In chapter 28 Saul resorts to spiritism. He had departed from the Lord and therefore had no divine guidance. Saul's only recourse was to visit a witch, and this was prohibited by the Law. It is alarming to what ends a man will go when he has turned his back on the Lord.
This was not a case of a medium communicating with the spirit of a deceased person. It was God actually calling back Samuel in spirit form to pronounce impending doom upon Saul.
It is unbelievable that King Saul, a man chosen by God, could ever participate in so wicked a deed; yet the record is there. He walked in darkness, not in light; he disguised himself (yet was actually revealing his true character); he allowed a woman to break the Law; he brought shame and defeat upon his nation, his army, his family, and himself.
David's sojourn in enemy territory forced him to lie to the king and when the Philistines did gather, David was almost forced to fight against his own people. When we lean on the wisdom of the flesh, we always end up in trouble. It was only the grace of God that kept David from having to reveal his true colors and slay his own people.
