Deuteronomy 18:6-16: a reflection

6If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which the LORD shall choose, 7then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD. 8They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions. 9When you have come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. 10There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. Because of these abominations, the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13You shall be blameless with the LORD your God. 14For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you so to do. 15The LORD your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him. 16This is according to all that you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the LORD my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.”

As Israel prepares to enter a land full of pagan practices, God warns them sharply against imitating its ways: there must be no one who practices divination, tells fortunes, interprets omens, or consults the dead, for all who do these things are detestable to the LORD. Instead of turning to such forbidden means to know the future or control their lives, God's people are to be blameless before him, and to listen to the prophet God himself would raise up, a prophet like Moses, fulfilled at last in Christ.

Notice what God forbids, and what he offers in its place. He forbids the divination, sorcery, and consulting of spirits by which the nations tried to peer into the future and gain control over their lives. And in place of these forbidden means, he offers himself: they are to trust him, be blameless before him, and listen to the prophet he would send. Where the nations grasped for hidden knowledge and control through forbidden means, God's people were to trust God and hear his word.

That warning still speaks. The desire to know the future and to control our lives is strong, and it still tempts people to turn to forbidden means, to fortune-telling, to the occult, to whatever promises hidden knowledge or control apart from God. But God calls us to trust him with the future rather than grasping to uncover it, and to listen to Christ, his final word, rather than seeking guidance from forbidden sources. Do not turn to occult or forbidden means to know or control what is hidden. Trust God with your future, be blameless before him, and listen to Christ. The hidden things belong to God; trust him with them, rather than grasping for them through what he forbids.

Lord, as your people entered a land full of pagan practices, you forbade divination, sorcery, and consulting the dead, and instead called them to be blameless before you and to listen to the prophet you would raise up, fulfilled in Christ. That warning still speaks to me. The desire to know the future and control my life is strong, and it still tempts people to turn to forbidden means, to fortune-telling, to the occult, to whatever promises hidden knowledge or control apart from you. But you call me to trust you with the future rather than grasping to uncover it, and to listen to Christ, your final word, rather than seeking guidance from forbidden sources. Keep me from turning to occult or forbidden means to know or control what is hidden. Help me trust you with my future, be blameless before you, and listen to Christ. The hidden things belong to you; help me trust you with them, rather than grasping for them through what you forbid.