Having warned them against worshiping idols, God warns them against false prophets and dreamers (v1-3). They were clearly deceived by those who worship other gods, now the warning comes about listening to those who give prophecies or relate dreams or visions which they say they have had. They were clearly told not to listen to them. The LORD was testing them regarding their full commitment to Him.
We often read in the Bible that people had dreams, Joseph, Daniel, Peter, Paul and dreams can be from God or they can be false. If we are to take any notice of dreams and visions, we must look for confirmation from God. The Bible shows us that the test of a true prophet was that what they said occurred. We must measure them against The Word of God.
We must be very careful of signs and wonders. In fact, we do not need to look for them, faith and trust in The Word of God is enough. Evil spirits can perform signs and wonders. Remember, when Moses went before Pharaoh at God’s command and did signs with his rod, Pharaoh’s magicians usually did the same. If we are dependent upon signs and wonders and miracles for our ‘faith’ it is not really faith in God at all. It is not that God is incapable of performing miracles/signs and wonders, He sometimes does, but that is not usually how God works today. He has no need to authenticate things today as we have His Word, a complete Bible. It is His Word which is powerful, and we need nothing more and nothing less as The Holy Spirit, who inspired the writing of it, will teach us and lead us into all truth.
In 2 Peter 2:1-3 we are warned, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time, their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”
Also 2 Peter 1:2-4 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
He has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness; therefore, I suggest that we don’t need prophecies and dreams.
The people of Israel were told that they must walk after The LORD their God and obey Him and serve Him. The false prophet and dreamer were to be put to death because he was seeking to turn them away from The LORD (v4,5). We do not have the power or authority to put people to death, but we should be ruthless in rejecting those who teach heresy and ignoring them.
God goes further and condemns even members of their own families, including their spouses and children, who seek to entice them to follow other gods, even in secret. Such people were to be put to death without pity (v6-11). Some of us have seen the devastation caused by wandering away from God even in our own families. God cares for us intimately and does not want us to go astray. We must be very careful to stamp out any hint of idolatry even among those closest to us.
Going wider to the community, God told them how to deal with idolatry in their nation (v12-14). They were to seek it out when they hear of it and investigate it with all due diligence. If it turns out to be true (v14-18) they were given instructions as to how to deal with it. Notice that it calls idolatry an abomination which was something totally displeasing to God. They were to kill the inhabitants of the city found to be guilty, destroy it completely with its livestock. Burn it and all its plunder which was to be gathered in the middle of the street with fire and never rebuild it.
We too must be careful to deal with things that are referred to as an abomination to God.
