Sorcery, Horoscopes, and Astrology
Isaiah 47
We live in a culture in which many people believe in horoscopes , the spirit-world, séances, and astrology. A recent Gallup poll found that
20% of the population believes that people can communicate with the dead
25% believe the positions of the stars and planets can affect their lives
25% of teens believe their horoscopes are always or usually true
32% of the population believes ghosts or spirits can come back to earth
70% read their horoscopes.
For example, here’s what the San Jose Mercury News said about the Royal Wedding in England this week:
Match made in heaven? Astrologers seem to think so: Kate is a Capricorn; William is a Cancer. Capricorn is an earth sign, while Cancer is a water sign, and apparently they mix well. (4/24/2011, D1)
And here’s a quote from Bob Dylan, interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine:
Astrologically, you’re dealing with a different day every day of the week. Every day is a different color, a different planet rules it. You could say the same thing, you could feel the same way, you could write the same thing, but if it’s on a Tuesday, it’s going to be different than if it comes out on Friday. That’s just a fact. You can ask any astrologer.
I remember a conversation with a real estate agent. I was sharing the good news of Jesus, and then he told me about a spiritual experience he had. He said that after his grandfather died, his grandfather came back to him two or three times – and this gave him great peace.
So what’s behind this sort of thing? Is there anything to astrology, or palm reading, or séances? And what does God say about it?
To answer that, let’s turn to Isaiah 47. If you need a Bible go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll bring one to you. Isaiah 47 is on page 607 in the Bibles we are passing out. Astrology, horoscopes, mediums, séances have been around for a long time. And in Isaiah 47 we see what God says about them.
So let’s start with this first question -- what is God going to do to Babylon? That’s the topic of the whole chapter, but to get a feel for what’s going to happen, start with vv.1-3. Here Isaiah is talking to Babylon as if she was a young princess – but look at what God will do to her –
1 Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.
2 Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers [she’s going to end up doing slaves’ work].
3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.
Look also at v.5 –
5 Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the mistress of kingdoms.
And v.11 –
11 But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing.
So here God says He is going to bring great punishment to Babylon – taking this nation that ruled the known world, and completely humbling them and making them slaves of another nation. That happened in 538 BC when Persia conquered Babylon. But why would God do this?
Why would God destroy Babylon? Think of what God had done for Babylon. God had created them and given them life and this earth and bodies and sun and rain and harvest and food. And God did all of this so that they would see God’s goodness, and humble themselves before their Creator, and trust Him, love Him, obey Him, worship Him.
So everything Babylon had was a gift from God. Babylon owed God everything.
But what did Babylon do? She refused to acknowledge God. She turned her back on God and took credit herself for all she had received from God. She boasted that she was self-sufficient and superior to everything else in existence.
Youu can see this in v.7 --
You said, "I shall be mistress forever," so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.
And in v.8 –
Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children":
And in v.10 --
You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, "No one sees me"; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me."
So Babylon responded to God with pride. Even though she received everything from God, she ignored God and chose to believe that she had created all she had. She saw herself as supreme above everything around her – “I am and there is no one besides me!”
And so, because of her pride, God said he would destroy her. And in 538 BC God raised up Persia and Persia invaded and destroyed Babylon, turning them all into slaves.
But now let’s dig a little deeper. What was behind Babylon’s pride? See, every human being lives by faith in something. We all have something we rely on to secure and satisfy us. So what was she relying on? What was she relying on that gave her such a sense of confidence and superiority?
The answer might surprise you. Look at v.9 --
These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments.
What she had been trusting was sorcery and enchantments.
Look also at vv.11-13 --
11 But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing.
12 [Then here God speaks sarcastically:] Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror.
13 You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.
So picture Babylon. God had created her and provided everything for her. But she turns her back on God and relies on sorceries and enchantments, on charms and magic, on astrologers and horoscopes. And she is so confident in these things that she sees herself as controlling everything else, above everything else, supreme in the universe, and invincible.
What’s wrong with that picture? You can see what’s wrong by what God says about her astrologers in vv.14-15 –
14 Behold, they [the astrologers] are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame [the flame of His judgment]. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!
15 Such to you are those with whom you have labored [in sorceries and astrology], who have done business with you from your youth; they wander about, each in his own direction; there is no one to save you.
God says that these sorcerers and astrologers cannot save Babylon. All of them, along with all of Babylon, will be consumed by God’s coming judgment.
See, from Genesis to Revelation God tells us that He alone is God. God alone is Creator. Everything else is created. God controls everything; the stars control nothing. God determines your future; being Gemini or Scorpio doesn’t determine your future. God will always help you; enchantments won’t help you. Because God alone is God. We are not God; stars are not God; astrologers are not God. God is God.
But Babylon refused to bend her knee before God, and chose instead to trust sorceries, enchantments, and astrologers for her security and satisfaction. Can you feel how wrong, how wicked that is?
But let’s not be too quick to judge. That’s what each of us has done as well. God has shown Himself clearly to us through creation – but all of us have turned our backs on God and chosen to trust other things for our security and satisfaction. And as a result we, like Babylon, all face God’s punishment.
But God is full of mercy. God cares deeply about us. And so God came to the world in the person of Jesus – fully God and fully man. Jesus lived a life shining with God’s power, God’s love, God’s truth. Jesus died on the Cross to pay for our wickedness, and Jesus rose from the dead to conquer death for us.
And in Jesus Christ God holds out to us all the forgiveness we will ever need, all the sin-conquering power we will ever need, all the wisdom we will ever need, all the knowledge of the future we will ever need, all the security we will ever need, all the heart-satisfaction we will ever need.
So what should we do instead of turning to astrology and séances? You can guess the answer. But let me show it to you from God’s Word. Turn to Deuteronomy 18:9-14. That’s on page 161 in the Bibles we passed out. Look at what God said to Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land:
9 "When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer
11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,
12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.
13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God,
14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.
So do you see all those things God lists? But the Lord God has not allowed his people to listen to fortune-tellers and diviners. Why not? God tells them in v.15 --
15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen—
Don’t listen to fortune-tellers and diviners; listen to this prophet that God will raise up from among them. Who is this prophet? Fast forward to Peter’s speech on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 3. Peter quotes this verse from Deuteronomy – and says this prophet is Jesus. Then four chapters later in Acts 7, Stephen quotes this verse from Deuteronomy – and says this prophet is Jesus.
So what God said back in Deuteronomy 18 is – don’t listen to fortune-tellers and diviners – listen to the prophet I will send to you. Listen to Jesus the Messiah, God in the flesh.
See, if we look to horoscopes or séances to give us information about ourselves, our lives, or our futures – then we are ignoring the One who has all the information that we need about ourselves, our lives, and our futures.
Think of it like this. This morning I could have gotten up and read my horoscope for today:
Social activities bring joyful memories to the surface. You might enjoy awakened dedication to a career objective.
So I could head into today anticipating joyful memories through social activities and awakened dedication to a career objective.
So what’s the problem with that? The problem is that if I’m listening to the horoscope then I’m not listening to what Jesus says about today. Think of what I could have been listening to: instead of listening to my horoscope – “anticipating joyful memories through social activities and awakened dedication to a career objective” – which has no basis in reality – I could have listened to what Jesus Christ the Son of God who has all authority on heaven and earth has says about my day:
Do your work heartily as for the Lord, not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.
Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Whoever saves his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who curse you.
I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, but rejoice that your name is written in heaven.
God is rejoicing to do you good with all His heart and soul.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach.
All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth; go therefore and make disciples – and I will be with you always.
All of those are spoken by the One whose words are 100% truth because He Himself is in sovereign control of everything.
So instead of turning to astrology and séances, turn to Jesus Christ. His words are perfect truth, loving truth, and all we need.
Questions?
There’s no objective basis in reality for astrology or horoscopes. But Satan can use those sorts of things to show accurate supernatural knowledge in order to draw us from Jesus. There are such things as false signs and wonders which will mislead people in the last days.
All these sources of knowledge are either false, or if true they are truth-coated poison.
Re: Saul and the medium at Endor: in this case God allowed the medium to call up the spirit of Samuel, who told Saul the truth. But God commands us not to pursue this, because all our desire for knowledge should be met in Jesus Christ.
Ouija Boards: at best you are pretending to do something that opens yourself to the spirit-realm for supernatural knowledge. Is that really something we want to be doing? Would we want to pretend to worship Baal? Or bow down to Satan?
So what does this mean for us?
What could you say to someone at work tomorrow who tells you they are all excited about what their horoscope said about their day? Lots depends on the level of relationship you have with them. But maybe you could say something like – “Here’s my approach. Instead of heading into the day with words from a horoscope, I have found it better to head into the day with words from the One who created and controls the stars, and who Himself is in sovereign, loving control of my day and future.”
Do you have a habit of reading your horoscope? Stop. God’s Word is clear. Take those extra 2 or 3 minutes to read words that will be 100% true about your day – words from God’s Word.
And even if horoscopes aren’t your thing -- be sure to head into the day with Jesus’ words filling your heart.