They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear. (Deuteronomy 32:17)
Throughout this prophetic song, there are those constant reminders of Israel’s penchant for infidelity and the consequences of their actions. In short, all the disasters that would befall them were simply recompense for their misconduct. In this verse, God addressed their tendency to commit spiritual adultery by going after other gods, which as it turns out, weren’t gods at all. In some cases, they were serving what is referred to in Hebrew as שדים shedim — we know them as demons. In Assyria these so-called “gods” were represented as bull-like creatures often posted outside the palace gates.
Then there are what the Hebrew text calls לא אלה lo eloha — the “no gods” or maybe it would be more appropriate to say, the “nothing gods” because there is nothing to them. They were the result of man’s imagination most likely borne out of fear and superstition. I find it interesting that the Hebrew spelling of the word אלה eloha could also be pronounced alah which means a “curse.” Furthermore, these “nothing gods” were “new arrivals” — or as we might say, “Johnny come lately.” These are not the gods that the patriarchs — Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — served nor did they dread them. These were the gods served by the Canaanites and rebels such as Esau.
Okay, so what does this teach us? Simply this: be careful what you call “God.” Just because it looks like God, and maybe acts like God, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the One, True God. Test the spirits to see if they are of God. Also, beware of those who constantly speak of a “new thing” because, according to what we just read, that is exactly how these nothing gods were presented — they were the “new thing.” As God’s people, we must hold fast to the “true thing” — that which is eternal and has stood the test of time. Specifically, His Word guides us in the way we should go and is the plumb line that distinguishes truth from falsehood. So then, don’t be fooled by some of the new “revelations” that try to lure us away from who and what God truly is. Instead, stand firmly on His Word and continue to boldly walk in the ancient paths.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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