Revelation Against Religion

The many references and allusions to divination and the magic arts in the Old Testament indicate that Israel lived in a pagan context. Therefore the Lord prohibited His people from mixing paganism with Yahwism. “The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so” (Deut. 18:14) Apart from the previous mentioned forms of legitimate divination and magic, whether ancient or new (Lev. 19:26-29; Deut. 18:10-11; Ezek. 13: 18-20) the prophets, also, uniformly condemned dependency on such religious expressions. Throughout Israel’s history, pagan rituals, including divination and magic, held a special attraction. Saul (1 Sam 28:3) and Josiah (2 Kings 23:24) attempted to purge those pagan practices. But other kings, such as Manasseh, encouraged all forms of paganism. RELIGION                                         REVELATION MANIPULATIVE                                Submission DIVINATION & MAGIC                     Divine Guidance and Protection REAL POLITIK                                    Divine Wisdom VOX POPULI                                      Counterculture