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Deuteronomy 18 (ESV)

Abominable Practices

9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.

A New Prophet like Moses

15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

 

REFLECTION:

  • God clearly stated that the Israelites should worship only the one true God. He does not permit His people to consult those who try to discern and control the future by witchcraft and occult methods.  In fact, behind all these, is the trap that Satan set for Adam and Eve.  “The serpent told the Woman, ‘You won’t die. … You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ….’”(Gen 3:4-5, MSG)  Therefore, God does not want Israelites to have anything to do with these practices.
  • Then, God promised to provide a prophet like Moses to teach them. It refers to the long line of Old Testament prophets whom God used to speak to Israel (e.g., Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel).  The New Testament points directly to Jesus as that prophet (Acts 3:22-23).  Through Jesus, God speaks to us in a way that surpasses the Old Testament prophets, even Moses. (Heb 1:1-2, ch 3).
  • People today are still attracted by astrology, palm reading, etc. and still try to know and control the future. Satan continually tries to tempt and confuse believers by providing untruthful and twisted messages through all kinds of methods.  We, who have believed in Jesus, understand that the Bible is God’s Word.  Through the wisdom and revelation by the Holy Spirit, and the support and fellowship of fellow believers, we are able to understand and live out God’s will for us now and for the future.

 

PRAYER: 

Father in Heaven, You are a God who desires to reveal Yourself to people! Please give me a humble heart and a quiet spirit, so that I can hear Your still small voice, see Your works, and not forget Your grace. Please give me wisdom, so that I can discern the devil’s schemes and not fall into his traps. I know that the devil uses seemingly plausible arguments to deceive people, causing them to follow their own pride and desires, ultimately leading them to be bound by sin and unable to free themselves. I know that the ideas of divination, fortune-telling, and astrology may sometimes seem accurate and reasonable, but they are all just tricks of the devil to tempt and deceive people. They are all false and baseless lies. Father in Heaven, I want to listen to Your teachings every day, and lay down all my doubts, fears, and anxieties, trusting in You alone. Please be with me, so that I can resist the schemes of the wicked, not follow the path of sinners, or sit in the company of mockers. May I delight in Your law, meditate on it day and night, like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. May everything I do prosper. Amen!

 

HYMN:

Way Maker – youtu.be/pChRU2gUz-E