FEAR NOT -- 1 Samuel 28:13

"And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth."

BACKGROUND/COMMENTARY: From verses 3 to 14, we read of King Saul's visit to the witch of Endor because he wanted to speak with Samuel about the impending battle with the Philistines. In verse 12, the witch realized that it was King Saul in disguise who had come to ask for her help and she was afraid because witches were banned from the land. King Saul, desperate to find the answers he was looking for, assured her that she need not be afraid because of what she was being asked to do.
According to the Isidro Annotated Old Testament, "There are some well-meaning scholars who believe that the true and real Samuel appeared to Saul. They believe that God made a special exception to the clear prohibition in Deuteronomy 18:11. However, based on exegesis and theological considerations, it is the view of this annotation that the real Samuel did not appear. Instead, it was a demon imitation of the voice of Samuel which Saul heard. First, Saul did not see Samuel. Both sides of the debate agree that Saul really did not see the appearance of Samuel... Second, we also read that after Saul heard the description from the woman, “he stooped with [his] face to the ground, and bowed himself.” This further proves that Saul did not see the apparition because his face was towards the ground. He did not look up. Third, we also know that Saul was not in normal health at this time. We read the following words from 1 Samuel 28:20—Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night. With his physical condition, plus his fear of the forthcoming battle with the Philistines, Saul was very vulnerable to any form of deception. This, again, is another proof that the appearance was not real, but rather a deception. 
Additionally from the Isidro Annotated Old Testament:  "1 Chronicles 10:13-14 considers the event as a great sin on the part of Saul. Here is the passage:  So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]; And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. V. 14 is very emphatic that Saul did not inquire of the LORD. The Hebrew word translated “inquire” is darash which is in the perfect tense. The usage of the word means “to seek diligently.” Instead, Saul asked counsel from a medium. Therefore, it was not the real Samuel who appeared but an apparition of a demonic spirit. If the real Samuel had appeared, then God would have compromised His instruction never to seek guidance from the spirit world."

PERSONAL APPLICATION: I know this is a given, but it's good to be reminded again that, as children of God, we should never dabble with demonic spirits in any way, shape or form. This includes consulting one's horoscope, the reading of tarot cards, etc. Consulting with the witch of Endor which was expressly prohibited by God contributed to King Saul's death.

As for the "fear not," the witch did not need to fear what Saul would do to her, but Saul had PLENTY to fear because he disobeyed God's law...