Deuteronomy - Chapter 13

Deuteronomy 13.1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, Deuteronomy 13.2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Deuteronomy 13.3 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. Deuteronomy 13.4 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. Deuteronomy 13.5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. Deuteronomy 13.6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Deuteronomy 13.7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Deuteronomy 13.8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: Deuteronomy 13.9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. Deuteronomy 13.10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Deuteronomy 13.11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you. Deuteronomy 13.12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, Deuteronomy 13.13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; Deuteronomy 13.14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you; Deuteronomy 13.15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. Deuteronomy 13.16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again. Deuteronomy 13.17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: 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; Deuteronomy 13.18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy : Chapter 13

Reflection on Deuteronomy Chapter 13 Deuteronomy chapter 13 is a solemn call to vigilance against apostasy. It questions how Israel should respond to the idolatrous seductions that threaten it. This incisive passage addresses three scenarios of temptation: false prophets, seductive family members, and apostate cities. The essence of this chapter is based on exclusive loyalty to Yahweh, the severity of divine judgment on idolatry, and the communal responsibility to maintain spiritual purity.

Meditating on Biblical Passages

To deepen our understanding of the crucial principles of this warning chapter, let's meditate on five significant biblical passages:

Matthew 24:24

“For false Christs and false prophets will appear, performing great signs and wonders, so as, if possible, to deceive even the elect.” - Jesus warns us here about false prophets, a direct echo of the teachings of Deuteronomy 13:1-5.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, pretending to be apostles of Christ. No wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” - The apostle Paul warns against false leaders, reinforcing the warnings in Deuteronomy 13.

1 John 4:1

“Beloved, do not believe in any spirit, but examine the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - The apostle John urges us to be discerning, just as Deuteronomy 13 calls us to be wary of false prophets.

Galatians 1:8-9

“But even if we or an angel from heaven preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be accursed!” - Paul emphasizes the importance of maintaining a genuine faith, reaffirming Deuteronomy 13's warnings against apostasy.

Revelation 2:2

“I know your works, your hard work, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate evil men, and that you have tested those who say they are apostles but are not, and have found them impostors.” - This passage commends the church at Ephesus for its commitment to testing false prophets, a fundamental principle found in Deuteronomy 13.

As we reflect on these passages, may our commitment to God and our community be renewed, so that we may stand firm in the faith in the face of the challenges of our time.