Magic
The occult has fascinated people of every age and culture. Is it possible to control persons and events supernaturally?
While much of magic involved the use of charms and incantations, there are indications that supernatural powers as well as trickery may have been involved in some instances.
The Bible tells that Egypt´s magicians duplicated several of Moses´ miracles "by their secret arts"
read Exodus 7:11, 22; 8:7.But their resources soon failed to duplicate God´s acts, and the magicians were forced to confess, "This is the finger of God" Exodus 8:19.
Magic was part of their myth and the use of spells may have been part of the daily life of the ancients, magic was not always viewed as good.
During the time of Hammurabi he was against sorcery and called for the death sentence for those who practiced it.
Yet the influencing events by the supernatural was attractive, and astrologers and magicians were members of the official staff of advisers of world rulers such as Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
The Old Testament view of the occult forbade God´s people to practice any magic or occult art or to consult those who did so.
The practice was viewed so seriously that the death penalty was administered for any violations. Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27; Lev 19:31; 20:6.The nation of Israel was warned about all occult practices: Deuteronomy 18:9-12. Then the passage moves immediately to God´s promise to send prophets, who would be his messengers to his people. God´s people have no need to turn away from him.
He is committed to give them all the guidance they need and to act on their behalf.
The reason that the practice of the occult is such a serious sin is that it denies the power of God.
The God of Scripture is ruler of the natural and supernatural World, all is under his authority.To use magic to call spiritual forces is to deny God as master of all and to turn from God to other powers for help.
For the person who knows God as Lord and has established a personal relationship with him, turning to magic or the occult is a deadly Sin.
To turn to magic is to turn away from God and implies both a lack of trust in his power and doubts about his love.
Ancient magic bears a close resemblance to magic as practiced today by the few who still believe in it.
Books about modern magic express quite accurately the beliefs about magic held in and after Jesus´ day.The average person in the New Testament world thought that magic helped the user to control the gods, provide a defense against evil spirits, influence events, and manipulate other people.
It is interesting that in the first centuries of the church, those who opposed the Christian message did not deny Jesus´ miracles. Instead, they believed them to be magic.
Many called Apologists in the early church often argued that Jesus´ miracles were not accomplished by magic but by the power of God and that the miracles actually proclaimed Jesus to be God´s Son.
Acts also tells us that Paul´s mission to Ephesus was marked by healing miracles.
Some exorcists visiting Ephesus tried to use the name of Jesus in a magical way to expel a demon, and the person with the evil spirit "gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding" Acts 19:11:20.The passage goes on to tell that believers who had practiced magic (sorcery)in New International Version, impressed with Jesus´ power, burned their books of magic publicly.
We should take note of two things.
Where magic was regularly practiced, God performed "extraordinary miracles" to demonstrate his power and proclaim his messengers.The Greek word periergos "busybody" 1 Timothy 5:13, suggests the focus of the "magic" practiced by the general populace, it includes interfering with others.
Thus the purpose of the magic, that was practiced in Ephesus, was on obtaining psychic control of others.
This kind of magic often included such things as trying to make another person return love, harming or even attempting to bring about the death of an enemy.
It is likely that the burning of the books in Ephesus shows the dislike of magic and the occult but also a transformed attitude toward others.
Christians were certainly taught by Paul and by the Holy Spirit to view others as persons, not objects, and to love even ones enemies.
The Bible consistently rejects all forms of occult practice. Such practices deny the nature of God as sovereign Lord. And for persons in a personal relationship with the Lord, occult practices contradict the role God wants to play in our lives.The Bible does not deny that supernatural influences may be associated with some occult practices.
Demons are viewed as realities in the New Testament, and demonic activity may partially explain achievements made by the occult in this day and time.
But the Bible also affirms that there is no power or authority that can compete with God. The believer is ready to abandon every attempt to manipulate events or other persons and to rely on God to work out his good and perfect will. The believer submits to God´s will in all things and seeks only to follow the Lord closely.
Our future hinges not on what we are able to do, but on whether or not we place our faith in Jesus, the one who is able to act and able to meet our every need.
Exodus 7:11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts.
Exodus 7:22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh´s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
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Exodus 8:19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh´s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.
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Exodus 22:18 "Do not allow a sorceress to live."
Leviticus 20:27 "A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads."
Leviticus 19:31 "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God."
Leviticus 20:6 "I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people."
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Deuteronomy 18:9 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, or that 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.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners, but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
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Acts 19:11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.
12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."
14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"
16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.
19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
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1 Timothy 5:13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
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Last updated on June 10, 2005