More then a ghost story

Read Deuteronomy 18:9-12; 1 Samuel 28; Ephesians 6:10-20; 1 Peter 5:8

It’s Halloween Week! Once again our materialistic culture has capitalized greatly on this holiday stripping the roots of the day from the festivities. Sure there are symbols and pictures of what founded this holiday, yet most have no real understanding of it’s beginnings. Most people you encounter, and maybe even yourself, consider Halloween a harmless and fun holiday. And much of our modern practices are.

However there are deeper things to consider. And since many of you are already in the mood for a good ghost story, I’d like to consider one from the Bible. Although I do not believe in ghosts as in what the TV shows, movies and folklore portray, there is a spiritual realities that are active all around us. It may surprise you to know that the Bible has many such stories that pull back the veil on the spiritual realm and let us catch a glimpse of what is happening.

Endor without the Ewoks

Growing up I used to watch the movie “The Battle for Endor” and it had to do with the fuzzy stuffed animal looking Ewoks from “Return of the Jedi.” As a child, I was more familiar with the planet Endor then I was from the witch of Endor. No, this witch had not developed inter planetary travel in Old Testament times either, sorry for my Sci-Fi humor.

The setting of this ghost story begins in Israel at the end of king Saul’s reign. Saul was the people’s choice for king, yet demonstrated insecurities and fears all through out his reign. Saul would seek to obey God, but never followed through completely. He had often times taken things into his own hands and did things his own way, directly disobeying God. One such matter was how he had ordered to have the witches, mediums and sorcerers killed in compliance with God’s commands. Yet he never completed the task. His disobedience led to the prophecy that his kingdom would be removed from him and given to another.

King Saul was facing what was to be his final battle. He was scared. His friend, the prophet Samuel, had already died and was not there to give counsel. He sought the voice of God in the proper manner, but God was silent. Fearful Saul sought the witch of Endor to speak to Samuel’s ghost.

Now she was a medium, one who conjures up the dead…or what appears to be the dead. Good Biblical theology would understand what a medium is as one who speaks to demons pretending to be the dead person. Demons are created spiritual beings, or fallen angels. They are powerful and know a lot about humanity. Sorcerers, witches and mediums would have a familiar spirit, a demon, that they would draw power from or speak to.

When Samuel’s ghost appears, we see something peculiar when the witch is frightened!  This is what she does, but she is the one who is scared. Why? I think she saw a ghost! Literally! I think it is because she was used to a demonic presence acting like the dead, but this time God allowed Samuel’s ghost to appear and it freaked her out!

Samuel’s message to Saul was not good. Saul continued in his rebellion only to hear that God’s mind has been made up and he would lose his kingdom, his life and the lives of his sons.

From Endor to Akron

Stories like this in the Bible help us see that there is a spiritual reality that we often times overlook. We might think of witches and mediums as people from the fantasy stories, or some obscure cave in Old Testament Israel. Yet it is as real today as it was for king Saul. Today we call these activities the Occult and it involves astrology, witchcraft, mediums, séances, Ouija boards, horoscopes, palm-reading, psychic hotlines, etc.

Many of these things are made light of in movies and costumes. Yet they have influence and power over people because they are demonic. God forbids us to have anything to do with these things, but instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

We are in a battle every day and we often don’t think about it. It’s a spiritual battle, but a very real battle indeed. Like Saul, we are tempted to rebel and to turn to our own devices, which will lead us down a similar road as him. The apostle Paul tells us that God has given us spiritual armor to help us fight this battle. Peter tells us to be watchful because our enemy is seeking to destroy us.

Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil, why would we want anything to do with it? Instead of focusing on death and evil this Halloween, why not look to Jesus? Marvel at what He has accomplished and how He has overcome death and the devil! I recommend this article “When Jesus Haunts Your Halloween” to help reflect on Jesus this week.