1 Samuel 9 · a question people ask
Were Saul and his servant going to a fortune-teller?
The chapter calls it something else. The servant speaks of "a man of God" whose words come true: "All that he says surely happens" (9:6). The book's own note calls such a visit going "to inquire of God" (9:9), and says the seer was what "is now called a prophet" (9:9). The man turns out to be Samuel (9:14), of whom the book has already said that the LORD "let none of his words fall to the ground" (3:19) and that he "was established to be a prophet of the LORD" (3:20). The Law forbade "one who tells fortunes" (Deuteronomy 18:10). Moses told Israel that the nations they would dispossess listened to diviners, "but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you so to do" (Deuteronomy 18:14), and went on: "The LORD your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him" (Deuteronomy 18:15). The servant offered a quarter shekel (9:8); the chapter doesn't say whether it was ever given.
The verses
“The servant said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor. All that he says surely happens. Now let’s go there. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.””
“The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.” (In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come! Let’s go to the seer;” for he who is now called a prophet was before called a seer.)”
“They went up to the city. As they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them to go up to the high place.”
“Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.”