What does consulting "priests and diviners" reveal about reliance on God's wisdom today? The ancient backdrop • 1 Samuel 6:2 – “Then the Philistines called the priests and the diviners, saying, ‘What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.’” • The Philistines had captured the ark, suffered plagues, and were desperate for relief. • Their instinct was to consult religious professionals familiar to them—individuals skilled in ritual and omen-reading, not in covenant obedience to the LORD. Why turn to priests and diviners? • They sought a manageable answer: ritual formulas, magic objects, a concrete “how-to.” • They hoped to placate God without submitting to Him. • They trusted human expertise over divine revelation—experts they could hire, question, and dismiss. What this reveals about the human heart • A preference for quick fixes over repentance (cf. Isaiah 8:19). • Fear of consequences rather than fear of God. • Confidence in technique instead of relationship. • Limited view of deity: a power to be manipulated, not a Person to be obeyed. Human wisdom versus God’s wisdom • Deuteronomy 18:10-12 forbids divination; God alone reveals truth. • Proverbs 3:5-6—“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” • James 1:5—God gladly gives wisdom to those who ask in faith. • Jeremiah 10:2—“Do not learn the way of the nations… the signs of the heavens do not frighten them.” • Micah 3:11 shows religious leaders who “divine for money”—condemned because they traded truth for cash. Implications for reliance on God’s wisdom today • Techniques, trends, or spiritual shortcuts cannot replace humble seeking of God’s Word. • Paying for answers—whether fortune-tellers, horoscopes, or even “Christianized” fads—mirrors Philistine practice. • When pressure mounts, whom we consult exposes our actual source of trust. – Turn first to Scripture and prayer, not to influencers or self-help or mystical experiences. • God’s wisdom is relational; it requires surrender, not mere information gathering. Guardrails for seeking guidance • Measure every source by Scripture’s clear commands. • Reject anything that promises control over the future rather than submission to God (Deuteronomy 29:29). • Stay anchored in the local church, where gifted teachers handle the Word accurately (Ephesians 4:11-14). • Cultivate discernment through regular, obedient exposure to the whole counsel of God (Hebrews 5:14). Living it out • Approach decisions with open Bibles, not open palms for omens. • Ask: Does this counsel lead me to deeper obedience to Christ? • Rely on the Holy Spirit, who “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). • Celebrate the sufficiency of Scripture; in it “are all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). |
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