Replies to post #5137 on Bible (Bible)

[ricktabob]

1OFHIS

Thanks. I think your clarification that God does not give a free pass to sin is a better way of describing it than God does not make an exception to his commandments. That helps.

I thought I must have walked in in the middle of a different conversation, so i appreciate the review and the opportunity to clear my reputation - LOL. It's not always easy to track it back to the start, but i'll try to be more thorough next time.

No, I do not support Imorovan's proposal that God made an exception in the story of Saul going to the woman with a familiar spirit. In my post 4995 I point out that the text has enough reference to the woman calling up an "elohim" that it is not far-fetched to believe that a demonic spirit was called up and neither Samuel himself nor Samuel's spirit was involved in the conversation at all. The demonic spirit, imitating Samuel, made the prediction. Therefore, God doesn't have to make an exception to anything. And yes, I acknowledge that the wording seems to make it the actual Samuel, but the description of the event does not. Both elements are in the same text. Since the wording leaves me with so many questions, and the description with so few, I lean toward the description as being correct.

I don't give much credence to the idea that because the prediction of death came true it means that it was a revelation from God. The story begins with the information that God had stopped talking to Saul, and since a true prophet can only prophesy what he gets from God it would mean that if it was Samuel giving Saul a true prophecy then Saul had "tricked" God into breaking his silence by going to a medium. To me this is preposterous. Which is another reason I don't believe it was actually Samuel. I think there was enough information in the "public domain" of the day that the enemy could have put together a pretty good guess as to what would happen. In a sense, the demon may have believed God would do what he said more than Saul did. Or maybe the prophecy of death led to him dying out of fear. Don't know.

So regardless of whether you believe in the sleep of death or not, I don't think this story proves or disproves the idea one way or the other, although it is often used in that debate.

thanks again for the clarification
ricktabob