Deuteronomy 13 The Message
13 1-4 When a prophet or visionary gets up in your community and gives out a miracle-sign or wonder, and the miracle-sign or wonder that he gave out happens and he says, “Let’s follow other gods” (these are gods you know nothing about), “let’s worship them,” don’t pay any attention to what that prophet or visionary says. God, your God, is testing you to find out if you totally love him with everything you have in you. You are to follow only God, your God, hold him in deep reverence, keep his commandments, listen obediently to what he says, serve him—hold on to him for dear life!
5 And that prophet or visionary must be put to death. He has urged mutiny against God, your God, who rescued you from Egypt, who redeemed you from a world of slavery and put you on the road on which God, your God, has commanded you to walk. Purge the evil from your company.
People have always been fascinated by prophets and prophecy. After all, if someone can foretell the future, you might be able to make all kinds of good decisions. Of course, you might also become discouraged if your future isn’t so bright. But there are all kinds of prophets. Some prophets are sent by God; however, others are not. Here God tells His people that anybody who tries to lead them away from Him must be destroyed immediately.
But what if a prophet can do miracles? Spoiler alert: Satan and his followers can do some kinds of miracles. Remember the story of Moses and Aaron before Pharoah? Pharaoh’s magicians could copy some of the early miracles that Moses did, causing Pharaoh to believe that Moses was nothing special. It was not until the later miracles that the magicians shrugged their shoulders and said, “Sorry, boss! No can do!” (The magicians could produce frogs, but when it came to gnats, they were stymied.) Today, thanks to the miracles of satellite TV and the internet, we can see all kinds of “miracles;” however, how many of these things are real? And now thanks to AI, people can create videos of all kinds. Video evidence used to be trustworthy; now it’s not. Seeing is no longer believing, but God’s truth remains. If you encounter anything or anybody attempting to draw you away from God, have nothing to do with them.
6-10 And when your brother or son or daughter, or even your dear wife or lifelong friend, comes to you in secret and whispers, “Let’s go and worship some other gods” (gods that you know nothing about, neither you nor your ancestors, the gods of the peoples around you near and far, from one end of the Earth to the other), don’t go along with him; shut your ears. Don’t feel sorry for him and don’t make excuses for him. Kill him. That’s right, kill him. You throw the first stone. Take action at once and swiftly with everybody in the community getting in on it at the end. Stone him with stones so that he dies. He tried to turn you traitor against God, your God, the one who got you out of Egypt and the world of slavery.
11 Every man, woman, and child in Israel will hear what’s been done and be in awe. No one will dare to do an evil thing like this again.
12-17 When word comes in from one of your cities that God, your God, is giving you to live in, reporting that evil men have gotten together with some of the citizens of the city and have broken away, saying, “Let’s go and worship other gods” (gods you know nothing about), then you must conduct a careful examination. Ask questions, investigate. If it turns out that the report is true and this abomination did in fact take place in your community, you must execute the citizens of that town. Kill them, setting that city apart for holy destruction: the city and everything in it including its animals. Gather the plunder in the middle of the town square and burn it all—town and plunder together up in smoke, a holy sacrifice to God, your God. Leave it there, ashes and ruins. Don’t build on that site again. And don’t let any of the plunder devoted to holy destruction stick to your fingers. Get rid of it so that God may turn from anger to compassion, generously making you prosper, just as he promised your ancestors.
18 Yes. Obediently listen to God, your God. Keep all his commands that I am giving you today. Do the right thing in the eyes of God, your God.
WOW! Once more we realize that God is NOT simply a nice old guy up in the sky who grants wishes! Look at these orders: if a prophet tries to entice you to worship idols, stone him. “And when your brother or son or daughter, or even your dear wife or lifelong friend, comes to you in secret and whispers, “Let’s go and worship some other gods” (gods that you know nothing about, neither you nor your ancestors, the gods of the peoples around you near and far, from one end of the Earth to the other), don’t go along with him; shut your ears. Don’t feel sorry for him and don’t make excuses for him. Kill him.”
And God’s orders become even more all-enveloping: When word comes in from one of your cities that God, your God, is giving you to live in, reporting that evil men have gotten together with some of the citizens of the city and have broken away, saying, “Let’s go and worship other gods” (gods you know nothing about), then you must conduct a careful examination. Ask questions, investigate. If it turns out that the report is true and this abomination did in fact take place in your community, you must execute the citizens of that town.
God even demands that everything having to do with an idolatrous town should be completely destroyed, including the plunder, and that the site should never be built on again. Why? Demon worship summons demons and the demons attach themselves to that plunder and to the geographic site. Anybody foolish enough to collect plunder is automatically collecting demons. Remember a guy named Achan? When Joshua and the Israelites attacked Jericho, the Israelites were ordered to destroy everything apart from the items of silver, gold, bronze, and iron. These items were to be sacred to the Lord. But Achan took some silver and gold and a gorgeous Babylonian cloak that should have been burned and hid them in his tent. Achan, his family, and even his animals paid for his sins with their lives. (The story is in Joshua 7.)
Then there’s the matter of rebuilding on a site previously devoted to demonic worship. Anyone building on that site is moving into a demonic stronghold and opening themselves up to demonic attack. When Jericho was destroyed, Joshua put a curse on the site, stating that anyone building there would have to sacrifice two of his sons to succeed. During the reign of wicked King Manasseh, Hiel of Bethel did rebuild Jericho at the cost of his eldest son and his youngest son. (Joshua 6:26, 1 Kings:16:34) (My question: did the boys simply die, or was Hiel so perverted that he sacrificed two of his sons while rebuilding Jericho?)
God wants his people to be holy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 tells us, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. “
God wants us to live holy lives, for when we do we will also take joy in Him as we serve Him and worship Him. Even when things become difficult, those who love God can laugh at difficulties for their security is in the Eternal Lord of the universe. May we all find our security in the One True Living God!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and leave anything demonic strictly alone. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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