The Witch of Endor

We know very little about this woman, who was actually a medium or one who was thought to have a familiar spirit. It was modern day man who dubbed her a witch. She was from a village called Endor which was on the north side of the Jezreel Valley, east of Nain on the right of the road to Tamra. It was a small village near where Saul resided.

At the time she appears in the scriptures, Saul was in big trouble. He had not been walking in God’s will. He was attempting to accomplish everything in his own strength and not obeying God. God had turned His back on him and he was getting desperate because the Philistine army was gathering to attack him. Ironically Saul asked his servants to find him a woman who was a medium. I say ironically because it had been Saul’s job to rid the land of those who practiced the occult. God had commanded that all mediums and spiritists (those who either could or claimed to be able to contact the dead and spirit beings) be cast out or killed. Saul had done a good job while he was still under the leadership of Samuel but Samuel had died and Saul hadn’t been doing so well since.

Saul commanded his servants to find him a woman medium; the servants told Saul that they knew of a woman in Endor who was known to be a medium. Knowing that what he was doing was wrong, Saul disguised himself and with two of his servants went to consult with this woman in the darkness of night.

When he arrived and made his request, the woman, not knowing at the time who she was talking to, tried to cover by saying that she couldn’t do what was asked (thinking a trap was being laid for her) because King Saul was trying to get rid of her kind. She even asked him if he was trying to get her killed but the stranger swore to her in God’s name no harm would come to her. She evidently knew of God. This must have satisfied her because she asked him who he wanted her to bring up. When he told her Samuel she called upon her familiar to bring Samuel and to her amazement and shock Samuel came up from the ground wearing a mantle identifying him as a prophet. The woman knowing how close Samuel and Saul had been became aware that the stranger was Saul. Unfortunately for Saul he didn’t hear what he wanted to hear. He had had many chances to repent of his sins and he hadn’t done so. Samuel told him that on the morrow that he and his sons would be killed in battle but worst of all that God had turned his back on him and left him to his own resources.

At this declaration Saul lost it. He had no more strength, he had not eaten all day or night, and he collapsed and fell to the ground. I believe that this is where we see what kind of woman this was. Seeing and hearing all that she had she could have used this information for political blackmail or she might have even laughed at the condition that Saul found himself in; however, she showed compassion and even went so far as to have Saul lie in her bed while she killed a fat calf and prepared a meal for him and his servants. It is even possible that this was the last meal that Saul had before his battle with the the Philistines. In that battle he asked his armor bearer to thrust him through with a sword but the armor bearer refused so Saul fell upon his own sword. When the Philistines found him the next day they cut off his head and fastened his body to the wall.

I believe that it is possible that this woman found herself in a situation that she did not have the willpower or the strength to overcome. Perhaps she had tried numerous times to get out of the business she was in but found that the addiction was just too great. The scriptures don’t give us enough information to know if she was really a medium with contact to a demon spirit or not; she may have just been someone who knew some tricks, enough to make a living as a medium evidenced by her shock when Samuel came out of the ground. She must have lived in fear that she would be found out and that she was risking her very life to continue this way. I believe we can see and understand this woman’s addiction in today’s world. We all struggle with the sins of this world and at times seem to be fighting a losing battle. We however, have a Savior in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and there isn’t any addiction or situation that we find ourselves in that He can’t fix if we truly turn our lives over to Him. If you, like her, know who God is then you should know it is He who can save you. It’s possible after seeing all that she saw she may have turned to God, this may have been part of the reason God brought Samuel back yet did not tell Saul anything more than what he had already told him before he died. I believe God had been preparing this woman’s heart for just this occasion and shows us God’s great love for each and every one of His creation.

Like the fictional story on Dorcas (Tabitha) we wrote about earlier we are putting together a fictional story about the “Witch of Endor” told “in her own words,” which is posted on our web-site for your reading pleasure.

Bob Goulding © October 2006

The Witch of Endor

Who can, from the grave, retrieve at the mighty king’s appeal?
From the depths of the underworld, the distant Sheol,
that ancient gulf for wandering souls who have passed and bide their time while awaiting the promise to
be fulfilled? “Bring forth my counselor and friend, for my enemies await my ruin and demise. My kingdom is lost.”

She of the sorcerer fame could only cry in vain, for such a feat
was not within her might. She lamented, “Tis a trick to bring me shame,
to cast me out & bring me down. No hangman’s noose do I desire!”
Then up from the dirt and rock came he of illustrious renown,
called forth from his rest for one last request.

“Comfort I sought, only to receive sorrowfulness and regret.
His words like a sharp sword cut me to the heart.”
“On the morrow I shall join my teacher of old but for the night I must rest.
Glory and honor shall not be mine.
Only the cold steel of my enemies shall I find.”

“Rest my king for night is nigh, and a feast I shall prepare for strength.
Tomorrow is now your only hope.” Her heavy heart cannot his sorrow ease.
There is no consoling his grief, for his distress is heartfelt and deep.
Her feast is prepared with loving hands and a mournful heart.
No sorcerer’s, meal but a meal fit for a king did she present.

The last meal before his descent.

This is our effort to expound on little known women of the Bible; each one was put in the Bible for a reason and like all of God’s word there is a lesson to be learned. We hope you take away from this and future stories something that will help you understand more about your Creator.

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