4 Biblical Rules on Divination: Understanding Deuteronomy 18

The Biblical description of divination is revealed through understanding Deuteronomy 18:10-13, which most people have either never read, or have misinterpreted. Personally, I’m exhausted of Christians leaning on these verses to label almost everything they see as “witchcraft” in today’s world. It’s a weird trend that’s giving Salem witch trial vibes, and I’m not into it. 

While our individual paths with God will all be unique, there are still certain Biblical rules we must adhere to. But this is never an issue when we’re truly walking with Him because He will never lead us astray. Scriptural interpretations can be both debated and misconstrued, but God’s plan for our lives will never contradict His Word. 

Let’s read Deuteronomy together and then examine the verses:

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.

Rule No.1: Put God First

Seeking guidance or wisdom from any form of mystic mentioned here is prohibited, as they circumvent the only correct pathway to God— through Jesus. Any information or advice provided by them is not from God, rather from demonic influence, so it’s a deception only meant to misguide us. We should go to God first with no exceptions and refuse to consult with any other entity or with a human who invokes these entities. 

If divinator titles like “charmer” or “wizard” aren’t connecting with you, titles such as life coach, therapist, holistic healer, reiki master, etc., also apply. For clarification, anyone or anything we put before God is in this category. Can some of these individuals provide temporary comfort? Maybe. But just remember that all these practices are linked to idolatry and should still never come before God. Not even your spouse, bestie, or mom come before God. Period. 

Rule No. 2: Follow God’s Timing 

The phrase “observer of times” reveals to us another forbidden practice. The KJV version translates this to the Jewish word Rashi which means “a period of time or season.” We should reject the idea that certain times or seasons are considered more or less “suitable” to focus on specific practices. Our personal timeline should be God’s timeline. 

For example, a popular new age practice is to “harness the power” of a full moon as it’s seen as the “best time” to release what no longer serves us. But this modality means we’re basing our spiritual steps around a moon phase and not on God’s plan for us. Just because the full moon is about to “release” its fullness as it becomes less visible, does not mean that’s what God wants us to focus on at the same time.

While we can appreciate the beauty of a full moon, we should not dictate our spiritual practices around what’s happening in nature at that moment. Could the timing of certain global events be in sync with your personal path? Sure. But it doesn’t mean that for everyone. Our relationship with God dictates what we focus on, work on, reflect on, rest on, etc.

Rule No. 3: Never Predict the Future

When we study scripture, we see that divination is strongly prohibited because its main use is for predicting the future. But this also includes seeking “confirmation” on current subjects because again, the information provided by mystics is not accurate and aims to influence or supersede God’s plan and His timing.

New age spiritualty takes this concept to the extreme and uses divination interpretations to “jump timelines,” as they call it. This concept is dangerous because it teaches people to make huge changes in their life based on the outcome of the divination tool (and the demons operating it.) For example, using a pendulum over a board that simply says “yes” or “no” could urge a person to quit their job, leave their marriage, or make some other major decision outside of God’s direction. 

Inaccurate predictions and suggestions are bad enough, but we’re way past that when people are using divination tools to make life altering choices that were never built into their personal life plan by God.  

The truth is that developing a genuine relationship with God will often reveal our future. How? It’s very simple. We can observe the things He is using to mold us in the present to get an idea of what our future holds. The dreams and desires that beat through our heart, the electric thoughts in our mind, and the beautiful creations that pour out from His inspiration within us are all guiding us toward the future He has already planned. If we’re walking close enough with Him, we should have a pretty good idea of what we’re being prepared for. 

Rule No. 4: Allow God’s Will

Verse 12 tells us that God will drive out abominations before us, meaning He will personally remove all things that do not belong on our path with Him. The reason this is so important is because when we are truly walking with Him, we submit to His will and allow the removal (and addition) of things He chooses for us. We do not “manifest” desired outcomes by leaning on our own understanding or by seeking counsel outside of God through mediums or necromancers. 

The lovely part about “submission” that Christians rarely mention is that spiritual submission is different than the worldly connotation. We desire to submit to God because we trust Him. It’s like holding your father’s hand when crossing the street as a child. The parent will present the hand holding as a requirement, yes, but we choose to hold it because the road is scary, and we know that we’re safer holding on. It’s a beautiful representation of a trusted bond, not some forced act of inferiority. 

This verse assures that God will not allow us to dwell with things He considers to be abominations when we allow Him to safely guide us through life. There’s no guessing or confusion about what is right for each of us when we’re following Him. We take His hand and let Him lead us. When He is not leading because we’re chasing our own will— what new age calls “follow your heart,” or “live your truth,” we will be surrounded by all kinds of lies and incorrect paths. These concepts are considered divinatory and not approved by God.

Verse 13 is not a rule, rather a projected promise, which is better than any fortune teller could ever offer us. We are perfect with the Lord our God because He is perfect and made us in His image. Trust that the children of a perfect God have been given the perfect plan for eternity, and leave it there. You want to know the future? You can read it in the Bible.

So, now that you have a better understanding of how the Bible describes divination, are your spiritual practices acceptable according to Deuteronomy? If not, that’s ok, but recognize this as an area to grow your connection with God. Ask Him to clearly reveal what is not correct for you, and to introduce new ideas that will help you spiritually mature. 

On a side note, I personally think that most people are so far away from God that any type of suggestion outside of Him can’t be trusted. Those who have no relationship with Him at all can easily be swayed or manipulated by anyone or anything, whereas those who have a strong relationship with God could still ask for advice from a friend or pastor, but not blindly obey it. If you do not know God, you might be walking paths suggested from something as trivial as a daily horoscope… and to me, that is very dangerous territory.

I hope this article was helpful! May the Lord continue to bless your journey into a deeper relationship with Him. Amen.

With Love, Michelle