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1 Chronicles 10:13-Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.
Many in the religious world teach that it is acceptable for humans to pray to the dead saints. Our friends will argue that it is only asking the dead to pray to God for them, like asking your church family to pray for you. So, they claim that it is not a big deal.
But what does the Bible teach?
In the Bible, attempting to communicate with the dead is something called “necromancy.” Here is what the Law of Moses said about the subject:
Deuteronomy 18:10-12-There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.
God makes it clear from the beginning of the Bible to the end of it that prayer is only to be directed to the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Indeed, Paul himself sets us this example:
2 Corinthians 13:14-The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Writing on this passage, the famed Bible commentator Albert Barnes points out:
“In regard to this closing verse of the Epistle, we may make the following remarks: (1) It is a prayer; and if it is a prayer addressed to God, it is no less so to the Lord Jesus and to the Holy Spirit. If so, it is right to offer worship to the Lord Jesus and to the Holy Spirit.” (Albert Barnes, Barnes On The Whole Bible: Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Whole Bible, 15359 (Kindle Edition)
With that being said, consider what the Lord declared to the Jewish people in Isaiah’s day. Some of the people wanted to ask the spirits of the dead saints for aid.
Isaiah 8:19-20-And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
God corrects the people who sought help from the dead. Instead of communicating with the dead and seeking their intercession, the people should be speaking to the Lord! Indeed, their answers were to come from God’s Word: and if people did not speak according to that, it was because there was no light in them!
“19 , “seek out the fathers,” is a reference to the cult of the dead and the practice of receiving oracles from the spirits of those who had gone before. Spiritualist mediums flourished throughout the ancient Near East. (Cf. the experience of Saul with the medium from Endor in 1 Sam 28: 7–20.) , “diviners who chirp and mutter,” is a derisive reference to practices of necromancy such as were common in the area. Israel’s prophets were undoubtedly put on a level with Canaanite fortune-tellers by the unbelieving. , “the dead,” is again a reference to the cult of the dead. Ancient saints are sought out to help the living. The ancient Near East (including Israel) was as inclined to fortune-tellers as any other people and time. Mosaic legislation forbids such (Deut 18: 10–11).” (John D. W. Watts, Isaiah 1-33, Volume 24: Revised Edition (Word Biblical Commentary), 164 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan)
Sometimes it is claimed that these verses which condemn necromancy only do so in the context of pagan worship. However, that argument doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
“It is forbidden as witchcraft. The Old Testament condemns all attempts to communicate with the dead along with other condemnations of witchcraft (Deut. 18:10-12; cf. Lev. 20:6, 27; 1 Sam. 28:5-18; Isa. 8:19-20). Those who violated this command were to be put to death. In all of Scripture there is not a single divinely approved instance of a righteous person praying to a departed believer-not one. Indeed, Saul was condemned for his attempt to contact the dead Samuel (1 Sam. 28; cf. 15:23). Given the danger of deception and the lack of faith that the practice of necromancy and idolatry evidence, it is not difficult to understand God’s command. The Catholic response to the charge of necromancy rings hollow. First, it attempts to narrow the focus of the condemnation against contacting the dead (cf. Deut. 18:11) to the practice of divination (Lev. 19:26). But God forbids communication with the dead regardless of whether it is associated with occult practices. Deuteronomy separates “divination” from one “who consults the dead” and condemns both! Second, the contention that asking a deceased believer to intercede on our behalf is no different from asking a friend here on earth to pray for us is an unsubstantiated claim. There are substantial differences. For one thing, one is in heaven and the other is on earth. Also, there is a huge difference between asking an earthly friend to pray for us and praying to a dead friend! Finally, friends on earth are in the body and have senses by which they can get our message, friends in heaven do not: they do not have a physical body (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; Rev. 6:9).” (Norman L. Geisler, Ralph E. MacKenzie, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences, 4345-4355 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books)
Our religious friends and neighbors who pray to the dead are doing something which in the Bible is condemned as a very serious sin. The saved dead are praying to God (Revelation 6:9-11), and we should follow their example!
One former Roman Catholic nun who became a member of the church of Christ describes her Bible studies with her dear mother.
“Once I devoted myself to the study of God’s Word, the scales of tradition that blurred my sight fell away. I then began to see God’s glory, to know His wisdom, and to feel the refreshment and assurance this knowledge brings. I shared the teachings from God’s Word with my dear mother. She could see how much obedience to the Scriptures had changed my life. My mother has always been a deeply religious woman with a receptive heart. From childhood, she had been taught in the Russian Orthodox faith to form a strong religious bond with the Virgin Mary. This bond increased in strength when she became a Roman Catholic upon her marriage to my father. Consequently, her loyalty to Mary took on an urgency that overshadowed the need she felt for baptism. One day she said to me, “Joanne, I know I need to be baptized, but I can’t give up Mary! She has helped the entire family in our times of deepest needs.” Her devotion to Mary had become so intense, that it superseded her devotion to Jesus’ command to put Him on in baptism. We continued to study the Bible together out of devotion to God. Our souls were riveted to understanding the powerful messages of God’s Word. Finally, God helped my mother realize that she was wrong to pray to or through Mary rather than her Son. Before making her final confession before the congregation of believers, she wrote these words: My deep faith in God and Jesus compelled me to be properly baptized. Because I was a Roman Catholic, it was a difficult decision for me. I always called upon Mary, the mother of Jesus, to help me in raising my children. The decision was: either to continue viewing Mary as my intercessor, or to be baptized into Christ. For several years I longed to be baptized. I have read the Bible many times, but my love for Mary was so great. Although, Joanne kept reminding me, it was Jesus who heard my requests. When I heard, “Do you realize you are insulting Mary by going to her instead of her Son?”—that finally did it. 18”. (Joanne Howe, From Nun to Priest, 1218-1233 (Kindle Edition): Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate Company)
Lord, thank You that we can approach You in prayer. Thank You for being our great High Priest and Mediator, and for every blessing. Amen.