Wrong Methods of Guidance

O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: 

It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 

(Jeremiah 10:23)

It is just as important to know how not to do something as it is to know how to do it.  God's word is certain and unwavering in whom and how we are to seek guidance for our life and the consequences in not doing it out of accordance to His way.

In the Bible, God warns of ways we should NOT seek guidance for our life. If we heed these warnings, we will not waste time with non-Biblical methods of guidance of which God does not approved. This will prevent us from making bad decisions and heading in the wrong direction in life.

In accordance with God's word we should NOT seek guidance in these ways:

Ö     THE OCCULT

There are numerous Satanic practices grouped under the heading of the occult. Many of these practices are used to determine guidance. Occult practices vary from nation to nation but they include such methods as witches, shamen, sorcerers, magicians, fortune tellers, astrology, horoscopes, the reading of tea leaves, crystals, cards, and the palm of the hand. Occult practices include any form of supernatural involvement which is not of God. Such practices are motivated by Satan.

God warned His people not to deal with occult practices:

"When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you. Deuteronomy 18:9-14

"You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Exodus 22:18

Witchcraft is the practice of witches including white and black magic, sorcery, astrology, voodoo, use of potions, spells, enchantments, and drugs. It includes all similar satanic practices and worship. Witchcraft and other such satanic practices are spiritual rebellion against God:

 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23)

The Bible records that sorcerers tried to turn people away from the Gospel:

 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. (Acts 13:8)

Witchcraft deceives people:

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. (Revelation 18:23)

Sorcerers will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven:

But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:15)

The book of Revelation reveals the end of those who use such satanic practices:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

No true child of God should be involved in any way with occult practices for purposes of guidance or any other reason.

Ö     METHODS OF CHANCE

Casting lots was one method of seeking guidance used in the Old Testament. Here are some examples of casting lots: 

He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.  But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.  Leviticus 16:7-10

But the land shall be divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.  Numbers 26:55

He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him--all the congregation.Numbers 27:21  [Urim - used, perhaps like lots, to determine God's response to a question answerable by “yes” or “no.”]

Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.  Joshua 18:10

The casting of lots was a method of chance. The belief was that God controlled the outcome of the lot which was cast. Casting of lots was similar to the rolling of dice or flipping of a coin today.

This method of seeking guidance from God was acceptable in the Old Testament. The only New Testament use of casting of lots by believers was prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles of Jesus were seeking to fill the vacancy left by Judas who had betrayed Jesus and later committed suicide. Two candidates were nominated for the position:

And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:26)

Matthias, the man picked to replace Judas, is never again mentioned in the New Testament record. It is the Apostle Paul who actually fills the vacancy among the Apostles. Matthias was man’s choice by casting lots. The Apostle Paul was God’s choice by the Holy Spirit.

After the coming of the Holy Spirit (recorded in Acts chapter 2) casting of lots was not used by believers as a means of determining direction. The guidance of the Holy Spirit replaced this Old Testament method. You should not use any method of chance to determine God’s will. You must know God's voice and be led by His Holy Spirit.

Ö     FLEECES

There is one Old Testament record of the use of something called a "fleece" to determine God's will 

So Gideon said to God, "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said-- look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said." 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.  Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew." And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.    Judges 6:36-40:

There is no verse in the Bible that instructs believers to do as Gideon did during this terrible national crisis when great responsibility rested upon him. This event occurred only once in the Bible and, as with the casting of lots, was used only before the New Testament outpouring of God's Holy Spirit.

We are not to seek God's will by putting out a fleece. Modern putting out of a fleece is usually done by saying, "If a certain thing happens, then I will know it is God's will"--but our fleeces are often things that could occur naturally.

In the one case of a "fleece" recorded in the Bible, Gideon already knew God's will. He had heard the voice of God. The fleece was used as confirmation, not for direction. It was also something that could be answered only by supernatural means.

In New Testament days when Zacharias asked for a sign to confirm God's message about the birth of his son, John the Baptism, he was stricken dumb. This was because he did not believe the voice of God and sought a sign: 

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.  And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.  (Luke 1:18-20)

However, Jesus said:  

"an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign" (Matthew 12:39) 

A fleece can be a sign of unbelief or unwillingness to do God's revealed will. Fleeces which can be answered through natural means can be deceptive and misleading.

On occasion, God has graciously answered those who have asked for some indication of what they should do by a fleece or sign. This practice, however, has been the exception rather than the rule for seeking guidance in the lives of great saints of God.  To those times of uncertainty, we should pray earnestly to God to help our unbelief and strengthen our relationship with Him so that when He does speak to us, we hear Him clearly!

Remember. . . God wants men of faith, not of fleeces. He wants men and women who know His voice when He speaks and have no need to test it by confirming signs.  He want's men and women of faith!

(Biblical Studies)

9/22/15
01/03/17
03/28/19