What other Scriptures warn against seeking guidance from false gods or idols? Setting the Scene: Ahaziah’s Misstep “Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, saying to them, ‘Go and inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.’” Ahaziah’s choice exposed a larger issue Scripture addresses repeatedly: seeking guidance anywhere but from the living God invites judgment and ruin. Key Passages that Echo the Warning “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol…” “You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.” “Let no one be found among you who … practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, casts spells, or is a medium or spiritist or consults the dead. … The LORD your God detests anyone who does these things.” “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak… Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.” “When they say to you, ‘Consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” “Do not learn the way of the nations… Their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.” “My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s rod informs them; for a spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.” “What use is an idol that a craftsman has carved…? Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake,’ and to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance?” “The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. … You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too.” “But … sorcerers, idolaters … their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.” Common Threads in These Warnings • God alone possesses omniscience; idols are lifeless and powerless. • Turning elsewhere for guidance is not neutral—it is spiritual adultery. • Idolatry invites demonic influence and divine judgment. • True wisdom, protection, and direction flow exclusively from the LORD. Living the Lesson Today • Evaluate every source of guidance—spiritual, cultural, technological—through Scripture’s lens. • Refuse practices that blur lines with occultism: horoscopes, crystals, séances, fortune-telling. • Cultivate a reflex of inquiring of the LORD: prayer, Scripture study, counsel from mature believers. • Remember Ahaziah: when crisis hits, where we turn first reveals whom we truly trust. |
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