Magic
Magicians
(people who practiced magic)
were common in Egypt.
Exodus 7:11
Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt,
they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
Exodus 8:7,18-19
7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there
were lice upon man, and upon beast.
19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened,
and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exodus 9:11
And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians,
and upon all the Egyptians.
Magic consisted in practicing divination. This is the attempt to discover hidden knowledge
by means of spirits, attempting to forcast the future, and trying to control the course of nature, humans, or
circumstances by the aid of supernatural powers or spirits.
Genesis 41:8
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of
Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret
them unto Pharaoh.
The Mosaic Law
strictly condemned all contact with magic.
These verses contain a list of occult magic practices, common in the religions of Canaan, that were an
abomination to God and forbidden by Him.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn
to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through
the fire, orthat useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations
the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Those among God's people in the Old Testament who practiced such things were to be
put to death.
Leviticus 20:27
A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death:
they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Saul sought a prophetic word from God in the midst of his trouble, but received none.
In despair he then turned to divination or a medium. God sent the spirit of Samuel to appear to Saul.
I Samuel 28:06-19
6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim,
nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and
inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came
to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom
I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those
that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause
me to die?
10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to
thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying,
Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw
gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with
a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed
himself
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore
distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more,
neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I
shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is
become thine enemy?
17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine
hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek,
therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow
shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
Magic is also condemned
in the New Testament.
Acts 19:17-20
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all,
and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before
all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
Revelation 9:20-21
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of
their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of
wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their
thefts.
Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter
in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever
loveth and maketh a lie.
Likewise the New Testament declares that those who practice such things will not enter the kingdom of
God
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter
in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever
loveth and maketh a lie.
Note the following facts:
- Spiritism is condemned in scripture.
Mediums do not really contact the dead, but usually communicate with deceiving spirits.
The story in I Samuel 28:06-19 gives no justification for attempting to make contact with the dead.
(Deut. 18:9-12; Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:26,31).
- A witch was a woman who practiced witchcraft and occultism.
To seek power, guidance, or knowledge from the supernatural realm of the dead or through demonic
activity was, and is, an abomination to God
(Lev. 19:31; Lev. 20:27; Deut. 18:9-12; I Sam. 28:7; Mal. 3:5).
- The woman was amazed and terrified when Samuel actually appeared.
This implies that she was expecting not Samuel, but a demonic spirit. Clearly Samuel's appearance was
not the result of her witchcraft.
- The appearance of Samuel was an act of God.
The appearance of the prophet was brought about by an extraordinary act of God Himself, in order to
deliver God's final message of defeat and death to the king.
The term "curious arts"
refers to the practice of sorcery.
- The burning of magical books shows that new believers in Christ were taught immediately
to turn away from occult practices.
Acts 19:18-20
18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together,
and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it
fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed
Witchcraft, black magic, sorcery, spiritism, and other occult practices are satanic activities,
comptelely incompatable with the Christian faith. One cannot be a true believer in Christ and
at the same time deal with spirits or attempt to gain contact with the dead. God forbids and condemns
all such activity as detestable (Deut. 18:9-12). Dabbling in the occult and spiritism will open one's life up
to powerful satanic influence and demonic possession.
- You can see by the story of the rich man and Lazarus that a person's fate is irreversible at death
and those in both heaven and hell are not able to contact the living. Only God can send someone
to contact the living but, He will not unless it is a special circumstance as with king Saul. The appearance of
the prophet Samuel to king Saul was brought about by an extraordinary act of God Himself, in order to
deliver God's final message of defeat and death to king Saul.
Luke 16:19-31
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously
every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs
came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom:
the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his
bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the
tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from
hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of
torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded,
though one rose from the dead.
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