Today’s Scripture passage is one that you aren’t likely to find preached much upon in too many churches today. It concerns activities involved with the occult. It’s a topic that many preachers shy away from. Perhaps they feel that the activities mentioned in the beginning of the passage are just harmless pastimes, and as such, people have the right to do as they choose. However, as we read these admonitions from God’s Word, we see that He is serious about the wickedness of such practices. Let’s study what the Lord has to say to us today.
Moses and the people of Israel were encamped just on the east side of the River Jordan, ready to pass over and enter into the Promised Land. The Book of Deuteronomy contains a rehearsal of the laws and words that God had given the people earlier, along with the final words that Moses gave the people before they entered the land and he passed away. Among these instructions were admonitions against following the pagan and wicked practices of the people who currently inhabited the land. They were not to worship their pagan gods or indulge in any of their evil behavior. Yahweh warns the people through His servant Moses to not get involved in or practice any of the occult practices of the people.
The first practice that is mentioned was sacrificing one’s child to the pagan gods as a burnt sacrifice (vs. 10). The pagan people would occasionally sacrifice one of their children to gain their god’s favor, particularly prior to a war, or when there was famine or drought. That’s not one that is generally practiced today. Notice, though, human sacrifice, as abhorrent as we believe it to be, is classified right in there with all of these other occult practices. In God’s eyes they are all equally detestable to Him.
After mentioning the pagan practice of sacrificing children to pagan gods, Moses goes on to mention several occult practices, most of these many people today occasionally or often get involved in, including sometimes Christians. These include witchcraft and sorcery, soothsaying, interpreting omens, casting spells, visiting a medium who calls up the dead, and spiritism. Soothsaying would be all practices that involve trying to predict or read the future. This would include things like reading horoscopes, palm reading, having one’s star charts drawn up, and reading Tarot cards. Spiritism includes practices involved with speaking with “other-worldly spirits”, which in actuality are evil spirits or demons. One common practice of this is through the Ouija board. Other ways can be with mind-altering drugs.
Many people today, including some Christians, say that these practices are generally just harmless fun. What could possibly be harmful about reading one’s horoscope? They say that the Ouija board or Tarot cards are just a game. And when a grieving husband or wife tries to contact their dead spouse, or parent their dead child, some people might argue, saying that is just a comfort to them as they mourn. Satan is behind everything involved with the occult. God forbids His children from having anything to do with it. They are not just harmless games. When we crack the door open just a tiny bit for Satan, like with a little “game” on the Ouija board or checking our star charts, he will slam the whole door down and off its hinges! Such practices grant him ground in our life, and he will come into our life, taking up more and more ground. Is that something a Christian should do? Not at all! Satan is still dangerous.
People today wish to know and control the future. God tells us all that we need to know about what is going to happen through His Word, the Bible. The will of God is found through His Word, not through any horoscopes, fortune tellers, Ouija boards, or contacting the dead. Moses ends this passage with a prediction of the coming Messiah, and how He will bring God’s Word to His people (vs. 15-18). It is to Him that we need to turn to, not evil spirits conjured up by sorcerers and mediums. Jesus is the Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5), not Tarot cards or palm readers.
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