“Divination”

Saturday, October 26, 2013

If the Bible condemns divination, then why do God's people divine by casting lots and divine by using the Urim and Thummim?  And if the Bible forbids contact with witches and wizards, then why were God's people allowed to consult prophets and seers?

Sincerely,
Consulting The Crystal

Dear Consulting The Crystal,

The Bible condemns the worship and reverence of any god other than the one true God (Ex 20:3).  Prophets and seers were sent by God (Jer 44:4) and were mouthpieces for God (2 Chr 36:12).  Witches and wizards seek power and authority from false gods and demons.

Casting lots and the Urim and the Thummim are the same issue.  When the Israelites cast lots, they did it in the sight of God and in the hopes that God would answer them (Josh 18:6).  The Urim and the Thummim were also God-sanctioned tools.  God specifically told the priest to use these two stones to help in making judgments (Ex 28:30).

The definition for ‘divination’ is ‘the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means’.  When Israel sought knowledge in ways that God condoned – that sort of divination was permissible.  What is condemned is seeking knowledge through supernatural means other than God.

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