Deuteronomy 13

Deuteronomy 13:1-5

Mister having warned them against the idolatry of Canaan, guards them against deceivers among themselves, who would draw them to idolatry. (1.) By the pretence of prophecy, ver. 1—5. (2.) By the pretence of friendship and relation, ver. 6—11. (3.) By the pretence of numbers, ver. 12—18. In all which cases the tempters must be utterly destroyed.

1. If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and ‘giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2. And ’the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (which thou hast not known) and let us serve them; 3. Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for ’the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and

you shall serve him, and ‘cleave unto him. 5. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death (because he hath + spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrift thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in; ) ’to shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

Moses would fain bar up every avenue to idolatry. He therefore cautions them against all lying prophets, which would failure them from God. 1. He supposes it godlike, that such would arise among themselves, and that God, to prove them, might suffer such impolism to do many strange things, in confirmation of their pretended mission; yet, if the design was so lead them to idolatry, that alone were sufficient proof of the lying and deceiving prophet. Observe, (1.) It seems very questionable, whether ever a false prophet wrought a real miracle, though by flight and diabolic help strange feats might be performed, as would appear such. But, (2.) No evidence, however strongly to appearance supported, is admissible against the revealed truths of God. Even miracles would be no proof of mission, if the doctrine were not according to godliness. 2. They are enjoined to reject, with abhorrence, such a motion, and not to backen to such an impious suggestion, but steadily to obey the voice of God, and walk in his way. Some temptations are not so much as to be debated with; they are so shocking that we may not so much as hearken to them; nor must they only turn from the evil, but put the evil from them, by the death of the deceiver; his very breath is presidential, and he must be cut off without delay. We can never be too earnest to remove the tempere far away from us.

6. ¶ If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or ’the wife of thy bohem, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers). 7. Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the ear end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth) 8. Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shall thou spare, neither shall thou conceal him. 9. But ’thou shalt surely kill him; ’thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10. And thou shalt thine him with bones, that he does because he hath fought to thrift thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of + bondage. 11. And ‘all Ifear shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

Deuteronomy 13:6-11

Our nearest and dearest relatives, in this behalf, must have no regard shown to them; should they accept us secretly to idolatry, the same holy indignation must fire our bohem against them; we must neither conceal nor pity them. Our hand must be first upon them to thine them, and then all the people; that thus both the evil may be removed, and such execution deter others from the like criminal attempts. Note, (1.) These temptations are doubly howitching, that come through those we love. (2.) The hope of secrecy and security in sin, is a great feare to lead men into it. (3.) To conceal the criminal from justice, is to be a party in his crime. (4.) The design of every execution is to strike terror into others, that they may be kept from the same guilty ways, and miserable end.

12. ¶ If thou shalt hear joy in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, 13. Certain men, + the children of Belial, ‘are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which ye have not known) 14. Then shalt thou enquire and make fearth, and ask diligently; and behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you: 15. Thou shalt surely favor the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, ‘destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. 16. And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever, it shall not be built again. 17. And ’there shall cleave nought of the g curled thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the

fiercenefs of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compaition upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; 18. When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, ’to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 13:12-18

In case of the general defection of any place to idolatry, the judgment upon it is here determined. 1. It is supposed the city had been inhabited by the Israelites, and that they are universally turned to idolatry, at the instigation of some daring sinners, the children of Belial: had examples are dreadfully contagious. In this case, 2. On information, which must be carefully made, without passion or prejudice, if the fact appeared true before the Sanhedrism, admonition was first given them to repent, lay the Jews, by two wise men, which if they refused, the whole congregation camped against the city. The few faithful, if such were found, would no doubt save themselves by flight; the rest were universally devoted to destruction; their city, and all their goods, utterly burnt; not the least particular might be reserved, on pain of death, but the place made a dunghill for ever, as a monument of righteous vengeance. Note, (1.) All who depart from God will surely perish. (2.) We are bound to these our abhorrence against all Papish idol-worships, with all indoless and irreligious. (3.) Though sinners, through their quality or multitude, may be now above the sword of human justice, they will shortly find they are within the reach of God.