Halloween -- Are the ‘dead’ really gone? 

There is a story in I Samuel chapter 28 about King Saul going to the "witch of Endor" so that he could get help from the old dead prophet, Samuel.

This would make a great Saturday Night Live skit. The story starts off saying that the old man Samuel was dead and the entire country was really missing him; Saul had kicked out of the country all the witches, palm-readers and fortune-tellers; the arch enemy -- the Philistines, had come across the border real-bold-like and casually set up a huge camp just outside of town where Saul and everyone else could see them, and Saul was so scared -- he was beside himself.

What to do, what to do, what to do??

Okay, it's time to get God to bail him out of this mess! So he starts looking for some kind of divine direction...

He tries finding some interpretation of his dreams -- that doesn't work.

He tries stuff like tossing coins, or drawing straws, or rock-scissors-paper -- that doesn't work.

He tries getting THE answer from a group of preachers -- that certainly doesn't work!

He finally says to the guys who are always surrounding him helping him with everything, "find me a witch."

They immediately say, "Oh, well, there's one over in Endor..."

Okay, is there anyone else in the country that didn't know about the witch over in Endor except King Saul?? Doesn't his mandates as king mean anything?? Does he just get up every day, declare mandates, and everyone just continue on as normal, ho-hum, yawn?  :)

It's almost like the Monty Python skit where the crusaders come up to the castle walls, a guy hollers down from the top of the wall,

"What do you want?"

"We are searching for the Holy Grail."

"No thanks, we've already got one."

Another lesson to be learned from Saul's situation here, for those who are 'into' the latest 'management style' type thing -- just because you are their leader doesn't mean anyone is following.

Okay, back to the story...they put on costumes and go see the witch at Endor. It's kind of like the opposite of Halloween...

The witch calls up Samuel from the dead. Samuel is grouchy, to say the least. It's a 'whaddayawant?' kind of thing. Saul is desperate, 'You have to help me!!' type desperate.

Samuel basically says 'you've made a fine mess for yourself Saulie and you are going to get yours! Tomorrow you and your sons will be here with me.'

And so it was.

So, what's to be learned from this Bible story?

   1) Kings don't live happily ever after

   2) Just because you think you are in charge doesn't mean you really are

   3) You can make whatever rules you want but it doesn't mean that God or anyone else is impressed

   4) If you are in a mess now, dying may not be good news

   5) Even though people die, they aren't 'gone.'