Year of the Bible: Part Three of Twelve Sample

Do not Worship Other gods.

In today's video, we learn about the word Elohim. This Hebrew word describes all spiritual beings, created and uncreated, and we find the phrase, "there is no Elohim like Yahweh," used to distinguish God from all other lesser gods. There are many spiritual beings, but only one God is over all created beings.

In our reading today, God warns the people against seeking out Necromancers and Mediums. These are witches and people who talk to the dead and demons. Matthew Henry's commentary on these verses says this, "This is a caution against all communion with witches, and those who were in league with familiar spirits: 'Regard them not, seek not after them, be not in fear of any evil from them nor in hopes of any good from them. Regard not their threatenings, or promises, or predictions; seek not to them for discovery or advice, for, if you do, you are defiled by it and rendered abominable both to God and your consciences.' This practice was the sin that completed Saul's wickedness, for which God rejected him.

The Israelites needed a lot of strong warnings about things like this because, as you will see in your reading today, the people were tempted to seek out witches who could speak to the dead and follow the gods of the nations around them. One such god was Molech, a god to whom foreign peoples would sacrifice their newborn babies by burning them alive inside the massive metal idol. No wonder God spoke so strongly to His people about it.

You might think that being tempted to follow other gods like this is insanity. However, you must remember where the people of God came from, a land steeped in spiritism and the worship of other gods. Four hundred hundred years of cultural influence profoundly affected the Israelites' thinking and value system. Today, we call this a worldview. It's the place from which you make your decisions and create your set of values that drive the way you live.

God was on a mission. It has been said, "It took God forty days to get the Israelites out of Egypt and forty years to get Egypt out of the Israelites." God went to great lengths to reframe the way His people thought about Him and the place from which they had recently escaped. He needed them to learn, once again, that there is but one God, Yahweh, and He is supreme over all gods, powers, and demons.

Question: It's easy to underestimate the power culture has over us. When you stop and examine your daily life, where do you notice the positive effect of God's kingdom (ways) on you? Where do you see the harmful effects of the world's "kingdom" (ways) in your life?

Prayer Focus: The Church's goal is not to hide away and wait for Jesus to come back but to invade every place on earth, bringing with us the life-transforming truth and presence of God. Pray for the unleashing of Godly influence in every sphere of society, from business, government, education, media, family, and entertainment. God needs you active in the "land" or place of influence He has given you. Ask God to help you see His daily invitations to establish His kingdom on earth and to protect you and your family from following other gods and worthless pursuits.