to describe the witch of En-Dor who met with Saul. She was a necromancer, someone forbidden by the Lord to be in the presence of His people (Deuteronomy 18:10).
Who Was the Witch of Endor?
The witch of En-Dor and her encounter with King Saul is located in 1 Samuel 28:3-25. The narrative serves as a sad and interesting account of Saul’s desperate attempt to have God’s help and His will revealed to him. The witch is not named, but she was a practicing sorceress. She is called a witch to designate her as a female who practiced the black arts of necromancy and witchcraft.
According to Stephen Dempster, “The expression (mistress of necromancy) suggests originally ‘owner of a pit’ from which a spirit would be conjured up. She had a certain place, connected to a ritual pit or grave (Sheol) where she employed her trade at night. By semantic extension the pit from which the spirit was conjured becomes associated with the spirit itself, and even the medium.”
Why Does Saul Visit Her?
Saul’s visit was because he was fraught with anxiety about what to do regarding an upcoming battle. We learn in earlier passages (1 Samuel 13:8-14, 1 Samuel 14:37, 16:14, 18:12) that Saul is selfish, rebellious, and impatient, often usurping God’s commands and enacting his own.
It was Saul’s disobedience during the defeat of Amalek (1 Samuel 15:1- 35) which brought God’s judgment on Saul. God removed His Spirit from Saul (1 Samuel 16:13-14) and David was anointed as the next king of God’s people. Samuel the prophet died, and Saul was bereft of his counsel (even though he often disregarded it).
When Saul was faced with the Philistine army, he feared them (1 Samuel 28:5). He had previously removed the mediums and necromancers out of the land, yet he openly rebelled against the Lord when he told his servants to find for him a medium (sorceress/necromancer). He said, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” (She had obviously survived the purge.)
Does She Actually Bring Back Samuel's Ghost?
We read this part of the narrative in 1 Samuel 28:7-14. During the night and at first disguised, Saul “swore by the Lord” the witch would suffer no harm for indulging in her illegal practice. It’s ironic and wicked in that, even though God had issued the death penalty for witchcraft, Saul swore in His name.
Saul requested the witch contact Samuel, and she elicited the demonic powers of necromancy (Deuteronomy 18:10-11) and summoned an apparition of Samuel. This action frightened her into the realization that it was God who brought him up, not her. She also realized her nighttime visitor was King Saul.
The implication is the witch expected a satanic imitation, not the real Samuel. The witch’s description was enough to convince Saul it was Samuel who had been summoned. The witch of En-Dor did nothing but show up and call upon demonic powers, which always lie (John 8:44). She had no power, and God turned deception to truth.
God allowed this séance for His purpose, and in vv. 15-19, Samuel rebuked Saul for his sinfulness and told him, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.” Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the Lord has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
1 Chronicles 10:13 gives us an epitaph of sorts, “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.”
What Does This Passage Tell Us about Witchcraft and the Occult?
Witchcraft and the occult are very dangerous, for in their practice dwells the very nature and deception of the devil. Neither the demons of Satan nor this witch can conjure up real persons. That is of the domain and will of Almighty God alone. The vision — the real vision — was unexpected by the witch and it frightened her. This proves mediums and necromancers have no real power over the dead — especially the upright — instead, they can only produce fabrications.
Why Is This Important for Us to Know Today?
Occult practices such as witchcraft and sorcery continue to threaten and entice the modern church. These days we see a proliferation of games, people, and books which claim the ability/instructions to conjure up the dead for various purposes. People have an innate desire to know more about the dead, such as what happens after we die, and other often selfish questions such as, “Where did Uncle Bob bury the gold?” It seems funny when in fact, it’s not. God strictly forbids the practice of and association with anyone who practices such abominations.
Modern day witchcraft and occultism is not limited to pagans. It’s not uncommon for girls and young women to get sucked into a culture of witchcraft because it the electrifies the senses and opens up mysteries they think will make them have power. They think, through the use of accessories such as Ouija boards, they can communicate with the dead. It’s just another of the devil’s tools to draw people away from the truth (light) and into lies (darkness). They’re not talking to a beloved departed family member or friend; they are consorting with the demons of hell.
As far as boys and young men, spiritism and satanism is a method used by the devil to infiltrate their minds with notions of power and control. Some of these groups have as symbols an inverted cross or a goat’s head in an upturned pentagram
The devil uses a little bit of truth (as revealed through demons) for his own manipulation and malice, and it’s foolish to think demons have our best interest in mind. This infiltration can even be used by popular “so-called” Christian authors.
Deuteronomy 18:10-13 says, “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.”
Approving of, advancing, associating with, or practicing any unholy practices is forbidden by God. As 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Engaging in such practices is like being eaten alive by the devil.
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