SPEAKING WITH SPIRITS was strictly forbidden by God. This might seem to be a quaint and antiquated notion, but the fact that we encounter the prohibition three times in our reading today indicates that this was a serious issue in ancient Canaan.

Scholars are not entirely agreed on the meaning of the words translated into English as “mediums” and “necromancers,” ʾobot and yiddeʿonim. There are various terms used by translators, including “spiritists,” “wizards,” “enchanters,” “divining spirits,” and “familiar spirits.” In the context of the culture of Canaan in the time of Moses and Joshua, this was a prohibition on the veneration of the “dead”—actually, demons—that was an essential part of Amorite religious and social customs.

We also discuss prohibitions on the mixing of animals, crops, and fabrics; unjust weights and measures; and various deviant sexual practices, some of which were encouraged in the worship of the goddess Astarte, better known to history as Ishtar or Inanna (or Aphrodite or Venus).

Child sacrifice is also condemned, as we encounter twice more God’s command that giving children to Molech was absolutely forbidden and punishable by death.

With all of the laws handed down by God, there was a purpose. And it appears that many, if not all, of them had been transgressed by the people of Canaan who were to be displaced by the people of Israel.
————
Join us in Israel! We will lead another tour through the Holy Land in 2021. Note: The dates have been changed due to travel restrictions because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The new tour dates are October 3–17, 2021, with an optional three-day extension to Jordan, with visits to Mount Nebo, Wadi Rum, and Petra.

For more information, log on to www.SkyWatchinIsrael.com.
————
Our new book Giants, Gods & Dragons is available now for Kindle and for pre-order in paperback! Get it as part of a great package with more than 27 hours of our video teachings at the SkyWatchTV Store (https://bit.ly/3oLGRlU), or at Amazon.com (https://amzn.to/2GiApBH).
————
Derek's novels The God Conspiracy and Iron Dragons are available now in paperback and Kindle! See the official trailers and learn more at the website for Rose Avenue Fiction (www.roseavenuefiction.com).
————
Check the website for links to some of our favorite Bible study tools! And please, take advantage of our free mobile app for iOS and Android. Links to the iTunes App Store and Google Play are on the main page at www.GilbertHouse.org.

For the complete Gilbert House Fellowship archive, go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship.