Bible Commentaries
Deuteronomy 13

Verses 1-18

Chapter 13

Now in chapter thirteen, the warning against false prophets. If a man comes in and does some kind of a sign or a wonder and he's a dreamer of dreams or a prophet and he gives some kind of a sign and it comes to pass; but if that man would then lead you to worship other gods you are to put him to death, even though he may have been able to work some miracle.

Now, let me say that there is a strange fascination that we seem to have towards supernatural things, but this can be a dangerous fascination. Because someone is able to bring to pass some kind of a phenomena for which there is no scientific explanation, does not necessary follow that that phenomena comes from God. Satan is a deceiver and he is able also to create all kinds of spectacular phenomenon. Thus, we are not to be drawn to phenomena and use phenomena as a criteria for truth.

The person who is seeking after miracles is on dangerous territory for when the anti-Christ comes he is going to come with lying signs and miracles that he's able to work before the people. There is an unhealthy absorption in miracles in many people's lives. You need to become thoroughly absorbed in Jesus Christ. There you'll have no problem. You'll see the miracles, the miracles that He'll work in your life, the miracles that He'll work through your life. But we should not really be putting a lot of emphasis and attention and a concern in the seeing of miracles, for Satan is able to use them as a tool to deceive.

So here were prophets, they were able to give a sign or a wondering would come to pass but then they would lead them to worship other gods. He said, "Put them to death".

for your LORD God proves you, to know whether or not you love the LORD with all your heart, with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and reverence him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave to him ( Deuteronomy 13:3-4 ).

Now, if one of your family, a brother, a son, a daughter, even a wife should seek to lead you to worship another god, God said you're to put them to death and yours shall be the first hand against them. You're not to hide it or hide their sin even though you love them. But God was anxious to develop a spiritual purity among these people, lest they become infected by the lascivious worship of the pagan gods that the people were worshipping and be corrupted and lose the rights and the place within the land.

Thou shalt consent to their death, you're not to hearken to their cries; neither shall your eye pity them, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal them ( Deuteronomy 13:8 ):

Now if you hear of a city where the people in the city have decided to serve some other god, then you're to arm yourself and come against that city and utterly destroy the inhabitants of that city. That desire that God had of maintaining a spiritual purity.

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