Deuteronomy 13

False worship…

Let us start with reading Deuteronomy 12:32

Deuteronomy 12:32 ESV

32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

The main reason I wanted to study the book of Deuteronomy was for you to see the commands the Lord gave the people of Israel as they entered into the land.

Deuteronomy chapter 13 deals with false worship, and it looks at it three different ways. How to deal with false prophets, how to deal with family who gets into false teaching, and apostacy of cites.

Now these are commands for Israel, and for us but we can learn from them....

False Prophets

Prophets and dreamers had been in the Israels lives for many years. The people of God had Moses who said things and did signs that came to pass.

But they also had false prophets as well.

A clear sign of a false prophet is them going after false gods, gods they did not know, and not only going after them but serving them.

The people of Israel had no reason to go after other gods, because they just witnessed the mighty works God did. They should never have the want or desire to go after other gods even if a so called prophet did amazing things. No prophet can do the signs of God, and no prophet can do what God has done or can do!

The bible here says the Lord tests you and your heart when these prophets come…

One example was Deut 8:2

Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV

2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

The Lord tested them in the wilderness 40 years to see if the people really wanted to follow him. Really wanted to see if you love the Lord with all your heart, and soul.

The people of Isreal were called to walk after the Lord your God and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and to serve him, and hold fast to him.

I thought of it like this. A prophet’s role is to point people to God not themselves. Most false prophets though-out history have been nothing but self promoters. Most of them also violate the law of God and his commandments. If a prophet was to cause the people of Israel to not walk after the Lord, to not fear him, to not keep his commandments, and to not obey his voice, and to not serve him, or hold fast to him is a false prophet.

And according to the word of God that prophet should be put to death, because he teaches rebellion against the Lord.

God takes false prophets very seriously, and because he takes them seriously so should we.

I think about verse 5 and it really causes you to think about how people today try to shift our focus away from Jesus, and his word.

And for Isreal God would call them to eliminate the false prophets. To put them to death, because they taught against the Lord. They were to literally to purge them from there midst.

How are we to deal with false prophets or teachers today? One Pastor I know said there are four ways we can discern false teachers…

Fruit Test. Matthew 7:15-20

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

2. Doctrine Test

1 John 4:1–3 ESV

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

1 Timothy 6:3–4 ESV

3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,

3. Scripture Test.

1 Corinthians 14:37–38 ESV

37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

1 John 4:6 ESV

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

4. Gospel Test

Galatians 1:8–9 ESV

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Galatians 5:2–3 ESV

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

If they fail this text then they may be a false prophet/teacher.

Family can lead you to false teachers…

Family dynamics can be interesting… Because I have seen some people who take there families perspectives on things and say so and so knows best, and I have seen the total opposite. In Moses time the family was closer than now.

But moses gives a clear command to the people.

Verse 6 defines a group of people.

the end of verse 6 says what they will do.

Verse 7 who these gods are.

Verse 8-10 should be your response to these gods

verse 11 is the response of those who hear about this.

Apostasy of the whole town

12-14 Foundation, Hear about false teaching… then inquire… then ask diligently-in a way that shows care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties.

15-17. If guilty you do these things…

examples of this.. Josh 7:16-26

Joshua 7:16–26 ESV

16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.