by J. Riddle (Cheshunt)
Read Chapter 13
Deut.12 concludes with a warning against idolatry. When God's people took possession of the land, they were not to “inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise …,” v30-31. Deut.13, which deals with attempts to induce the children of Israel to turn from God to idols, clearly divides into three paragraphs each beginning with “If”, v1,6,12, and each containing the expression (or its equivalent), “Let us go after other gods,” v2,6,13. Idolatry could be introduced in three ways.
(1) By a false prophet, v1-5;
(2) By a family member or a familiar friend, v6-11;
(3) By fellow Israelites, v12-18.
In this case, judgment must not be clouded by religious deception. A plausible argument and compelling evidence (“the sign or the wonder come to pass”) must not obstruct obedience to the Word of God. Everything must be tested by the Scriptures: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” Is.8.20. The Jews at Berea “searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so,” Acts 17.11. We should notice the following:
a) The deception by false prophets, v1-2
“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a
sign or wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto
thee, saying, Let us go after other gods … thou shalt not hearken unto the words
of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams …” Whilst these instructions were
obviously relevant to Israel in the past, they also remind us of future and
present deception:
i) Future deception. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed … whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish …,” 2Thess.2.8-11. “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there: believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before,” Matt.24.23-25. “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast …,” Rev.13.13-14. In each case, idolatry is involved. The “man of sin” will sit “as God … in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God,” 2Thess.2.4. The “false Christs” and “false prophets” are associated with the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,” Matt.24.15. The “great wonders” performed by the false prophet will induce men to “worship the image of the beast,” Rev. 13.15. The Lord Jesus emphasised the danger to the elect at the end-time: “Go not forth … believe it not,” Matt.24.26. Every claim, however well attested by its proponents, was to be tested by His Word.
ii) Present deception. The ‘charismatic phenomenon’ with its visible, tangible and audible appeal, including the so-called ‘Toronto blessing,’ must not delude us. Its “signs and wonders” have convinced many that it is a genuine work of God even though it is in direct opposition to the Word of God. We can only successfully oppose and repulse false teaching by appealing to the Word of God. An observer must “hold fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers,” Tit.1.9. Even this will not silence the voices of error, for “evil men and seducers (‘juggling impostors,’ JND) shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived,” 2Tim.3.13. Our great bulwark against all error is to maintain original teaching. Paul was obliged to remind the Galatians that “though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed …” Gal.1.8-9.
b) The defence against false prophets, v3-4
The presence of “a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams” tested the loyalty and
devotion of God's people. “Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know
whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Centuries later, John wrote: “By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that
we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous,” 1Jn.5.2-3.
This echoes the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: “If ye love Me, keep My
commandments,” Jn.14.15. We shall have no delight in obeying the Word of God if
we only regard this as our duty. The believer who can say with the Psalmist, “O
how I love thy law!” Ps.119.97, will gladly and willingly obey His Word. The
defence of God's people against idolatry is described in two ways:
i) Negatively. “Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet,” v3. It is disastrous to parley with error. We must not attempt to accommodate evil doctrine in any way. It is a grave mistake, for example, to abuse the biblical record of creation by suggesting that it has room for the theory of evolution.
ii) Positively. “Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him,” v4. This is ripe for development. There is more than enough material here for a series of sermons! For example, the last of the six exhortations, “cleave unto Him,” can be expanded with reference to Jer.13.11 and Acts 11.23.
c) The death of false prophets, v5
The New Testament tells us that “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” both morally, 1Cor.5.6, and doctrinally, Gal.5.9. The false prophet was to be “put to death” for the following reasons:
i) He endeavoured to alienate them from God. “Because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God.” He was their Redeemer-God: “which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage.”
ii) He endeavoured to alienate them from the Word of God. “To thrust
thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in.” It is
worth noticing that disobedience to the Word of God means disobedience to God
Himself. We can only please God as we obey His Word.
This uncompromising response to false teaching reminds us that we must deal
ruthlessly with anything in our lives that would lead us away from God. See
Col.3.5. It also reminds us that the assembly must deal firmly with people who
introduce moral or doctrinal evil. “Put away from among yourselves that wicked
person,” 1Cor.5.13.
In this case, judgment must not be clouded by natural affection. The Scriptures abound with warnings in this connection. Eli was censured because he honoured his sons above God. See 1Sam.2.29; 3.13. Adonijah's attempt to gain the throne was the result of David's failure to discipline him in earlier years. See 1Kgs.1.6. Micah was told: “Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom,” Micah 7.5. In this case, even the closest relationships could harbour danger. The Lord Jesus told the multitudes that “if any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children … he cannot be my disciple,” Lk.14.26. We must remember that these are not cases where “natural affection,” 2Tim.3.3, was lacking. The Word of God places natural relationships on the highest level. See Eph.5.22-23, etc. The passages cited above to cases where natural affection interferes with the claims of God.
These particular verses contain a solemn warning against any form of compromise because family or friends were involved. “Thou shalt not consent unto him … thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of the people,” v8-9. It is not unknown for assemblies to suffer because family interests have overridden the Lord's interests. The misdemeanours of family members have been tolerated, whereas the same conduct in others would not have been ignored. We should remember that we are not in fellowship as families, but as individual brothers and sisters in the Lord.
In this case, judgment must not be clouded by personal disinterest. The introduction of idolatry in one particular area posed a danger to the whole country, and could not therefore be regarded as an isolated case that was nothing whatsoever to do with anybody else. This section of the chapter contains more valuable lessons for general application. It would be most unwise to cite this passage in attempting to ‘excommunicate’ assemblies. We must not use the Old Testament to support practices which are not sanctioned by the New Testament. The following should be noticed.
a) The report, v12-13
Idolatry is reprehensible in any circumstances, see Rom.1.29-23, but it is especially heinous amongst people who have been specially blessed by God. Notice the emphasis here: it is a case of idolatry “in one of the cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there …” What a despicable way in which to treat the goodness of God! David did exactly the same: “I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master's house … Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in His sight?” 2Sam.12.7-8. How do we live and act in view of the blessings that God has heaped upon us?
b) the response, v14
“Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth and the thing certain …” See also 17.14. The facts must be established and verified. All too often we act on faulty information, and incur the censure in Prov.8.13, “he that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” We really do need to ask the question, “Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?” Jn.7.51.
c) The retribution, v15-16
The matter was to be dealt with thoroughly, reminding us that assembly discipline must be properly applied, always bearing in mind that its ultimate object is the recovery and restoration of the guilty party. See 1Cor.5.4-5, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” The absence of reference to any particular people here, such as the elders, reminds us that the whole assembly both receives into fellowship and puts away from fellowship.
d) The reason, v17-18
Failure to deal with the sin of one city could only have an adverse effect on God's people in their entirety. The offending city, with its inhabitants, was to be utterly destroyed “that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers …” The sad story of Achan's sin illustrates the fact that the sin of one individual brings divine judgment on all: “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing … Israel hath sinned … they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them … they have even taken of the accursed thing,” Jdg.7.1,11. The assembly at Corinth was to “purge out … the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump …”, 1Cor.5.7. We should never forget that our personal lives have an effect, for good or otherwise, on the assembly to which we belong.
— to be continued (D.V.)