A. We learn for ourselves a deeply solemn lesson from this chapter, beside the ways of God with His people Israel, instructive as they are. We find the closing days of one who had once maintained an outward form of piety, and had exhibited much apparent devotedness and zeal in the service of the Lord, but who never had faith. In Saul’s case we see how far flesh can go in an outwardly devoted pathway, yet, when the testing time comes, it proved that there never was any real link with God. His outward zeal had destroyed the witchcraft in Israel, when he was maintaining a religious character; but his conscience never was awakened — he had not faith. In his extremity in the face of the enemy he trembles, and inquires of the Lord, who did not reply to him by dreams, Urim, or prophets: and he has the solemn conviction forced upon him that the day of outward apparent serving of the Lord was gone. Like the sow that was washed, he has recourse to what he had once destroyed, and which even by natural conscience he knew was evil — to enchantments. Here God meets him, and exhibits a power that causes even the witch to quail — terrified by a power superior to the enchantments which she practiced. He finds now, when too late, that he had given himself up to Satan’s power, and made the Lord his enemy, who tells him his end. Like Judas — who had habitually yielded to temptation he finds now that the enemy cannot shield him from the judgment of God, whose grace he had traded upon so long.
Poor Saul! Poor Judas! how many a fair vessel, when the day of reckoning comes, will be found like you!