Deuteronomy 18:9-14 p10

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me

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I am the LORD thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me...
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image...

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A review of what has been covered so far in this series.
The previous three articles looked at the false god known as Molech. Here we find a clear description of this idolatrous practice.

(Deut:18:10-11) There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire...

Immediately following this statement, we find mention of witchcraft (divination) in all it's various practices.

...or that useth divination or an observer of times, or an enchanter or a witch or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

What we find in these two verses is a direct connection of idol worship (Molech) and that of witchcraft (seeking the spiritual through divination). Many Jews sacrificed their children to this hideous deity, burning them as a sacrifice to this false god. The worship of Molech was such an abomination, that the Jews were judged for this practice, as the Canaanites were before them.

(Deut:18:12) For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

God cleared the land of these idolatrous people while fulfilling His Covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God allowed these people over four hundred years to repent of their wickedness, starting with Abraham passing through their land (Gen:15:16). Abraham came from the land of the Chaldean's (Mesopotamia) from a place called, Ur. It is interesting to note that the word Hebrew literally means; 'the man from the other side'. Abraham is called a Hebrew (Gen:14:13), which means; he came from the other side, the other side of the Euphrates River.

The Canaanite people did not repent of their wickedness and so they were judged and nearly destroyed. We know that the people of Nineveh (Assyrian) did repent of their wickedness, being spared of certain judgment (Jonah 3:5).

Today we are seeing a repeat of Israel's history in our nation and the world at large. God is calling out a Holy people unto himself, just as He called out the Jews in that day. Those who practice idolatry and witchcraft, willingly deny the true and living God, Jesus Christ (1John 2:22). Divine wrath (judgment) is the only thing that awaits those who do not accept the only sacrifice made available to mankind, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, to wash away all sin (Lev:17:11, Matt:26:28). This is the only sacrifice acceptable to cleanse mankind of his sin, written and foretold by the prophets of Israel, the very foundation of the Mosaic Law.

The kingdom of Anti-Christ (a system) (Rev:17:17) is rising upon mankind, as idolatry and witchcraft are in full display, accepted as spiritual and sacred (1John 2:18). Satan, lord and king of this world (Matt:4:8-9) is behind all religion (2Cor:11:14, 2Thess:2:4) with the sole purpose to deceive mankind, by keeping people chained in darkness, denying the true and living God, Jesus Christ. The Jews denied Jesus in their day and as a result were ejected out of their land, while their beloved Jerusalem and Temple lay in utter ruins (Mark 13:2) All because of idolatry and witchcraft.

Following the progression of these verses (Deut:18:9-12) we see God's purpose for choosing the Jews, to be a Holy people. This was so that the nations may come to know the true and living God, the God of Israel, revealing that idolatry and divination is vanity and will be called to judgment. This is Israel's past and a living testament to us today. Mankind has not changed much since those days and continues to mock God's declared judgment, that is yet to come (2Pet:3:4).

(Deut:18:13) Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

To be perfect means: complete, whole, entire, sound. In our modern day language this can be translated as - mature. This simply means; to be mature in the knowledge and understanding of God (2Tim:3:17). That is the statement being made in this verse, for man is not perfect, nor can he be.

Here we have a glimpse into God's divine plan as revealed to Israel. This is so that all mankind would come to know the true Messiah, prophesied to come in the fullness of time (Isa:7:14), born of a women (Matt:1:16), through Israel and born a Jew, the root of Jesse (Isa:11:10), the righteous branch of David (Jer:23:5). All this was written and declared by the prophets of Israel and is in perfect harmony with the Mosaic Law (Matt:5:17, Heb:7:11-12).

God is continuing with His plan that has been set clearly before us, fulfilling His purpose for mankind to know and understand His will as written within The Bible. The program and purpose of God is on schedule and according to the written word. God's purpose is clear; repent of your sin and turn towards the true and living God (Matt:9:13).

To repent means to turn away. When someone turns toward God, they turn away from idols and/or witchcraft (1Thess:1:9), which deny the very essence of the Lord Jesus Christ, for whom and through whom all things exist (Heb:2:10). This was prophesied by the prophets of God in the Old Testament, being fulfilled in the New Testament.

The Old Testament is the bud, the New Testament is the bloom......

The Old Testament foretells the coming Messiah,
The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament....
Deuteronomy 18:14 summarizes verses 9-13. God is clearly saying to the Israelites that idolatry and witchcraft is against His will.

(Deut:18:14) For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

These verses of Deuteronomy 18:9-14 offer to us in this day, several important doctrinal truths as foundational to the Christian faith.

1. The Canaanites lost their right to live in the land because of their wickedness (Deut:9:4). That evil and sin will be judged (Rom:6:23). That Israel received the Covenant Promise God had declared to their fathers (Matt:22:32).

• This shows to us that God is faithful to His promises, sure to His word and that wickedness will be judged.

2. We see clearly that these nations 'hearkened' unto something other than the Lord God. They hearken unto the spirit world and that of our natural world. This is the essence of witchcraft and is opposed to the true and living God (Rev:17:5).

• The Apostle Paul describes the pattern in which mankind fell to idol worship and divination, rejecting God even though they knew God (Rom:1:16-32).

3. God states clearly that He is the true and living God and besides Him, there is no other god (Isa:45:6).

• This makes clear that idolatry and witchcraft are vain and useless, for it denies the true Savior of mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks to find divinity (deity) though another direction entirely, bypassing the true and living God (John 14:6).

4. God visually demonstrated His power and majesty to the Israelites during the exodus out of Egypt. God ordained the institution of the Mosaic Law through the High Priest and the priesthood (The Levites). God sent His chosen prophets to deliver His purpose and plan to Israel; 1) proclaiming the Messiah to come, 2) warning the people of their backsliding, caused from idol worship and witchcraft. God repeatedly sent His warnings to repent of their wickedness. They did not listen, just as the Canaanite's did not listen.

• The Israelites eventually suffered the same judgment, expelled from the land which was promised to their fathers, culminating to the complete destruction of their beloved Jerusalem and their beloved Temple.
• God declared that He would dwell among men (Psalms 68:18).
• That the practice of seeking God through the spiritual world for understanding and wisdom is an abomination (Prov:15:9).
• That all forms of idolatry are wicked and evil, leading men into darkness and blindness (John 3:19).
• That sacrificing their own children as an offering to 'god' by seeking atonement and blessing, is idolatry formed by human hands, an abomination to the living God (Zec:10:2).

5. God promised that He would send His own son to be the sacrifice for sin and for blessings, for all who willingly choose to be called 'the sons of God' (Heb:9:26).

• That only God can provide for the atonement of sin towards mankind through the only sacrifice that is acceptable, His own son (John:3:16). Amen

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 is summarized by one simple revelation and the fulfillment of this prophecy is found in the New Testament, the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:29).

(Deut:18:15) The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

We clearly see that the Lord Jesus came to reveal the true God, the Father. We are to hearken unto Jesus Christ and not that of the spirit world, nor the material world in which we dwell.

There are only two ways that mankind will enter into eternity. One, is through the Lord Jesus and that of sanctification and eternal life. The other, is through the way of Cain (Satan) which is the way of judgment and condemnation.


Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain,
and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward,
and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

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In the next article of this series, we will look at 'The Way of Cain' and see how idolatry and witchcraft started in this world. Are we able to know and understand how these things began to take root into our world? Indeed we can, as the Bible reveals to us exactly why idolatry appeared and how idolatry and witchcraft will all come to a final ending.

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