What is the meaning of Isaiah 8:19? When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists Isaiah pictures neighbors urging God’s people to dabble in the occult. The same pressure exists today—horoscopes, tarot, “harmless” séances. Scripture speaks plainly: - “Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out” (Leviticus 19:31). - King Saul’s tragic visit to a medium when God seemed silent (1 Samuel 28:6-7) shows the danger. - Deuteronomy 18:10-12 calls these practices “abominations.” God’s Word never treats occult curiosity as neutral entertainment; it is rebellion against His voice. who whisper and mutter Isaiah mocks the eerie, secretive sounds of séances—the low hisses meant to imitate the dead. In contrast: - The Lord speaks clearly: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). - Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27), not garbled riddles. - The Holy Spirit guides “into all truth” (John 16:13). The prophet exposes how the occult offers obscurity, while God offers clarity. shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? This rhetorical question calls Israel—and us—to sanity. We have immediate access to the living God: - “Seek the LORD while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6). - “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16). - When wisdom is needed, “ask God, who gives generously” (James 1:5). Choosing mediums over God is like ignoring a direct line to the King to chase rumors in alleyways. Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? The dead cannot guide the living; only the living God can. - “The dead do not praise the LORD” (Psalm 115:17), but He “is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Matthew 22:32). - At the empty tomb the angels asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5-6). - Occult fascination leads to bondage (Galatians 5:19-21), yet Christ came to give abundant life (John 10:10). Isaiah’s question exposes the absurdity of replacing the Source of life with lifeless spirits. summary Isaiah 8:19 is a loving but sharp warning: do not trade the clear, life-giving counsel of God for the shadowy whispers of the occult. The Lord offers open access, wisdom, and life; mediums offer confusion, bondage, and spiritual death. Therefore, turn from every occult enticement and seek the living God who speaks plainly through His Word. |
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