DEUTERONOMY 13

I found a mantra in this chapter of Deuteronomy: "If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer." (vs 1-3)

Gods you have not known. It immediately reminded me of when Jesus predicted what He will undoubtedly say to some at the end of the age: "I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." (Matt 7:23) Knowing is a big deal to God. He wants us to know Him, and — especially in this chapter — He seemed very intent on keeping the Israelites away from gods they didn’t know.

The word translated know is the same Hebrew word used to describe marital relations in the Bible: "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived." (Gen 4:1) It’s a word that connotes intimate knowledge of a highly personal nature. This is precisely the kind of relationship God wants to have with us! He knows us that intimately, and He wants us to know Him that intimately also.

Today, we don’t run after false gods like Baal and Molech, but we do contend with a number of our own false gods: materialism, career success, fame, greed, etc. We may think that by pursuing things and notoriety, we will become known. But there is only One who truly knows us — the marvelous God of heaven. He knows you intimately and loves you tremendously. So don’t go chasing after gods you have not known. The God who knows you even better than you can know yourself is ready and waiting to bless you!