Sermon Tone Analysis

Witchcraft

Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Witchcraft)

Witchcraft Hebrew expression: keshep Pronunciation: KEH-shehf

Strong’s Number: 3785

KEY VERSES2 Kings 9:22; Isaiah 47:9, 12; Micah 5:12; Nahum 3:4

In today’s drug-saturated culture, it is useful to know that sorcery and witchcraft, which is condemned in the Old Testament, were closely associated in ancient times with the use of herbs.

The Hebrew word used for “sorceries” as well as “witchcraft” is keshep (NJPS “sorceries”).

The noun spawned the verb kishshep, “to practice scorcery or witchcraft.”

The root meaning of this word is “to cut”—and the word possibly refers to cutting herbs for charms and spells.

The pagan nations that inhabited the land of Canaan before God drove them out and gave the land to Israel practiced sorcery.

In fact, it was because of this sorcery that the Lord drove them from the land.

The Babylonians, also, used magic, sorcery, and witchcraft to protect themselves from their enemies (Isa.

47:9, 12).

Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was considered a source for all kinds of witchcraft.

In Israel’s history, Queen Jezebel was the principal person who introduced sorcery to the Israelties

2 Kgs.

9:22

But the attempt by the ancient Israelities and others to use black magic, sorcery, and witchcraft to control people, events, and the spiritual world was useless.

God Almighty sovereignly controls all these realms.

In the end, the Babylonians, the Ninevites, and evil Jezebel were all destroyed by the Lord because they sought to control their world with sorcery and black magic, instead of humbly turning to God and submitting themselves to His purposes.

In the New Testament, the Greek word pharmakos conveys the idea of witchcraft.

Its root meaning refers to drugs—and from it we get the English word “pharmacy” (Rev.

9:21; 18:23).

The apostle Paul soundly condemns all kinds of “witchcraft” (Gal.

5:19–21, pharmakos in Greek).

People who practice black magic and consult spirits will not, according to Paul, inherit the Kingdom of God.

It is God Himself who should be sought out.

He can’t be manipulated with drugs or any other kind of magic.

Instead, we are to meditate on His good works and pray that He will empower us to do His will.

The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (Witchcraft and Divination)

WITCHCRAFT AND DIVINATION

Magic represents an expression of the belief that it is possible for man to exert an influence over his fellow human beings or to change the course of events.

Witchcraft, the use of occult or supernatural forces to these ends, was practiced over the whole of the ancient world.

Magic could be either ‘white’ or ‘black’.

Black magic was alleged to produce malevolent results for the person or people against whom the spell was directed; with white magic the opposite was the case.

A magician would pronounce a curse, cast a spell, or break an image made to look like the person or people against whom the magic was directed, or with their name written on it.

The Execration Texts are an example of this.

Another method of achieving the same result was for the sorcerer to associate with evil spirits that were alleged to be able to help him.

Magicians performed according to specific formulae by which they attempted to influence the gods, the demons or natural forces to act on their behalf.

The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (Witchcraft and Divination)

The Bible contains many references to witchcraft, but is strongly opposed to it.

A person who practices this art is called a ‘witch’ (Deut.

18:10) or a ‘magician’ (Exod.

7:11, etc.).

One of the terms by which the Egyptian magicians are referred to is hartum (Gen.

41:24; Exod.

8:3–15 Authorized Version: ‘magicians’), the equivalent of the Egyptian hrtyp, the name given to the most famous magicians.

In Daniel (5:7) Chaldeans are mentioned together with astrologers and soothsayers, the reference being both to an ethnic group and to a class of magicians.

Sorcery and witchcraft are also mentioned in the New Testament

The ‘wise men’ (Matt.

2:7), magi in the Greek, were an ethnic group (the term comes from Medes or Madai) and, like the Chaldeans, became synonymous with witchcraft.

The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (Witchcraft and Divination)

The biblical view of witchcraft is quite clear: ‘There shall not be found among you any one … that useth divination, or an observer of times, or enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer’

Deuteronomy 18:10–21 (AV)

10 There 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,

11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For 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.

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

14 For 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.

15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

The Holy Bible: King James Version (Chapter 18)

22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

All of these were considered to be sworn enemies of true religious belief, at the center of which stands a belief in one God and adherence to his ways.

The true believer will accept whatever God has destined for him and will not make any attempt to change it.

In complete opposition to this stands the belief that witchcraft may influence the supernatural.

Even the wearing of amulets, a common practice, was condemned by

The attitude towards witches ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’

Saul had ‘put away those that had familiar spirits’, but in the end he had to resort to one himself (1 Sam.

28:3, 7–25).

Biblical Counseling Keys on Occult (Title Page)

“First seek the counsel of the LORD.”(1

Kings 22:5 NIV)

The Occult Demystifying the Deeds of Darkness by June Hunt:

Just how old is the occult?

And what is its appeal?

An appetite for supernatural knowledge and power is the same hunger that brought spiritual death to the inhabitants of Eden.

As Satan “channeled” his words through a snake, his subtle seduction of Eve exposed the innate attraction we all have for the unknown.

Since that fateful day when Adam and Eve ate forbidden fruit, occultism has flourished.

Just as the ancient world was fascinated with numerology, astrology, and witchcraft, our contemporary world is enticed by a smorgasbord of horoscopes, fortune-tellers, spirit guides, séances, and witch clubs.

Tragically, deluded followers seeking the secrets of supernatural power and knowledge are still being seduced today.

“I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

DEFINITIONS If someone were to ask, “What exactly is wrong with the occult?”

how would you answer?

The occult has permeated our society to such an extent that we tend to dismiss it as just another fad.

You may disregard some new occult craze, but do you understand its real evil?

Make no mistake, involvement in the occult launches you into a realm clearly forbidden by God!“

I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.

Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.”

A. What Is The Occult? • The word occult describes any practice used in an attempt to gain supernatural power or knowledge apart from the God of the Bible.

1. Generally, it refers to superstition, fortune-telling, spiritism, black and white magic, and parapsychology.

2• The word occult comes from the Latin occultus, which means “hidden, covered up, concealed.”

3• An occultist relies on diverse practices to achieve supernatural power or to acquire supernatural knowledge.

Biblical Example: Manasseh

(Read 2 Chronicles 33:1–20.)

Bible Study Scripture

At age twelve, Manasseh succeeds his godly father, King Hezekiah.

Over time, this younger King of Judah becomes fascinated with the occult.

He follows “false gods” and through astrology seeks to be led by the stars.