The practice of the occult is one of the things in our culture that resemble the silver flakes in that steel mill. For many, there is a constant temptation to dabble in it. Reading horoscopes is thought to be a harmless, innocent activity. A survey once estimated that more than 50 million Americans read their horoscopes every day to see what they should do or what they should expect that day. Horoscopes are readily available. They can be found online easily. A daily horoscope is found in nearly every newspaper across the country.
The occult comes in many different forms: fortune-telling, tarot cards, palmistry, numerology, astrology, seances, rune stones, ouija boards, and tea leaves. You can easily find places of business dedicated to these things. Shows featuring mediums are on television now. Witchcraft, satanism, and spiritism are practiced openly.
The English termΒ occultΒ comes from the Latin verb occultus, which refers to hidden or concealed things. As we use the word today, it refers to dealings with the spirit realm. The Scripture forbids any participation in the occult. Paul, our apostle, warns the Body of Christ about practicing idolatry, worshipping the creation and false gods, and having βfellowship with devilsβ (1 Cor. 10:19,20). The stern warnings to Israel in the Mosaic Law teach us what God thinks about astrology and the occult, and that is enough for us to know that we need to avoid these things.
βTake ye therefore good heed unto yourselvesβ¦Lest ye corrupt yourselvesβ¦And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve themβ¦β (Deut. 4:15,16,19).
βThere shall not be found among you any oneβ¦that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lordβ¦β (Deut. 18:10-12).
What many consider an innocent activity is an abomination in the eyes of God. Consulting mediums, tarot cards, horoscopes, palmists, etc., belittles God. Doing so is to say, βI believe that God is either unable or unwilling to tell me all that is good for me to know.β In essence, it demonstrates the belief that God lacks the love or goodness to guide me, so I will take matters into my own hands.
For our own good, the people of God should shun the evil snare of all practices of the occult. All that we need to know about the future or the supernatural realm comes through the Word of God. By faith, we take our stand on the sufficiency of the revelation of Godβs Word. And we trust the One who is with us each step of our journey through life, guiding, caring, and helping us all the way. source
