Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac-Saxxon
Ghost Hunters Lullaby Lane Part 3 Reveal
Witch of Endor
The Witch of Endor: from the frontispiece to Sadducismus Triumphatus by Joseph GlanvillIn the Hebrew Bible, the Witch of Endor of the First book of Samuel, chapter 28:4–25, was a witch, a woman "who possesses a talisman", through which she called up the ghost of the recently deceased prophet Samuel, at the demand of King Saul of Israel. After Samuel's death and burial with due mourning ceremonies in Ramah, Saul had driven all necromancers and magicians from Israel. Then, in a bitter irony, Saul sought out the witch, anonymously and in disguise, only after he received no answer from God from dreams, prophets or the Urim and Thummim as to his best course of action against the assembled forces of the Philistines. The prophet's ghost offered no advice but predicted Saul's downfall as king; Saul calmly accepted his doom and fell in battle the next day.
Saul sinned further in consulting this woman; the practice of necromancy was forbidden by the Torah.
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I know the story. I find this interesting because people often distort this story to mean that seeking out a prophet or fortuneteller will automatically bring bad fortune.
I do not believe asking for the advice from the wise or perceptive is, in any way, a sin. If it were, we'd all be in trouble. However, I do believe it is unnecessary. People have control of their own destiny. Neither the ghost nor the necromancer can change that. People tend to look above for their answers and they do not find them because they don't realize that the answers aren't above. They are right here, in our own minds, our own hands, and our own will.
That is the story that Saul was teaching us. He relinquished his destiny to fate because he believed he was no longer in control. He could have changed his destiny too, whether he had went to see the witch or not. If he had found the will to raise his own sword, he may not have fallen.