Day 222: Enemies of the soul – Deuteronomy 13 vs 6 – 18

Be prepared for some really strong words that Moses spoke from God!

6-7 “Suppose someone secretly entices you - even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend - and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’ - gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. 8 But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them. 9-10 You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in. Stone the guilty ones to death because they have tried to draw you away from the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear about it and be afraid, and no one will act so wickedly again.

12-14 “When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, you may hear that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, ‘Let us go worship other gods’ - gods you have not known before. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. 15-16 If you find that the report is true and such a detestable act has been committed among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the  Lord your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. 17 Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a large nation, just as he swore to your ancestors.

18 “The Lord your God will be merciful only if you listen to his voice and keep all his commands that I am giving you today, doing what pleases him.” Deuteronomy 13:6-18 New Living Translation (English Standard Version link)

Many people who aren't Christians would probably have ‘freaked out’ if they read this section of Deuteronomy. Even many Christians will have thought it rather harsh. But what were two big reasons for such severity in vs 9-10, and vs 11?

Firstly, the wrongdoers were trying to entice others away from the God who had saved the nation. That would have led to disaster for many, many lives, and possibly the end of the nation itself. Secondly, capital punishment would show Israel how seriously evil idolatry is in God's eyes, and would be a strong deterrent to prevent others doing the same thing. So even if it was someone from one's own family or a friend calling people to reject God, the people were to put their love for God first. Happily, the New Testament doesn't call us to stone those who speak ill of God. One reason is because the Church isn't a 'national' institution. But we are still called to love God more than all others. Jesus said “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.” (Matthew 10:37)

In His wisdom God foresaw the danger of some people spreading false rumours about others. This tragically happens in Islamic countries where, even today, people can be stoned for what Muslims consider as blasphemy of their god. So some Muslims falsely accuse Christian neighbours of such a crime. What did God command to counteract such a situation among the Jews? (vs 12-14)

The people were not to act on hearsay – but were to fairly and carefully examine all the facts. But if a whole town was indeed involved in a conspiracy to lead the nation away from God, then that town was to be completely destroyed. What would be the result of Israel carrying out the sentence God passed? (vs 17)

If we still think this section is harsh, then it's only because we haven't grasped how terrible a thing idolatry is. Idolatry blinds people to God and to God's love. It brings a nation under demonic control and paganizes their lives. God wanted to protect Israel from such a situation. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth, a city where idols were common, he said: “My dear friends, flee from the worship of idols!” (1 Corinthians 10:14) In a similar way, we need to be careful of the company of anyone who we realise is having a negative impact on our love for Jesus and obedience to God’s word..