Deuteronomy 18:9 – 14 “When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, casts spells, consults a medium or familiar spirit, or inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.
You must be blameless before the LORD your God. Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.”
Reading the accounts of how the Israelites entered the Promised Land and considering how they had behaved beforehand, one might wonder if the Israelites were really any better than the people whom they were being called to annihilate. Here God describes some of the evil practices that have brought these people to the brink of extinction. But were these people always this evil? No. Remember that when God was conversing with Abraham in Genesis 15, God mentioned that “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Abraham was actually friends with some of the Amorites and had treaties with them. (Genesis 14)
When God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 15, God already knew that these tribes that were inhabiting Canaan were going to become progressively more evil. Here Moses describes many of the despicable practices of these tribes, warning the Israelites against them.
APPLICATION: What makes magic and witchcraft so attractive? The temptation presented by any form of magic is CONTROL! Control of people, of events, of circumstances, and of one’s own destiny. Unfortunately, magic sometimes works just enough to entice people further and further onto a path that leads to self – destruction. The horrific practice of sacrificing children to Molech has its roots in the belief that children are perfect and innocent and therefore worthy sacrifices. Unfortunately, today children are aborted with all kinds of reasons being given. The means may be different but one thing has not changed: the shedding of innocent blood brings curses on a land.
What about ouija boards, tarot cards, seances, and other forms of divination? Divination will work to the extent that demons will gladly give answers and impress and frighten as many people as possible. But these practices are extremely dangerous, as they can lead to demon possession, depression, despair, and spiritual and physical death. One thirteen year old girl in a Sunday School class described her horror when her friends at a slumber party decided to look in a mirror and call on “Mary Worth” to give them answers. This girl was wise enough to realize the danger of that practice, and we prayed for her, breaking off any and all curses she might have gotten from that experience.
What about consulting dead relatives or some other familiar spirits? Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” Certainly there have been recorded instances when loved ones who have died have appeared briefly to people. But the One from whom we should be seeking guidance is God and not a dead relative. Why should we think that people who have died will have any more knowledge than they did while they were alive?
1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry.” When we attempt to control anything by means of magic or divination, we are rebelling against God and setting ourselves up in place of God. God wants to be Number One in our lives, and there should be no compromising. Despite knowing this, many of us still try to manipulate and hedge our bets by indulging in occultic practices. Jesus told his disciples that it was impossible to serve two masters, and that is still true. Only service to the One True Living God brings eternal life. Anything else or anything less leads to spiritual death.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to worship only You and to completely reject any and all forms of magic and witchcraft. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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