I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Samuel 28-31.

    The story about Saul and the witch of Endor (there were no Ewoks at this Endor) has a few things which should serve as warnings to us about the difference between being religious and being righteous. When Saul failed to receive any guidance from God for the upcoming battle, he became desperate and sought out a medium, someone who claimed to speak with the dead. Saul had trouble finding one because he was a religious leader. He had banned, on pain of death, all mediums and who consulted with the spirits of the dead. He had done this because it was called for in the Book of the Law. A righteous leader might have done the same, but a righteous leader would not have sought out a medium, no matter how dire the straits.

    David’s approach to this same battle reflects a different attitude (this comparison is not quite fair because at this point David was a man in his prime while Saul was an old man). From David’s actions on the occasions when he had the opportunity to kill Saul and from his actions when he went on raids at the end of the last chapter (he attacked non-Israelite towns, but told Achish that he had attacked towns of Judah) I find it unlikely that David wanted to fight with the Philistines against the Israelites. Nevertheless, David expressed a willingness to fight with the Philistines. David had confidence that God would provide him a way out.