Old Testament Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 18:9 – 14 (NASB)
Deu 18:9 “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.
Deu 18:10 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
Deu 18:11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
Deu 18:12 “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.
Deu 18:13 “You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.
Deu 18:14 “For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:9 – 16 (KJV)
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Transforming Power Facts:
1) The Old Testament is filled with instances and accounts of God’s goal of sanctifying a people for His Own possession, who would resist the temptations of behaving just like everyone else from all the other nations , who operated according to their own desires, apart from any knowledge from God who had called His people, to a life of exemplary peace, mercy, and righteousness.
2) In Deuteronomy 18, the Jews are being called to live their lives to the glory of God unlike other surrounding nations who abused even their own sons and daughters as sacrifices to pagan deities, being led on through witchcraft, sorcery, and other worldly philosophies that defy God and His Word.
3) Learning to apply deep spiritual logic to our lives is the work and calling of the Holy Spirit, who is God, Who indwells each believer to instruct them into the deep things of the Word and Spirit of God, for the purpose of personal and global improvement, which is the Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ, who is to both learn and teach through the mystery of sound biblical reasoning.