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Divination.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 14

An abominable practice. 1 Sam. 15:23²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23) (marg.)

All who practiced it, abominable. Deut. 18:12¹²For 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. (Deuteronomy 18:12).

PRACTICED BY

Diviners. Deut. 18:14¹⁴For 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. (Deuteronomy 18:14).

Enchanters. Deut. 18:10¹⁰There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, (Deuteronomy 18:10). Jer. 27:9⁹Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: (Jeremiah 27:9)

Witches. Exo. 22:18¹⁸Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. (Exodus 22:18). Deut. 18:10¹⁰There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, (Deuteronomy 18:10).

Charmers. Deut. 18:11¹¹Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (Deuteronomy 18:11).

Wizards. Deut. 18:11¹¹Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (Deuteronomy 18:11). 1 Sam. 28:3³Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. (1 Samuel 28:3)

Consulters of familiar spirits. 18:11

Magicians. Gen. 41:8⁸And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:8). Dan. 4:7⁷Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. (Daniel 4:7)

Astrologers. Isa. 47:13¹³Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. (Isaiah 47:13). Dan. 4:7⁷Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. (Daniel 4:7).

Sorcerers. Jer. 27:9⁹Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: (Jeremiah 27:9). Acts 13:6, 8⁶And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: (Acts 13:6)
⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. (Acts 13:8),

Necromancers. Deut. 18:11¹¹Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (Deuteronomy 18:11).

Soothsayers. Isa. 2:6⁶Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. (Isaiah 2:6). Dan. 2:27²⁷Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king; (Daniel 2:27)

False prophets. Jer. 14:14¹⁴Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. (Jeremiah 14:14). Eze. 13:3, 6³Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! (Ezekiel 13:3)
⁶They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. (Ezekiel 13:6).

EFFECTED THROUGH

Enchantments. Ex. 7:11¹¹Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. (Exodus 7:11). Num. 24:1¹And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. (Numbers 24:1).

Sorcery. Isa. 47:12¹²Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. (Isaiah 47:12). Acts 8:11¹¹And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. (Acts 8:11).

Observing times. 2 Kin. 21:6.

Observing heavenly bodies. Isa. 37:13¹³Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? (Isaiah 37:13). (marg.)

Raising the dead. 1 Sam. 28:11,12¹¹Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. ¹²And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. (1 Samuel 28:11‑12).

Inspecting the inside of beasts. Ezek. 21:21²¹For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver. (Ezekiel 21:21).

The flight of arrows. Ezek. 21:21, 22²¹For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver. ²²At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort. (Ezekiel 21:21‑22).

Cups. Gen. 44:2, 5²And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. (Genesis 44:2)
⁵Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. (Genesis 44:5).

Rods. Hos. 4:12¹²My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. (Hosea 4:12).

Dreams. Jer. 29:8⁸For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. (Jeremiah 29:8). Zech. 10:2²For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. (Zechariah 10:2).

Connected with idolatry. 2 Chr. 33:5, 6⁵And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. ⁶And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. (2 Chronicles 33:5‑6).

Books of, numerous and expensive. Acts 19:19¹⁹Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:19).

A lucrative employment. Num. 22:7⁷And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. (Numbers 22:7). Acts 16:16¹⁶And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: (Acts 16:16).

THOSE WHO PRACTICED

Regarded as wise men. Dan. 2:12, 27¹²For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:12)
²⁷Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king; (Daniel 2:27).

Regarded with awe. Acts 8:9, 11⁹But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: (Acts 8:9)
¹¹And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. (Acts 8:11).

Consulted in difficulties. Dan. 2:2²Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. (Daniel 2:2). Dan. 4:6, 7⁶Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. (Daniel 4:6‑7).

Used mysterious words and gestures. Isa. 8:19¹⁹And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? (Isaiah 8:19).

A system of fraud. Ezek. 13:6, 7⁶They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. ⁷Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken? (Ezekiel 13:6‑7). Jer. 29:8⁸For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. (Jeremiah 29:8).

Frustrated by God. Isa. 44:25²⁵That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; (Isaiah 44:25).

Could not injure the Lord's people. Num. 23:23²³Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! (Numbers 23:23).

THE LAW

Forbade to the Israelites the practice of. Lev. 19:26²⁶Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times. (Leviticus 19:26). Deut. 18:10, 11¹⁰There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, ¹¹Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (Deuteronomy 18:10‑11).

Forbade seeking to. Lev. 19:31³¹Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:31). Deut. 18.14.

Punished with death those who used. Ex. 22:18¹⁸Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. (Exodus 22:18). Lev. 20:27²⁷A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:27).

Punished those who sought to. Lev. 20:6⁶And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. (Leviticus 20:6).

The Jews prone to. 2 Kin. 17:17. Isa. 2:6⁶Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. (Isaiah 2:6).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Devil, the.

• Devotedness to God.

• Diet of the Jews, the.

• Disobedience to God.

• Divination.

• Doctrines, False.

• Doctrines of the Gospel, the.

• Dragon, the.

• Drink Offering.

• Drunkenness.

• Eagle, the.

• Early Rising.

• Earth, the.

• Earthquakes.

• Edification.

• Edomites, the.

• Emblems of the Holy Ghost, the.

• Entertainments.