What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 13:2? and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about • The verse allows that a predicted miracle or “sign” may genuinely occur (Deuteronomy 13:1). • Scripture elsewhere confirms that real supernatural works can accompany false teachers (Exodus 7:11; Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11; Revelation 13:13–14). • The test of truth, then, is never the success of a sign but the fidelity of the message to God’s revealed word (Deuteronomy 18:22). but he says • After the wonder, attention shifts to words. What the speaker “says” must line up with earlier revelation (Deuteronomy 4:2). • God’s people are repeatedly told to weigh teaching, not by popularity or spectacle, but by its agreement with God’s covenant (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1; Galatians 1:8–9). • A dazzling sign, followed by deceptive speech, exposes the speaker’s true allegiance. “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known)” • The suggested next step is to “follow” (walk after) other deities—an appeal to shift loyalty. • “Other gods” reminds Israel of the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3; cf. Deuteronomy 6:14). • “Which you have not known” highlights that these gods have no covenant history with Israel (Jeremiah 10:2). • The call to pursue unfamiliar gods violates the exclusive relationship God established (Deuteronomy 11:28; 1 Kings 18:21). and let us worship them, • The progression moves from following to formal worship—bowing, sacrificing, giving ultimate devotion. • God condemns adopting pagan worship practices (Deuteronomy 12:30–31). • Jesus reinforces the timeless principle: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10). • New-Testament believers face the same issue when idolatry appears under modern guises (1 Corinthians 10:20–22; Revelation 14:9–10). summary Even when a prophet’s prediction is fulfilled, his message must still mirror God’s unchanging word. Signs can be impressive, but Scripture—rooted in God’s character and prior revelation—is the final standard. Any voice that urges a shift of loyalty or worship away from the one true God, no matter how miraculous the credentials, must be rejected. |
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