Halloween is a holiday that most children look forward to, because they get to dress up as their favorite storybook character or superhero; and then go knocking on doors and hopefully come home with a big bag full of candy. And what’s that expression that kids say while they’re standing on someone’s doorstep? TRICK or TREAT! Meaning, “You’d better give me a treat or I’ll play a trick on you!” According to Dictionary.com, the word “trick” is defined as “a crafty or underhanded . . . maneuver, stratagem, or the like, intended to deceive or cheat,”(1) and the word “treat” means “to act or behave toward (a person) in some specified way,” such as treating someone with respect.(2)
I’ve entitled our message this morning “Tricking or Treating God.” We should all be “treating” the Lord with our devotion and reverence. But how many of us are trying to “trick” Him? How many of us are doing things that we believe will appease God, while at the same time we’re pleasing the world or perhaps even ourselves? Allow me to ask another question related to our Scripture. How many of us going to church on Sunday morning, while dabbling with the occult during the week? Now, you’re probably thinking that these are some silly questions, but we’re going to see something this morning which many of us do that God equates with occult practices. So, let’s go ahead and get started with Deuteronomy 18:9-12, and I’m going to be reading from the King James Version.
Stay Away from Occult Practices (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, 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.
This passage describes what we would call occult practices. The first thing we read in verse 10 is this: “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire.” According to Leviticus 18:21, passing children through the fire was done in the name of the Phoenician deity Molech. These idols were huge metal statues of a man with a bull’s head. Each image had a hole fashioned in the abdomen where a fire was lit and babies were burned. When a couple sacrificed their firstborn, they believed that Molech would ensure financial prosperity.(3) Now, you might say, “Preacher, we don’t do this kind of thing today.” But we do. In America, we are sacrificing our children to abortion, which claims the lives of nearly 862,000 babies each year.
Verse 10 also mentions, “There shall not be found among you any one . . . that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.” “Divination” is telling secret things, or things to come, by unlawful arts and practices,(4) such as someone who uses a crystal ball or tarot cards, or who reads palms. An “observer of times” superstitiously pronounces some days good and others unlucky. He is an observer of the heavens, who divines by the motion of the clouds, by the stars, or by the flight of birds,(5) such as the writers of the Farmer’s Almanac. An “enchanter” discovers hidden things by observation of water or smoke, or by observation of animal behavior.(6) He remarks that certain things are ominous; as when a morsel of food falls out of a man’s mouth, a deer crosses his path, or when someone’s staff falls out of his hand.(7) A “witch” is one who is in covenant with the devil, and by his or her help deludes and hurts other people.(8)
Verse 11 mentions, “There shall not be found among you . . . a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer” (vv. 10a, 11). A “charmer” is one who pretends to cure diseases by charms; or he is a charmer of serpents.(9) He is also one who foretells the events of men’s lives by the conjunction of the stars, such as those who make use of horoscopes.(10) A “consulter with familiar spirits” is one who calls upon spirits to engage in evil and harmful works through the use of certain words or rites.(11) Some of them fooled people through ventriloquism, as they seemed to speak out of the belly.(12) A “wizard” is a male witch. He is a cunning man, who by superstitious ways undertakes the revelation of secret things.(13) A “necromancer” is one who calls up the dead and inquires of them.(14) The witch of En Dor who, at Saul’s request, called up Samuel from the dead is an example of a necromancer (cf. 1 Samuel 28).
Again, you’re probably thinking, “Now preacher . . . We live in a rationale society. No one thinks or does any of these things.” Well, if you feel this way, then the trick’s on you! People will go to palm readers, or pick up a tabloid in the checkout line and read their horoscope; and they will try to predict the weather by the color of wooly worms, or predict blood flow by the cycle of the moon. People are afraid that someone is going to die when a picture falls off the wall, and some people are self-proclaimed Wicca witches. Others will wear charms and crystals to align their chakras; they will scarf down herbs for their health and well-being, and even recite certain words in order to achieve success in what’s called the power of positive thinking. Nothing has changed. People are people, and they have always been fascinated with superstition and the occult.
Some of the things I mentioned seem harmless, but we read in verse 12 that “all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.” Now, that doesn’t mean they’re furry and cute like the abominable snowman on Looney Tunes. The word “abomination” means “anything greatly disliked or abhorred; intense aversion or loathing,” and “vile, shameful, or detestable.”(15) God said that this occult behavior was part of the culture of the native inhabitants of Canaan (v. 9), and that He despised it. He also alluded to the warning that should Israel ever act like them, then they would be driven out of the land just as the Canaanites were driven out – and we’re getting ready to look at an Israelite who was driven out from the presence of the Lord for this type of behavior. Let’s not forget how Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
So, the things I have shared from this passage are obvious practices that scream of the occult. When we see someone taking part in any of these things, then we will know that individual is not “treating” God with devotion and reverence; but rather, he or she is misbehaving like a devious child trying to play a “trick” on someone. But God cannot be deceived. Galatians 6:7, in the Contemporary English Version, says, “You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant.” But some people seem to think they can trick the Lord by making excuses and casting their sin in a different light, which is what we are getting ready to see in our next passage. So, let’s now turn to 1 Samuel 15:22-23; and we will still be reading from the King James Version.
Shocking Words about Rebellion (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
22 And Samuel said, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
According to this passage, King Saul was practicing witchcraft and idolatry (v. 23), but he was doing so – whether deliberately or not – in such a way that no one knew it; that is, no one except God. In these verses, we see Samuel chastising Saul for not following God’s express orders. So, allow me to briefly summarize what occurred in the first part of this chapter. Whenever Saul was getting ready to attack the Amalekites at God’s command, the Lord told him to destroy all the people, possessions and animals of Amalek (vv. 2-3); however, Saul decided to keep King Agag alive as a trophy (v. 8). He then paraded him throughout the city in order to brag, and he set up a monument to himself (v. 12). Saul also kept alive the best of the livestock for himself (v. 9), and then he then tried to “trick” the Lord by saying he did it all as an offering, or as a “treat,” for God (vv. 20-21).
Samuel basically asked, “Does the Lord delight more in worship or obedience?” (v. 22); and he answered that God is more interested in obedience. Commentator Matthew Poole says, “To obey is better than sacrifice, because obedience to God is a moral duty [and] constantly . . . necessary; but sacrifice is [just] a ceremonial institution, sometimes unnecessary . . . and sometimes sinful, [such as] when it is offered by a polluted hand, or in an irregular manner; therefore, [one’s] gross disobedience to God’s express command is not to be compensated [for] with sacrifice.”(16) Our behavior is often akin to Saul’s; such as when we live like the devil during the week, and then enter the sanctuary on Sunday morning attempting to appease God with our empty rituals of worship.
Now, there are two behavioral issues, or sins, that will lead us to “trick” the Lord rather than “treat” Him – rebellion and stubbornness. “Rebellion” is defined as “conscious disobedience to the express commands of the Eternal.”(17) If you tell someone, “Don’t do that!” or “You had better do this!” then they will do just the opposite. That’s called rebellion. A contemporary example pertains to the vaccine mandates. I’ve heard it said that if the benefits of the vaccine had been emphasized, and it had been left up to personal choice, then more people would have gotten vaccinated. However, since the government has declared, “You have to do it!” then people are refusing to “get the jab.” Once again, that’s called rebellion. It’s like when a pastor says you should find ways to be of more service in the church; and in response, you drop out of any and all positions you once held.
Verse 23 says that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” Beth Moore says, “The comparison seems puzzling until we consider that rebellion is a means by which we [ourselves] attempt to set the course of our future. We try to choose our own future by our independent actions, [like witchcraft or divination which] attempts to foretell or sway the future.”(18) When we think of playing an evil trick on someone at Halloween, we might envision someone all dressed up like a witch; but when it comes to playing an evil trick on God, we might want to take a look in the mirror. According to the Bible, when we rebel against the Lord, and then simultaneously offer our pretend sacrifices on Sunday morning, then we’re all dressed up for Halloween, and we really are a witch!
Now, “stubbornness” is defined as “willful and presumptuous sin, whereby a man violently breaks loose from God’s command, and resists His authority,” or “[continuance] in sin, justifying it, and pleading for it, which was Saul’s present crime.”(19) Stubbornness is also defined as “obstinate resistance to [God].” It is pure disobedience to what the Lord teaches in the Scripture.(20) For example, when the Lord says, “Be reconciled to your brother before you come and offer your gift in worship” (my paraphrase of Matthew 5:23-24), and you continually attend church, being unable to look your brother in the eye – then as you refuse to make amends, you are being stubborn and disobedient.
Verse 23 says that “stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” “The Hebrew word aven, rendered ‘iniquity,’ literally signifies ‘nothingness.’ It is a word used in the late prophets for an idol (Hosea 10:9; Isaiah 66:3).” The worship of idols is nothingness and an exercise in futility. The Hebrew word teraphim, rendered ‘idolatry,’ refers to “small household gods or idols, venerated as the arbiters of good and evil fortune.”(21) Now, keep the Hebrew word teraphim for “idolatry” in your mind, as I’m going to come back to it in just a moment and share another meaning and spiritual insight. So, how is stubbornness like idolatry? Beth Moore asks the stimulating question, “When we are arrogant, who becomes God in our lives?”(22) The answer she provides is that “we do.” Elliot’s Commentary states, “Disobedience is in fact idolatry, because it elevates self-will into a god.”(23)
So, stubbornness is born out of self-will and thinking only of ourselves. It actually boils down to a matter of personal comfort. You see, that Hebrew word for idolatry, which is teraphim, is derived from a root word signifying “to live comfortably.”(24) For example, if someone sacrificed to an idol, such as Molech, it was supposed to help them prosper so they could live at ease. So, what are some ways that we try to make the Christian life easy on ourselves? Well, if we’re at odds with someone in the church, then we might try to avoid that person, because it’s more comfortable than trying to talk things out. Or, when we hear about the Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28, we might refuse to share our faith, because talking to people about Christ can be scary. It’s more comfortable to say nothing and do nothing, and just warm a pew on Sunday morning.
It’s easy to recognize obvious occult practices like fortune-telling and witchcraft, and then condemn those who do such things; but the Lord views rebellion and stubbornness as falling in line with the occult. So, what is His response? Back in Deuteronomy 18:12, He said, “Because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee,” meaning that God drives the people who do such things out of His sight and away from His presence. And look at what God, through the voice of Samuel, told King Saul: “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (v. 23). Occult practices, and even rebellion and stubbornness, result in being rejected by God as we “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30) and “quench the spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and He departs from our presence.
Verse 22 asks, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?” We’ve got to stop trying to “trick” God with our empty sacrifices and “treat” Him the way He deserves – with obedience first and then worship. In Amos 5:21-23, the Lord says, “I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments” (NKJV). If we, as individuals or a church, are living in rebellion and stubbornness, then there is no amount of sacrifice and devotion that can make up for it. There is no amount of church attendance and singing of praise songs that will usher in an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We need to get rid of our “tricks” and offer up our “treats.”
Time of Reflection
In closing, allow me to read some selected verses from Psalm 78: “For He established . . . a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God . . . They flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue; for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath” (Psalm 78:5-8, 36-38 NKJV).
There are a couple of major things we learn from this passage. First, if we don’t want our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to become stubborn and rebellious against God, then we need to teach them His commandments and live His commandments. And secondly, the Lord is full of compassion and mercy towards underserving sinners – those who are stubborn and rebellious! We read in Ephesians 2:1-4, “You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins . . . We all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (NKJV).
The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We all deserve hell for our stubbornness and rebellion, because it is sin; however, can somebody say BUT GOD! We read in Ephesians, “But God, who is rich in mercy” (2:4), and in Psalm, “But He, being full of compassion” (78:38). Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (NKJV). God’s compassion and forgiveness were made available to us when someone stepped in and died for our sins; and that Someone was Jesus. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” If the Lord is drawing you unto Himself and you want to know His mercy and grace, then I invite you to come and pray to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life.
NOTES
(1) “Trick,” Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/trick (Accessed October 21, 2021).
(2) “Treat,” Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/treat (Accessed October 21, 2021).
(3) “Who Was Moloch/Molech?” GotQuestions.org: https://www.gotquestions.org/who-Molech.html.
(4) Matthew Poole, “Matthew Poole’s Commentary,” Power BibleCD (Bronson, MI: Online Publishing, Inc., 2007).
(5) Ibid.
(6) Ibid.
(7) John Gill, “Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible,” Bible Hub: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/deuteronomy/18.htm (Accessed October 21, 2021).
(8) Poole.
(9) Gill.
(10) Poole.
(11) Ibid.
(12) Gill.
(13) Poole.
(14) Ibid.
(15) “Abomination,” Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/abomination (Accessed October 21, 2021).
(16) Poole.
(17) Elliot’s Commentary for English Readers: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/1_samuel/15-23.htm (Accessed October 21, 2021).
(18) Beth Moore, A Heart Like His (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1999), pp. 43-44.
(19) Poole.
(20) Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/1_samuel/15-23.htm (Accessed October 21, 2021).
(21) Elliot’s Commentary for English Readers.
(22) Moore, pp. 43-44.
(23) Elliot’s Commentary for English Readers.
(24) Ibid.
