Satan Revels in Delivering Bad News
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Completely taken in by the false Samuel, Saul immediately got to the point of his visit. “I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do” (1 Samuel 28:15).
“The devil took this opportunity to taunt Saul with the irony of his fate. The very man who had once persecuted the exponents of this black art was now on his knees before that power, pleading for help.” “Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?” (v. 16).
Satan taunted Saul further with words purporting to be from Samuel: “And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyest not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day” (vv. 17, 18). Saul was well aware the kingdom had been given to David.
“Satan, by his bewitching power, had led Saul to justify himself in defiance of Samuel’s reproofs and warning. But now, in his extremity, he turned upon him, presenting the enormity of his sin and the hopelessness of pardon, that he might goad him to desperation.” Satan had worse news and reveled in it. “Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines” (v. 19).
“Saul had placed himself fully in the power of Satan; and now he whose only delight is in causing misery and destruction, made the most of his advantage, to work the ruin of the unhappy king.” God is not the enemy of humankind (v. 16)! Yet Satan paints Him as a heartless tyrant.
