Date:         Thu, 2 Feb 1995 17:33:07 +0100
Reply-To:     t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Sender:       Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
              
From:         Teus Benschop 
Subject:      Deuteronomy 13
 
  Contents
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     1.    Introduction
     2.    Explanation
     3.    Questions
 
 
 
  1. Introduction
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  This  is an issue  of a continuous explanation  of the Bible-book Dvarim,
  that is  Deuteronomy. If something is unclear in the explanation, ask the
  editor. The Bible-text is taken from the King James version.
 
 
  Deuteronomy 13.
 
  Title: Warning against false prophets
 
  Short contents:
  Moshe prescribes  the people  how they  must behave themselves  against a
  false  prophet,  who  would  bring  them  away from  God;  against  other
  apostates, even the close family; and against an apostate city.
 
 
 
  2. Explanation
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  In the previous  chapter, Moshe warned against the  idols of the nations,
  who were around them. In this chapter, Moshe warns the people against the
  false prophets.  Not the prophets  from the nations  around, but prophets
  out their own midst. This is much more dangerous.
     1  If there arise  among you  a prophet, or  a dreamer  of dreams, and
     giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
  Moshe  speaks about  a prophet, but  it is  clear that  he means  a false
  prophet.  In  this way,  it happens  in  practice. Every  liar  covers up
  himself with the name of true prophet. He also imitates the appearance of
  the true prophets. In ancient times, the prophets wore a rough  coat. The
  false prophets imitated this.  Tanach calls it a favour of  God, when the
  false prophets will no more imitate the true prophets. "And it shall come
  to  pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his
  vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear  a rough garment
  to deceive,"  Zech.13:4. Therefore, the  true or false  prophet cannot be
  recognized in his exterior or his name. Moshe also speaks about a dreamer
  of dreams.  For that  happened often  in that  time. But  now, after  the
  revelation is finished, this happens only seldom. Also this false dreamer
  cannot be recognized by his name. What it makes still worse is, that they
  also can give a sign or wonder. From this is clear, that signs and wonder
  cannot come forth only of God,  but also Satan has might to do this. From
  this we learn that we not can rely on signs and on wonders. For this says
  totally nothing.
     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;
  Moshe  says that this sing or wonder can come. From this we see that with
  "the sign or the wonder" is meant a prediction of an event. So, it can be
  so that a false prophet predicts something,  and that it also comes true.
  Take Balaam as an example. He was a  miser, but he prophesied some truth.
  For   a matter of  fact, why did Balaam prophecy  some truth? Because God
  turned Balaam's curse into a blessing. "Nevertheless Adonai thy God would
  not hearken  unto Balaam;  but Adonai  thy God  turned the  curse into  a
  blessing unto thee, because Adonai  thy God loved thee," Deut.23:5. So we
  see that only the giving of a sign or a wonder is not enough. The prophet
  must be tried in more things.  When the prophet would head for  idolatry,
  "saying: Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us
  serve  them", than he surely is a  false prophet. By this sign, Balaam is
  well distinguishable.  Balaam has  indeed advised  to idolatry.  "Behold,
  these caused the  children of Israel, through  the counsel of  Balaam, to
  commit trespass against  Adonai in the  matter of Peor,  and there was  a
  plague  among the  congregation  of Adonai,"  Num.31:16. Overseeing  all,
  Moshe admonishes us to  do not like the  dull people, who run behind  all
  kinds  of  signs and  wonders.  We must  thoroughly  try the  doctrine of
  someone. The  doctrine of  a prophet  must totally correspond  with God's
  Word.  But how can we  test the doctrine of  someone, when we  not have a
  thorough knowledge of our own doctrine? So, it is necessary that there is
  a  good  knowledge is  the  true doctrine,  which will  increase  by much
  exercise.
     3 Thou  shalt not  hearken unto  the words  of that  prophet, or  that
     dreamer of dreams: for Adonai your God proveth you, to know whether ye
     love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
  When a prophet has got up, and  gives a sign, then the people  will start
  doubting. Is  he good  or is  he false?  But after  the false  prophet is
  discovered, all  doubt has  to be  over. When  the prophet advises  other
  gods, then  one may not  hear to that  man. It is possible  that somebody
  asks in himself: Why does God allow that false prophets get  up? It has a
  reason. The LORD proves us with that to know if we love Him. It is not so
  that God not beforehand knew what was in the heart. For He even knows all
  the hideaways  of our heart, much better  than we know them.  So, here is
  meant that  it will  become public  whether somebody  loves God.  So that
  everyone can see  it. It can  be that there  is someone who says  that he
  loves God. God will prove it by  sending a heresy. That man is advised to
  leave his God, and  to serve other gods. Now will appear whether he loves
  God or not. When he loves God, then he well takes heed for the idols. But
  when he serves God only for the gains, he will have no problem in serving
  other gods. Moshe says us that we  must serve God with all our  heart and
  with all our soul. So, when the true believer fades somewhat in his love,
  he surely  will be deducted  from God. So,  it is possible that  also the
  true believers err. And that by their own slovenliness. They had deviated
  a little from God, and did not cleave unto Him.
     4 Ye  shall walk  after Adonai your  God, and fear  him, and  keep his
     commandments, and obey his  voice, and ye shall serve him,  and cleave
     unto him.
  Moshe recommends the  service of God against  the idolatry. For this,  he
  uses many  words. "Walking  after"; everywhere,  where God goes,  also we
  must go there. The people in the desert  did so. "Go and cry in the  ears
  of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith Adonai; I remember thee, the kindness of
  thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the
  wilderness, in  a  land that  was not  sown,"  Jirmejah 2:2.  The  people
  followed the  LORD,  and the  LORD showed  them the  way. "Moreover  thou
  leddest them in the day by a  cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar
  of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go," Nechemjah
  9:12. Further, Moshe uses  another word. "Cleaving unto"; as  it were the
  cleaving after God. This is a matter which if of importance for the life.
  They, who went  after Baal-Peor, an idol,  they all were killed.  "But ye
  that did cleave  unto Adonai  your God are  alive every one  of you  this
  day," Deut.4:4.  The others  left God,  but who  cleaved unto Him  stayed
  alive. Moshe says this not only to the people of then. He says it also to
  us. Also to us applies this, that we must "walk after God, fear Him, keep
  His commandments,  obey His voice, serve  Him, cleave unto Him".  When we
  not do this, we will at first be carried away by little errors. They will
  always become more  until the wrath of  God will put us  away. Therefore,
  student,  cleave unto the  LORD with all  your heart, soul,  and with all
  your powers.
     5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams,  shall be put to death;
     because he hath  spoken to turn you  away from Adonai your  God, which
     brought you  out of  the land of  Egypt, and redeemed  you out  of the
     house  of bondage, to thrust thee out of  the way which Adonai thy God
     commanded thee to  walk in. So shalt  thou put the evil away  from the
     midst of thee.
  That false  prophet will be  killed. We must  well keep  in mind to  whom
  Moshe speaks here. He speaks to the nation. So, the people must kill that
  prophet. It is not so that everybody is a judge. No, the task is given to
  the  total nation.  The government  represents the  total nation,  so the
  government is  charged to protect  the true religion,  and to exterminate
  the false. The  government may not be  neutral to the religion.  Also the
  government has  to  serve  the  LORD  with  their  whole  power.  Is  the
  punishment  for the  false prophet  not  somewhat hard?  No,  because the
  prophet would have made that many would be killed. When the prophet would
  have succeeded, then the whole nation would be driven away from God. This
  would arouse  the wrath of God, and He  would exterminate the people. So,
  it  is better  to deactivate  that prophet  in good  time. However,  this
  applies  only to  that prophet who  persists in  his error. For  "he that
  covereth his sins  shall not prosper: but  whoso confesseth and forsaketh
  them shall  have mercy," Prov.28:13. The  commandment of God  is given to
  the  people as a solid rule. The LORD has saved them out Egypt, and would
  they leave  Him now? Will  they transgress His  commandments, and deviate
  from the way? No, this cannot  be. "So shall you  put the evil away  from
  the midst of you."
     6 If thy brother,  the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter,
     or the wife of thy  bosom, 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;
  Previously,  Moshe spoke about  the false teachers, but  now he starts to
  speak about  the personal life. Also therein, it can happen that somebody
  advises you  to serve the idols. Your brother,  son, daughter or wife, or
  somebody else. Although that person is  such a intimate friend, he cannot
  commit idolatry. Many are inclined to  indulge very much to their  family
  or partner. Even when they would deny God, still they  would overlook the
  error. This is not allowed. God must be served above all, even above them
  who we love. So, when there is somebody, no matter who, who would made us
  commit idolatry, we  must report him. Herein,  we see that we  because of
  God  must deny even the closest relations. Who  not does this, when it is
  necessary, cannot serve  God. For he would put God on the second or lower
  place. But God is the  Highest, and must keep the highest  place. Also in
  our life. Here  is no place for  weakness. However, also here  it applies
  only to the  stiffnecked. When one has during a long time the opportunity
  to leave the  idolatries, but even then  not does it, he  is stiffnecked.
  But who confesses his sins and also refrains from them, mercy will happen
  to him. Moshe speaks about the secretly enticing. For the idolatry begins
  in the secret. When  it not soon will be  suppressed, than it will  break
  out in the public. But let we not  point only to the others. Let we  also
  put away our own idolatries; at least exterminate them. This must already
  happen in the beginning, when they are  still little. All things, whereon
  we rely besides God,  is idolatry. This must be away.  Let we also not be
  tenderheartedly against ourselves. The extermination of own sins might be
  painful for the  flesh, but afterwards it  will yield a blessed  fruit of
  godly fear.
     7  Namely, of the gods  of the people which are  round about you, nigh
     unto thee, or  far off from thee, from  the one end of  the earth even
     unto the other end of the earth;
  Israel was totally surrounded by  the idolatrous nations. They were round
  about  them at all sides. The  direct neighbour-lands, but also the lands
  which  were  far  away. Israel  was  the  only land  which  had  the true
  religion.  "From the one end of the  earth even unto the other end of the
  earth", for all their idols  Israel had to take heed. It  was the case in
  that time,  and it  is the same  now. The  true people  of God  are still
  surrounded by idolatry, close to and far away. There is always danger for
  him who lives  in the world, that he  adapts himself to the  world. Here,
  Moshe forbids this. The people must live in seclusion. This separate life
  consists in the life with God,  separated from the heathen. "For  wherein
  shall it  be known  here that I  and thy people  have found grace  in thy
  sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So  shall we be separated, I
  and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth,"
  Exod.33:16. The true  people of God do  not join in the world.  They, who
  have gone  to the  world with  their stunning idolatries,  have apostated
  from God.
     8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall
     thine  eye pity  him, neither  shalt  thou spare,  neither shalt  thou
     conceal him:
  Moshe  speaks about  all  kinds  of family  relations.  Even the  closest
  relation;  husband, wife or children.  When they lead you  away from God,
  "you shall not  consent unto him". You  even cannot listen to  them: "nor
  hearken unto him", but  you must at the  same moment cut off the  matter.
  Also do  not adduce  easing circumstances,  "neither shall your  eye pity
  him". "Neither  shall you spare, neither  shall you conceal  him". At the
  first glance, this  seems rather hard. But this is  not so, as already is
  said earlier.  For, here it  is not about one  ho is snared in  an error.
  Such a one  will be docile. After  a warning, he will  no more go to  the
  idols. But here, it  is about one who maintains to  serve the idols. Then
  comes the moment that it is enough. The LORD has more then four centuries
  beared the  idolatry of  the heathen  in Kenaan,  but after  that it  was
  enough. Four centuries, because the  Lord is very longsuffering. But they
  did not  return, and  stayed stiffnecked. At  that moment,  it was  God's
  time. So, the  conclusion of this verse is, that  here is not commanded a
  merciless hardness against the closest family, but a righteous judgement.
  Sometimes,  this righteous  judgement can  seem hard,  but that  does not
  matter.
     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.
  This killing  must not happen through the common man. The jurisdiction is
  a task of the government. Nevertheless, here is said: "your hand shall be
  first upon him to  put him to death". But this  means something else. The
  judges will condemn the server of  idols, but the witness will throw  the
  first stone  on him.  "And afterwards the  hand of  all the  people". The
  witness must  throw  as the  first,  which cautions  us to  witness  very
  carefully. We must not listen to the first rumour, but we must be totally
  convinced of the truth of the accusation. By the way, we  learn something
  more of this. It  happens often that there is talked  about other people.
  They  talk and talk, and say to have heard this and that, but they do not
  know the truth. This is  not good. For, when  we talk about other  people
  and say bad  things about them, then these are stones,  which we throw on
  them. This gossiping is not the work of God's children. God's children do
  not speak falsely, but they make peace. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
  they shall prosper that love  thee," Ps.122:6. Concerning peace, it could
  happen that  we fall in a  sleepy rest and in a false  peace, and that we
  leave  the  fight  against  the  sins.  When  that  happens,  the  wicked
  enormously increase  in number  and power.  Therefore, we must  not allow
  several  godlessness under  the appearance  of peace. We  must thoroughly
  exterminate this. Moshe tells this to us in the next verse.
     10 And thou shalt stone him with  stones, that he die; because he hath
     sought to thrust thee away from Adonai thy God, which brought thee out
     of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
  The server of  idols must surely be  killed, because he wanted  to thrust
  the people away from God. When the people would be bumped away from  God,
  then the people would be punished  by God to death. Either the people had
  to die, or the  server of idols had to die. One of both. It is not small,
  what he wanted to do. "He  hath sought to thrust you away from Adonai thy
  God, Which  brought you  out of  the land  of Egypt,  from  the house  of
  bondage". That good and lovely God, Who has done so many good things. Who
  has passed by so many transgressions of the people. Would they leave Him?
  That would  be more than terrible.  That would be very  unthankfully. The
  LORD has done several  good things to the people until  now. Still daily,
  He keeps them  alive. "These wait all upon Thee;  that Thee may give them
  their meat in  due season," Ps.104:27. The  LORD does not bear  His wrath
  until  eternity,  but  He abundantly  pardons. Therefore,  the  server of
  idols, which now had to  be stoned, had done  better when he turned  from
  his evil way.  "Let the wicked forsake  his way, and the  unrighteous man
  his thoughts: and let him return unto Adonai, and he will have mercy upon
  him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,"  Isa.55:7. He had to
  die now, but "o that  you had hearkened to My commandments! Then  had thy
  peace been as a  river, and thy righteousness  as the waves of  the sea,"
  Isa.48:18. What is said about this  server of idols applies also to  you,
  student.  Your hidden idolatry,  the trust on all  besides God, will kill
  you.  Soon or later, that is not  known. Drop all your supports, and lean
  only on God.
  What is the use  of this judgement about the idolator? It  is very useful
  for the rest of the people, as you read in the next verse.
     11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear,  and shall do no more any such
     wickedness as this is among you.
  The stoning of a man, that is not a little. All  Israel will hear it, and
  fear. So  terrible is this.  The use thereof is,  that they "shall  do no
  more any such wickedness as this is among you." Moshe does not gloss over
  the idolatry.  He does  not call  it an  error, but  "such wickedness  as
  this". Let  we learn to  speak also with  Moshe's words. Idolatry  is the
  rejection of  the LORD,  Who only is  good. This  is wickedness.  When he
  would have had repentance,  he would not be killed. "For  thou, Lord, art
  good, and  ready to forgive;  and plenteous in  mercy unto all  them that
  call upon thee," Ps.86:5. This is good for us to know.  Student, although
  you  are a very great sinner in  your own eyes, still you  need not to be
  stoned, although you have  earned this. When you have only  repentance of
  your  evil deeds,  and  refrain from  these deeds,  and pray  to  God for
  forgiving. Surely, He will adopt you in grace. Only leave your evil acts,
  and come to God.
     12 If thou shalt hear say  in one of thy cities, which Adonai  thy God
     hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
  Previously, it  was about  a  false prophet,  and about  a relation,  who
  wanted to deviate  from God. But now, it is even about  a whole city. The
  evil is already  wide extended then. No  longer in the hidden,  like that
  relation, but now in the public.  That does not happen in an  unimportant
  place,  but in one  of the cities,  which God had  given to  them. In the
  city, God's property, are  now gathered in other gods. Now,  this is more
  than bad. What  will God do?  We read it in  the continuation. God  gives
  cities not only to them, but  also to us He  gives something. We get  the
  life from Him,  and all our needs. Therefore,  it befits us to  serve God
  with all our heart.
     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;
  Children  of Belial are  people, who have  thrown away the  yoke of God's
  commandments. Because they are without  yoke now, they are dissolute. So,
  they have driven out  God, and rejected His yoke. Now,  they say: "Let us
  go and serve other gods." This is strange. There is no nation who has the
  LORD as their  God. He has  only done  well to them.  And now, they  want
  other gods, which are no gods.  They have known their God, and  they know
  all what He has done,  but now, they want to serve gods, "which  you have
  not known". Perhaps that the unknown attracts, as happens  so many times.
  We think the  unknown beautiful, but we  despise the service of  the only
  good God. We will get the pay on our works.
     14 Then shalt thou enquire, and  make search, and ask diligently; and,
     behold, if it be  truth, and the thing certain, that  such abomination
     is wrought among you;
  In verse  12 we read:  "If you shall  hear say". So,  when rumour of  the
  idolatry comes  through. What does  Moshe command us then?  Not simple to
  believe the  rumour. That  would be  too rashly.  This could  lead to  an
  unjust judgement. Innocent could be brought to death. So, what does Moshe
  command us? He  does not command  us to reject  the rumour. No more  than
  gossip.  No, also this is not  good. Perhaps the rumour  is true. When we
  reject the  rumour, then the  culprit would continue  to live unpunished,
  and their  idolatry would stuff  forth like the  cancer in the  body. The
  disease would  unhindered spread  itself because  of the slowness  of the
  judges. No, Moshe  commands something else. "Then  shall you enquire, and
  make search, and ask diligently". We  must do a thorough work, and  trace
  it like a tracker dog. Well asking  after it, if it is the truth. When it
  appears to be the  truth "and the thing certain", such  an abomination is
  done, then  the judges  must come  in action.  In short,  Moshe does  not
  command  rashness and  not  weakness,  but diligence  in  the work.  This
  applies to all  of us. This diligence  surely goes for our  searching and
  reading of  the  Bible. It  is not  good to  read only  the prayers.  The
  prayers  are partly  human writings.  We must be  very diligently  in the
  searching of God's Word.
     15 Thou shalt  surely smite 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.
  When the  rumour of  the idolatry  is sure,  then the  judgement must  be
  passed and  executed. All  must be  killed. Yes, the  children also.  The
  children, who still not  done evil. Is this not harsh?  This seems harsh,
  but it is not. Although  we perhaps cannot understand God's judgements at
  the first  glance, nevertheless  His judgements  are righteous.  Although
  this seems unjust, nevertheless  we can explain it. We must  keep in mind
  that God does  not punish  without a cause.  The cause is  known for  the
  older inhabitants of the city. They served the idols. But what  about the
  young children?  No, let we go  further. What about  the unborn children?
  They  also were killed,  and they had  not done good or  bad. How is this
  possible? As  is said, Gods  does nothing  without cause.  There must  be
  something those  unborn children,  what is  a cause for  punishment. This
  cannot be  something else  than a  kind of  internal guilt.  This is  the
  inherited sin.  This doctrine is  based in several  places in the  Bible.
  Also Job believed this  doctrine. "What is man, that he  should be clean?
  And he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?" Job 15:14.
  Elsewhere  he says: "Who can  bring a clean thing out  of an unclean? Not
  one," Job 14:4. David teaches it. "Behold,  I was shapen in iniquity; and
  in sin did my mother conceive me," Ps.51:5. This history teaches it, like
  many of such histories in the Bible. In short, the inherited  sin appears
  from this:  God does not  punish without cause.  Nevertheless, the unborn
  children were punished.  What is the cause  of this? The cause  cannot be
  anything else then  the inward guilt. Who  would deny the inherited  sin,
  would at the same  time accuse God of unrighteousness. This  would be too
  terrible, then that it could be allowed.
     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  Adonai thy God: and  it shall be an heap  for
     ever; it shall not be built again.
  The idolatry is so  horrible, that all the spoil thereof  must be burned.
  Even  the city may never be rebuilt. The ruin must always be visible as a
  warning  for the  next generation. Also  the Dead  Sea must  be for  us a
  memory of  that, what happened with Sodom and Gomorrah. It warns us to do
  not the same  as they did. Before  that destruction, the plain  of Jordan
  was very fruitful. "And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all  the plain
  of Jordan, that  it was well watered every where, before Adonai destroyed
  Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of Adonai, like the land of Egypt,
  as  thou  comest unto  Zoar,"  Gen.13:10.  But  because  of the  terrible
  behaviour of the inhabitants, the LORD has scattered sulfur and salt upon
  it. Hence the present infertility.  "He turneth rivers into a wilderness,
  and the  watersprings into dry  ground. A fruitful  land into barrenness,
  for the wickedness of them that dwell therein," Ps.107:33,34.
     17 And there  shall cleave nought of  the cursed thing to  thine hand:
     that Adonai  may turn from the fierceness of  his anger, and shew thee
     mercy, and have compassion  upon thee, and  multiply thee, as he  hath
     sworn unto thy fathers;
  When the city will be totally destroyed, then the LORD will  turn Himself
  of the  fierceness of His  anger. And He  will show  you mercy, and  have
  compassion  upon  you.  The  compassion  of  the LORD  goes  through  the
  judgement. The whole history, it has been so. "But though he cause grief,
  yet will he  have compassion according to the multitude  of his mercies,"
  Lam.3:32. He will have compassion upon you, and multiply you according to
  His oath. "And they shall dwell  in the land that I have given unto Jacob
  my  servant,  wherein your  fathers  have  dwelt;  and  they shall  dwell
  therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for
  ever: and  my servant David  shall be their  prince forever, "Ezek.37:25.
  God's Knight David will be their King. This Monarch is the Messiah Jesus.
  He will  be  King  of  all  who believe  in  Him.  Therein  consists  the
  salvation. It consists  in submitting oneself to  the Messiah, the Knight
  David, their Monarch. It does not consist  in submitting oneself for some
  time,  but  that  submission  must  be eternal.  The  salvation  consists
  therein,  that God has  compassion upon us. We  do not boast  then in own
  good works, but only in God's free grace.
     18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of Adonai thy God, to keep all
     his commandments which  I command thee this  day, to do that  which is
     right in the eyes of Adonai thy God.
  God will give  grace, "when you shall  hearken to the  voice of the  LORD
  your God", and will  keep all His commandments.  You must not do what  is
  right  in your eyes,  but what right  is in God's eyes.  What is right in
  God's  eyes? "And  Samuel said,  Hath Adonai  as  great delight  in burnt
  offerings and sacrifices, as in  obeying the voice of Adonai?  Behold, to
  obey is  better than sacrifice, and to  hearken than the fat  of rams," 1
  Sam.15:22.
 
 
 
  3. Questions
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
  If you want to gain more benefit from the explanation, you could consider
  answering the  questions and  do the  tasks. You  can send  these to  the
  editor. He will look at it, and return them to you with his comments.
 
  Questions.
  1  a. Are wonders alone enough to prove the truth of a religion?
     b. What is the only norm, by which a religion must be judged?
  2  Is it important for us that we personally examine God's Word? Why?
  3  a. For which reason does God sometimes send teachers of heresies?
  4  Read verse four.
     a. What means walking after God?
     b. What means fearing God?
     c. What means cleaving unto God?
  5  May we be judges ourselves to exterminate the idolatry?
  6  When  you  find  something  in  your  life,  which  is  against  God's
     commandments, what will you do? Do  you indulge, or do you exterminate
     it?
  7  Did the stoning of the idolater have any use for others? Which?
  8  What are the children of Belial?
  9  a. Is a rash judgement allowed?
     b. Is weakness in the judgement allowed?
  10 Can it  be reconciled with  God's righteousness, that also  the unborn
     children were punished?
  11 What is better than offerings?
 
  Tasks.
  1  Compare Moses's order in verse 6-11 with Exodus 32.
     a. Has Levi done this?
     b. What was the use of it for the people?
  2  Read Psalm  51, Proverbs  21, Isaiah 1,  Jeremiah 7,  Hosea 6.  Answer
     thereof the following questions.
     a. Does the  LORD content Himself with  only the outward rites  of the
     offerings?
     b. What is more acceptable than sacrifice?
     c.  When God lead the fathers  out of Egypt, whereof  did He speak the
     most?
     d. Wherein consist the real sacrifices of God?
 
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     Chr-Exp, a Christian explanation of the Tanach and the New Testament
              Editor: Teus Benschop  -  t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
                      No copyrights on this publication
            Institution Practical Bible-education, the Netherlands
.