Psychic?
Across from our booth this year at the Kingston Fall Fair was a booth where folks could get a 15 minute psychic reading and an "auracature" for $20. It was rather discouraging to see a steady stream of souls duped into paying a man who knows nothing about them to answer a question which is pressing on their hearts. At the same time, there was but a slight trickle of people expressing interest in information about the Lord's church and what He has done on our behalf. Discouraging, and yet revealing of the delinquent nature of our society.
I did not get an opportunity to speak with the fella, but could hear the emotional response of some of his clients. "That's so scary!" one your woman exclaimed. What he had said to scare her, I do not know. Will what he said take place? That I don't know either. If it does, is he endowed with a psychic power? Maybe, maybe not.
Does the Bible have anything to say about psychics? God spoke to Israel about the inhabitants of the land:
There shall not be found among you anyone who ...practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)He went on to reveal:
...these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you. The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear... (Deuteronomy 18:14-15)
Rather than heeding the soothsayers or diviners (psychics) of the land, as the pagans did, God expected His people to heed the prophet He would send, Jesus Christ. If we are now in the days which the Messiah has come, shall we not be focussed on what He has said, and not turn to abominations?
soothsayer - Heb.  (aw-nan')to cover ... to cloud over; to act covertly, i.e., practice magic ... enchanter... (Strong's) diviner - Heb.  (kaw-sam')to distribute, i.e. determine by lot or magical scroll ...to divine (Strong's) |
“...shall we not be focussed on what He (Jesus Christ) has said, and not turn to abominations?”
In the New Testament, we find a
...certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, 'These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.' And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. (Acts 16:16-19)
Notice a few things from this account:
- her ability was the result of demon possession. The time of unclean spirits has ceased (Zechariah 13:2);
- her abilities were exploited by her masters, who in turn exploited others for profit;
- even though she revealed truth, at least with regard to Paul and Silas' identity and mission, Paul was much annoyed with her. Though an evil spirit might speak the truth, God is not glorified. Paul commanded the spirit to come out of her in Jesus' name.
"But he was right on with what he said," someone might argue. So was this young girl, but it was still an offense to the servants of God whom she followed. A psychic may reveal things that are true, but that doesn't justify the practice of soothsaying or divination. God's word, both Old and New Testament condemns it.
"But there's power there," another might contend. Is there? Some "fortune-telling" relies upon generic truths which are applicable to a broad segment of society. Some may be skilled at reading folks, and extracting information to form a profile of the client. And yet some may give very detailed predictions. It may be, that some psychic visitors become self-fulfilling prophecies. The belief that a certain thing will happen will at times induce the event itself. The power therein is the power of suggestion. Or maybe, just maybe, there is some power present, but if so, then it is part of the parcel which the Bible describes as
...the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
Paul exhorted the Ephesians, "...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:11). Let us be sure to do so. Do not partake in, but expose wickedness, including modern day divination.
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Answering The Atheist
Complaint:
What is God's name? Exodus 6:2-3 says it is "Jehovah"; Exodus 34:14 says it is "Jealous"; and Exodus 3:14 says it is "I AM." Is there a contradiction?
Response:
Lambert Dolphin's The Names Of God gives an extensive list of names which are found in both the Old and New Testament which are used to describe God. Here is a small sample:
EL; ELOHIM; EL SHADDAI; ADONAI; JEHOVAH; JEHOVAH-JIREH; JEHOVAH-ROPHE ... EL ELYON; ABHIR; BRANCH; KADOSH; SHAPHAT; EL ROI; ...
Dolphin's list is rather extensive, certainly surpassing the three names (Jealous, Jehovah, I AM) identified by the questioner. But how can that be? How can God have more than one name? Quite simply, these (including Jealous, Jehovah, and I AM) are not so much names, as they are descriptions of the nature of God.
The Hebrew word rendered "name" in the English is shem. Strong's defines it as "...an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character..." The significance is not so much the idea of a name, but what the "name" reveals about the honor, authority and character of the one being described.
In the texts in question, God is identified as being Jehovah ( Exodus 6:2-3), Jealous (Exodus 34:14), and "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). What do such words reveal about the honor, authority and character of God?
Jehovah reveals the eternal nature of God, being understood as "the self-Existent." God relies upon no one for His existence; in fact, He is the source of life for all others.
Jealous reveals that God expects our undivided devotion. Being our Creator and sustainer, He certainly deserves our adoration and praise.
"I AM," like Jehovah, speaks of God's existence. However, the nature of it is not "I did exist," "I will exist," "I have existed," etc.. It is a declaration of eternal existence.
These three names, and hundred more are applied to God. There is no contradiction.
This article is in response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible