En Dor

King Saul, the first king of Israel, has lost God’s blessings through his own wrong decision. He knows that his end is coming soon. When he goes to war against the Philistines, he is overcome by great fear. Of all things, he places his hope on a meeting with a necromancer in Ein Dor—against whose profession he previously took vehement action. He urges her to call up the late prophet Samuel from the dead who tells Saul that he will die the next day in battle. And that’s exactly what happens.

Ruins of this old village, which later became a small Arab settlement, are preserved to this day. A little more than a mile to the west, a Kibbutz by the name of Ein Dor was founded in 1941.

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 28:5-7,16-19
When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He enquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go and enquire of her.’ ‘There is one in Endor,’ they said.

Reflection: Our life consists of uncountable big and small decisions we make. Sometimes they have small effects, sometimes big effects. If you want, ask Gott for wisdom for the decision you are faced with right now, and thank him for his faithfulness in being with you in your life.