If
a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let us go after other gods” (which you have not known) “and let us serve them”; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
Deuteronomy 12 [29.] When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations from before you, where you go in to dispossess them, and you dispossess them, and dwell in their land; be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” You shall not do so to Yahweh your God; for every abomination to Yahweh, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
Deuteronomy 13 [1.] If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let us go after other gods” (which you have not known) “and let us serve them”; you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after Yahweh your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cling to him. That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
Deuteronomy 13 [6.] If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend, who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods,” which you have not known, you, nor your fathers; of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near to you, or far off from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth; you shall not consent to him, nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him; but you shall surely kill him. Your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more wickedness like this among you.
Meaning:
Moses had just warned Israel not to copy the worship of the Canaanites. Now he warns about a subtler danger: a religious leader within Israel who performs signs and then leads people away from Yahweh.
- “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you”
The danger was that the deceiver would come from “among you” and look like a genuine messenger of God.
- “and the sign or the wonder comes to pass”
Here the sign actually happens. A prophet whose prediction fails has not spoken from Yahweh (Deuteronomy 18:22), but a sign that succeeds is not enough either. In Egypt Pharaoh’s magicians “did the same thing with their enchantments” as Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7:11). If the message says, “Let us go after other gods”, the prophet must be rejected.
- “for Yahweh your God is testing you”
God allows such deceivers to appear as a test of love. Will his people cling to him?
The Significance of Deuteronomy 13:1-3
- Signs must be tested by truth
Jesus warned that false christs and false prophets “will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones” (Matthew 24:24). John urges us to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).
- Love that holds fast
The test reveals whether we love God with all our heart. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Cross-References:
Matthew 24:24: "For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders," Jesus applies the warning.
Exodus 7:11: "did the same thing with their enchantments." Signs by Pharaoh’s magicians.
1 John 4:1: "Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits," Testing every message.
Conclusion: Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns that a prophet whose sign comes true must still be rejected if he calls people to other gods. Such deceivers test whether God’s people love him with all their heart. Believers must test every sign by God’s word.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible