Today’s passage contains instructions that guided the Israelites in how they were to deal with people who advocated idolatry. The mindset that was demanded of them is very similar to the mindset demanded of us in the church age.
The 12th chapter of Deuteronomy is part of a long exhortation which Moses delivered to the Israelites on the east bank of the Jordan River. Yesterday, we read some instructions regarding the place where Israel was required to bring their sacrifices and offerings. Some Israelites were destined to live far away from the tabernacle. However, they were still required to bring certain offerings to the altar of Yahweh.
Deut. 12:29 ¶ “When Yahweh your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and inhabit their land,
Deut. 12:30 beware lest you be ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and lest you inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’
Notice the word “beware”. This verse was a warning. Moses and Yahweh knew the Israelites would be tempted to serve false gods, so they warned Israel to be on guard against that.
Deut. 12:31 You shall not do thus toward Yahweh your God, for every abominable act which Yahweh hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
Look at the word “abominable”. The Canaanites did many abominable things. Offering children as sacrifices was one of them.
Don’t miss the word “hate”. Yahweh hated the practices of the Canaanites.
Here is something to ponder. Is abortion an act of sacrifice? Is abortion equivalent to burning children in the fire? The Canaanites proved their loyalty to their gods by offering their own children. What ideology are the proponents of abortion serving when they promote abortion?
Deut. 12:32 ¶ “Whatever I am commanding you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.
Take note of the last phrase of this verse: “you shall not add to nor take away from it”. Yahweh gave Israel a body of laws. They were not to ignore any of His commands. Nor were they to add any commands.
We see this warning elsewhere in Scripture. Proverbs 30:6 says, “Do not add to His words, Lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.” The Apostle John warned everyone not to add to or take away from the words of his book (see Revelation 22:18-19).
Humans have a tendency to do this very thing. Jesus criticized the 1st century religious leaders because they taught man-made rules as if they were the doctrines of God; and they created traditions which they used to nullify some of God’s rules (see Mark 7:6-13).
Both of these are happening in 21st century Christianity. The Bible says do not get drunk, but it does not outright prohibit the consumption of alcohol; however, some Christians treat the consumption of any alcohol as a sin. Meanwhile, modern Christianity tosses aside the Biblical rules on divorce and remarriage, head coverings, and the role of women in church by claiming those commands were cultural and are no longer relevant. Nowhere does the Bible say those commands were cultural. In fact, some of those commands were given because of the order of creation.
Deut. 13:1 ¶ “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
Deut. 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us walk after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’
Performing signs was how prophets proved they were prophets.
Deut. 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you to find out if you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Take note of the word “test”. If a prophet successfully performed a sign, but then encouraged the Israelites to walk after other gods, the Israelites were not to follow the prophet even though the prophet had proven himself with a sign. When a prophet said something that contradicted Scripture, the Israelites were supposed to recognize that Yahweh was testing the Israelites to see if they would follow Him fully and completely.
Perhaps we should apply this test today. From time to time, a person claims to be a prophet with a message from God, but then they teach something that is contrary to Scripture. If a person contradicts Scripture, we should follow Scripture, not the so-called prophet.
Deut. 13:4 You shall walk after Yahweh your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
Deut. 13:5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has counseled rebellion against Yahweh your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to drive you from the way in which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
Look at the last sentence of this verse “you shall purge the evil from among you.” There was to be zero tolerance for anyone who advocated rebellion against Yahweh.
We see something similar in the New Testament. Paul told the Corinthians not to associate with any so-called brother who was sexually immoral, greedy, idolatrous, reviling, a drunk, or a swindler (see 1 Corinthians 5:11). Then Paul wrote, “REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.” (1 Corinthians 5:13) Christians are to have zero tolerance for sin.
Deut. 13:6 ¶ “If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known,
Deut. 13:7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end),
Deut. 13:8 you shall not be willing to accept him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him; and you shall not spare him or conceal him.
Take note of the words “not pity”. Even if their wife, children, or best friend counseled idolatry, they were to take action.
Deut. 13:9 But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
Look at the word “kill”. The punishment for idolatry was supposed to be harsh and final.
Deut. 13:10 So you shall stone him to death because he has sought to drive you from Yahweh your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Deut. 13:11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid and will never again do such an evil thing among you.
Don’t overlook the word “fear”. The purpose of the harsh punishment was to create fear so that other Israelites would not do the same thing.
This is also a concept we see in the New Testament. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, reprove in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful.” (1 Timothy 5:19-20) The last word is “fearful”. When an elder sins, it is an occasion to generate fear so that others do not commit the same sin.
Deut. 13:12 ¶ “If you hear in one of your cities, which Yahweh your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that
Deut. 13:13 some vile men have gone out from among you and have driven the inhabitants of their city astray, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),
Deut. 13:14 then you shall inquire and search out and ask thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the matter is confirmed, that this abomination has been done among you,
Deut. 13:15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, devoting it to destruction and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.
Deut. 13:16 Then you shall gather all its spoil into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh your God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt.
The prevalent mindset today is tolerance. Many Christians want to be lenient regarding sin. Furthermore, we tend to add to God’s laws and ignore the laws of God we don’t like.
Just as the Israelites were not to add to nor take away from God’s laws, so too we should obey every one of God’s commands and not create man-made rules and pretend they are God’s rules. Furthermore, just as God told the Israelites to purge evil, so too Christians must remove the wicked from our midst.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”