God’s people did not always walk in God’s way. At times, the leaders of God’s people even consulted with mediums (1 Samuel 28:3-25). Here Isaiah notes the consequences of trying to consult the dead to find spiritual direction that only God can provide: “They will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom. . . .”

God’s words through Isaiah are clear: there is no peace for someone who seeks life among the dead. Isaiah declares that the contrast between seeking God and seeking the dead is as different as day and night. Rather poetically, the prophet writes, “They have no light of dawn.” In other words, seeking guidance from the dead is like walking into a never-ending night. You can’t find the light of day by turning to the night.

The allure of such things is that they promise to provide quick access to the spiritual realm and to spiritual power. But that runs contrary to God’s Word in the biblical story we remember during Advent. For instead of demanding that we find magical ways to access God, God has taken the initiative to seek us out. God came to us in Jesus Christ, so that through him we might have unhindered access to God himself.