I'm amazed at this verse. Earlier, in chapter 15, God was very clear with Saul through the prophet Samuel. He was clear that Saul was to kill all of the Amalekites. Instead, Saul kept the king alive (perhaps that is customary in warfare of the time?) and kept much of the good livestock, again despite God's clear message that he was not to do so.

Yet, now as he is going into battle, he seeks a word from the Lord. The rest of this chapter is telling that he even resorts to witchcraft in his desperation to hear from God. And when Samuel is summoned from the dead (a fact that should raise eyebrows... that God graciously allowed witchcraft to work), he simply repeats the prophesy from the end of chapter 15, saying that God is no longer speaking to Saul.

I am challenged by this. God takes his word very seriously.

Look at the three methods Saul used in the verse. Dreams, Urim, and Prophets. They ascend in order of objectivity. Dreams are very subjective and internal words from God. Urim is a roll of the dice that God sovereignly superintends. Prophecy is a direct, objective (outside of yourself) word from God.

Modern day equivalents might be Dreams, Impressions from the Holy Spirit (which may include extrabiblical New Testament prophecy, a point I don't wish to argue), and the Bible. The Bible has taken the place of capital P Prophecy, as it is the ultimate authority for the believer. The Holy Spirit has taken the place of the Urim, for the believer.

But how does this all relate to me? I, like Saul, have been wreckless with the word of God. I have read it, understood it, and failed to live up to it. Like Saul, I deserve to be cut off from God. But in Christ I have the perfect record of not only hearing from God, but obeying every word. Christ perfectly obeyed God. So now I, though I deserve everything that Saul got, I instead get everything that Christ deserves.

And I get to learn again the lesson that God takes his Word very seriously. Praise God for his mercy and grace toward sinners like me.

1 Samuel 28:6