Take care you do not forget Yahweh your God, neglecting his commandments and customs and laws which I lay on you today. When you come into the land Yahweh your God gives you, you must not fall into the habit of imitating the detestable practices of the natives. There must never be anyone among you who makes his son or daughter pass through fire, who practices divination, who is sootsayer, augur or sorcerer, who uses charms, consults ghosts or spirits, or calls up the dead. For the man who does these things is detestable to Yahweh your God; it is because of these detestable practices that Yahweh your God is driving these nations before you.
You must be entirely faithful to Yahweh your God. For these nations whom you are dispossessing may listen to soothsayers and diviners but this is not the gift that Yahweh your God gives to you: Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself, from among yourselves, from your own brothers; to him you must listen. - Deut. 8:11, 18:9-15 -
The Book of Deuteronomy 18:10-11 mentions the following specific occult practices which were forbidden by God.
Offering or Passing a Son or Daughter Through Fire. - This phrase refers to the practice of child sacrifice. This seems incredible to us today but the very fact that it was outlawed by God indicates, it is indeed of the practices of the evil one. In the Old Testament, king Ahaz sacrificed his son in this way. No doubt he thought that such a sacrifice would appease some pagan god. - 2Kings 16:3 - 2Kings 23:10 reveals that it was mainly the pagan god Molech who required this awful sacrifice. But other false gods apparently also demanded it. - 2Kings 17:31; Jer. 19:5 -
Witchcraft or Necromancer. - The practice of witchcraft or divination was a means for extracting information or guidance from a pagan god. The word describes the activity of Balaam the soothsayer or professional and false prophets who was hired to curse and do harm. It also describes the woman at En-Dor who brought up the spirit of prophet Samuel. All the true prophets or God's prophets condemned divination. - Num. 22:7-8, 23:23; Josh. 13:22; Isaiah 44:25, 47:9-12; Jer. 27:9, 29:8; Ezek. 13:9 -
The places where information is given on the actual means people used in divination is in Genesis 44:5-7 and Ezekiel 21:22-23. In the case of Joseph's divining cup, the diviner apparently interpreted the shape of a puddle of oil floating on the water in the cup. Ezekiel chapter 21 describes the king of Babylon as he tried to decide which way to approach Jerusalem. It portrays him as throwing down a handful of arrows, hoping that a certain one will point to a route which he believes is the will of his god. It also records that 'he consults the images, he looks at the liver'. Reading and interpreting the livers of sacrificial animals was another form of determining the will of the gods. All these forms of superstition, of course, were forbidden by God.
Soothsaying. - Soothsaying is a relatively rare word in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible which describes some form of divination. Because it sounds like a Hebrew word for cloud, it refers to cloud reading. This may have been similar to Astrology or Tea Leaf reading which is a reading of the stars. Wicked and evil kings guilty of this sin. The true prophets or God's prophets condemned this occult practice. God forbids the practice. - Deut. 18:10-14; Lev. 19:26; 2Kings 21:6; 2Chr. 33:6; Is. 2:6, 57:3; Jer. 27:9; Mic. 5:12 -
Interpreting Omens. - Behind this phrase, also rendered as enchantments. The most common occurs in Genesis 30:27, in reference to Laban's 'experience' in Gen. 44:5-15, referring to Joseph's cup and in Numbers 23:23, 24:1, describing Balaam activity. Leviticus 19:21; Deut. 18:10 specifically outlawed this practice as well. Another of the words used for practice seems to mean 'whisper' and it may indicate the way the enchanter lowered his voice. In Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, 10:10-12, interpreting omens is connected with Snake Charming. - Psalms 58:3-5 -
Sorcery. - Sorcery is forbidden by God or in the law of Moses. Sorcery was apparently practiced by the worst of the kings of Israel and Judah but it was denounced by the true prophets or God's prophets. "You shall not allow a sorceress to live". Anyone who has intercourse with an animal must die". "Anyone who sacrifices to other gods shall come under the ban". - Ex. 22:17-20 - Deut. 18:10-12; 2Kings 9:22 - 2Chr. 33:6 -
Conjuring Spells. - This phrase, also translated as charm, appears in Deut. 18:11; Is. 47:9-12 and sometimes it is rendered as enchantments. A different Hebrew word lies behind this translation in Book of Isaiah because it is related to a word for bind, it may mean casting a spell [Spell-Binding] It has to do with tying a magic knot.
See! Yahweh, riding a swift cloud,
comes to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
and the hearts of the Egyptians sink within them.
I will stir up the Egyptians against each other
and they shall fight every man against his brother,
friend against friend, city against city,
kingdom against kingdom.
Egypt is going to be demoralised,
for I shall confound all their wits.
They will consult idols and wizards,
necromancers and sorcerers.
I mean to hand the Egyptians over
to a hard master;
a cruel king will rule them.
It is Yahweh Sabaoth who speaks. - Is. 19;1-4 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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