Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that the two passages might be harmonized by concluding that Saul DID inquire of the LORD, but consulted the medium when the lack of an immediate response from God (coupled with Saul's apparent lack of faith) did not meet Saul's expectation of how or when God should act. Saul was unwilling to wait upon God's timing.

This would be consistent with Saul's earlier impatience with Samuel's delay in arriving (as described in 1 Samuel 13), leading Saul to offer sacrifices himself, which only Samuel was authorized to do, and which led to Samuel first informing Saul that God intended to take the kingdom away from him..

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Reddit User Supporter Let the corpus of my replies speak for my beliefs

Did Saul inquire of the Lord? I'm going to go with, yes, but also no.

For the yes portion of the answer, did he ask of G-d questions? Yes, that he did. But he did not receive an answer.

1 Samuel 28:6 states, "And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets."

Did Saul inquire? Yes, but his questions weren't the right questions, and his heart continued with "business as usual". He was ignoring the giant elephant in the room, as people say.

Saul, what became of your kingdom and kingship? 1 Samuel 15:9-34 describes a dead man, walking. Had Saul truly relented and given over kingship to his neighbor who was "better than he," things could have gone differently for Saul. But Saul neither abdicated nor fully took to heart the gravity of his sin.

Leviticus 10:3 states, "Then Moses said unto Aaron, 'This is it that the LORD spake, saying, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified."' And Aaron held his peace."

The king was supposed to write out the Torah of G-d so that his heart would not be lifted up and cause him to stray from the command of his G-d. Saul no longer had G-d as his G-d, and in his words in 1 Samuel 15, he describes G-d as Samuel's G-d.

Vs 15 Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we devoted to destruction.”

And in vs 22 Samuel describes his G-d to Saul, saying obedience is paramount. 

This is where those who have G-d's name on their lips, but their hearts are far from Him will hear, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity or lawlessness, truly I never knew you." Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 7:21-23

It's not that G-d doesn't know Saul, or any of us and our wicked heart; He knows all those very well. It is that we don't try to truly know Him. He outright states, "I will be found of those who diligently seek Me with all their heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) As well as, a humble and contrite heart G-d will not despise, Psalm 51:17.

Jeremiah 32 describes a similar trajectory as what Saul's life could have looked like. Jeremiah was instructed to tell the people that since they sinned in such a great way, punishment would certainly fall upon them. 

In the end though, G-d brought them back. If we suffer G-d's punishment willingly, and seek Him still, will we not be forgiven? 

Ezekiel 18:20d - 28 
The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.
21 But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. Because of the righteousness he has practiced, he will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live? 24 But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die. 26 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, he will die for this. He will die because of the iniquity he has committed.

27 But if a wicked man turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned from all the transgressions he had committed, he will surely live; he will not die. 

Lastly, Hebrews 12:15 warns us:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Once saved, always saved is not a thing.

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