Frank Goad Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Members Followers: 4 Topic Count: 37 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 55 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 25 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/10/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted December 11, 2019 Did God ever let people use divination in the bible?As long as it came from him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,992 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,690 Content Per Day: 11.79 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted December 11, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Frank Goad said: Did God ever let people use divination in the bible?As long as it came from him? Question: "What does the Bible say about divination?" Answer: The word divination comes from the Latin divinare, meaning “to foresee” or “to be inspired by a god.” To practice divination is to uncover hidden knowledge by supernatural means. It is associated with the occult and involves fortune-telling or soothsaying, as it used to be called. From ancient times, people have used divination to gain knowledge of the future or as a way to make money. The practice continues as those who claim supernatural insight read palms, tea leaves, tarot cards, star charts, and more. God tells us His view of divination in Deuteronomy 18:10: “There shall not be found among you . . . anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens.” First Samuel 15:23 compares rebellion to the “sin of divination.” Practicing divination is listed as one of the reasons for Israel’s exile (2 Kings 17:17). Jeremiah 14:14 spoke of the false prophets of the time, saying, “They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.” So, compared to God’s truth, divination is false, deceitful, and worthless. As Luke traveled with Paul and Silas in the city of Philippi, he recorded an encounter with a diviner: “We were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling” (Acts 16:16). The girl’s ability to penetrate mysteries was due to a demon that controlled her. Her masters received “much gain” from their slave. Paul eventually exorcised the demon (verse 18), freeing the girl from her spiritual bondage and angering the slave owners (verse 19). Divination in any form is sin. It is not harmless entertainment or an alternate source of wisdom. Christians should avoid any practice related to divination, including fortune-telling, astrology, witchcraft, tarot cards, necromancy, and spell-casting. The spirit world is real, but it is not innocent. According to Scripture, those spirits that are not the Holy Spirit or angels are evil spirits. Christians need not fear the spirits involved in divination; neither are Christians to seek wisdom from them. The Christian’s wisdom comes from God (James 1:5). https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-divination.html Edited December 11, 2019 by missmuffet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Behold Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Mars Hill Followers: 7 Topic Count: 87 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 3,795 Content Per Day: 1.34 Reputation: 6 Days Won: 3 Joined: 07/30/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted December 11, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Frank Goad said: Did God ever let people use divination in the bible?As long as it came from him? Knowing something in advance of its occurring....... "foreknowledge"... If a Christian has this gift, or has an experience of knowing/seeing what is up and coming, then this can absolutely be God directed and ordained. Let me show you. : Paul went to Rome, and before he did, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul KNEW (was shown) he would end up in chains. So, that is one case. Acts 20. Another time, Paul told the passengers on a ship that was about to be shipwrecked that they would be ok.....if they did what He said.. as he was shown this....... Acts:27 So, thats 2 cases where a believer had a "spiritual foreknowledge" of a future event. In the case of an unbeliever who is in contact with an unclean spirit, or a demonic spirit, related to occult practices, then this would be evil. It would be sinful to pursue this type of contact in a quest to gather foreknowledge of the future. Edited December 11, 2019 by Behold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnthebaptist Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Non-Conformist Theology Followers: 6 Topic Count: 118 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 4,361 Content Per Day: 2.30 Reputation: 2,109 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/25/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/03/1953 Share Posted December 11, 2019 2 hours ago, Frank Goad said: Did God ever let people use divination in the bible?As long as it came from him? No. He had prophets, but that isn't divination. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,992 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,690 Content Per Day: 11.79 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted December 11, 2019 1 minute ago, johnthebaptist said: No. He had prophets, but that isn't divination. That is what I was thinking. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Repose Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 9 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 205 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 231 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/06/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted December 11, 2019 There was when King Saul visited a medium in order to contact Samuel, and Samuel did indeed appear, but this was yet another sin counted towards Saul. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.biblegateway.com/passage/%3fsearch=1%2bSamuel%2b28&version=NLT&interface=amp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,262 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,874 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted December 11, 2019 4 hours ago, Frank Goad said: Did God ever let people use divination in the bible?As long as it came from him? If I may, why might you ask?..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Goad Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Members Followers: 4 Topic Count: 37 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 55 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 25 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/10/2019 Status: Offline Author Share Posted December 11, 2019 3 minutes ago, Sower said: If I may, why might you ask?..... I just thought the idea of God using divination was cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sower Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 14 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,262 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 5,874 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/09/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted December 11, 2019 16 minutes ago, Frank Goad said: I just thought the idea of God using divination was cool. I agree, as to God giving certain people understanding to 'see' the future for God's plan. cool. Much of the bible gives us the same/similar view of prophetic events in the future. And welcome to the forum, Frank. Ask all you want. Swhy I'm here, to learn.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor Posted December 11, 2019 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 957 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,630 Content Per Day: 5.04 Reputation: 9,077 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Online Birthday: 03/03/1885 Share Posted December 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Frank Goad said: I just thought the idea of God using divination was cool. God is against divination that is sure, but yes He also uses that which is evil to the good for those that will believe on Him. The woman used as a diviner, a fortune teller, for men's profit, being one great example of how God is sovereign in all matters: ..."As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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