Deuteronomy 13-14

Today’s reading begins with Moses warning the Israelites not to fall into the schemes of prophets who try to lead them astray. Why was this important then, and what is its relevance now? Moses wanted to remind the people not to blindly follow the words of those who had impure motives, but instead to compare everything that was said by these prognosticators against God’s truth. For those who knew the Law, it should have been easy to discern that they were being led incorrectly when these soothsayers encouraged them to “go after other gods” (13:2).  

But what about today? In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns those in attendance to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). He also warns His followers to be on guard against false prophets in the days soon before His second coming, as many of these will arise to lead Christians away from the faith (Matthew 24:24). Pretending to be messengers of God, these individuals are fueled by selfish, evil desires. So what is our defense strategy? John gives us the answer in 1 John 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…” Everything we hear or read from those who claim to follow Jesus (and certainly from those who assert that God has appointed them to convey His message) must be tested against the Scriptures. Otherwise, we may easily be swayed by smooth-talking orators who sound eloquent and sincere, but their hearts are anything but honorable and pure. 

Following this exhortation to be aware of and put to death these false prophets, Moses charges the nation of Israel to “purge the evil from your midst” (13:5). This statement is found eight other times in Deuteronomy, as it was an important practical application point as the people prepared to enter Canaan. Warren Wiersbe says of this directive from Moses: “sin is like yeast and when it’s not purged, it will spread and infect others…Just as a surgeon removes cancerous tissue from a patient’s body to keep it from spreading, so the local body of believers must experience surgery, no matter how painful, to maintain the spiritual health of the church.” Although not pleasant, if a brother or sister is living in open, unrepentant sin, we need to heed the wisdom from 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 and not let that leaven have a chance to corrupt the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).  

The remainder of Deuteronomy 13 outlines what was to be done to all others who committed idolatry, including family members, fellow Israelites, and “certain worthless fellows” (13:13). The Jews were to love God above all relationships, even if that meant stoning to death some of their closest companions. Although we no longer cast rocks at another, we who follow Jesus are reminded that the bonds we have with people around us should pale in comparison to the allegiance we have for our Lord and Savior (Luke 14:25-27).  

As we make our way into chapter 14, Moses presents the people with a distinct, holy, set-apart way of living—whether that was through how they grieved for the dead, what animals they ate (or abstained from), and how they allocated their resources. Similar topics were discussed in Leviticus, so let me just remind us all that the Christian life ought not to look like the pattern of this fallen world. Instead, we are to shine the light of Jesus in the darkness (John 1:5). 

One way we shine His light is through our generous giving. I recognize there is much debate over whether New Testament Christians should tithe, and yes, tithing (literal translation from the Bible is “tenth part”[i]) has its roots in the Old Testament. But on this side of the Cross, many Christians saved by the blood of Jesus do not think they should be as generous as the Israelites were. My friends, this should not be. “New Testament Christians [ought to] model lives transformed by the radical grace of Christ—making them more sacrificial and generous, not less!”[ii]

In his book, Managing God’s Money, Randy Alcorn shares insights from some of his discussions with people who say they cannot afford to tithe. Specifically, he asked them whether they would die if their income were decreased by ten percent, to which none responded in the affirmative. Alcorn’s conclusion, therefore, is not that we are financially unable to tithe, but rather that our other commitments and priorities are taking precedence over this tithing principle from the Bible.[iii]

Here’s the reality: we don’t give much thought to supporting a school fundraiser, writing a check in response to one of those heart-wrenching television commercials (you know the one where the one-eyed dog is looking sheepishly straight at you), or paying taxes, but the moment tithing is brought up, the excuses come out. If you think you cannot afford to tithe, I would challenge you to consider that you cannot afford NOT to tithe, as you are missing out on the floodgates that God wants to open for you in response to your obedience (Malachi 3:6-12). And to those who say they will give whatever is left after paying all their bills, take stock of how you would feel if all you received from your spouse were the leftovers. In sum, it is my interpretation from reading the entirety of God’s Word and praying for wisdom that Christians should give a minimum of ten percent to their local church (see Matthew 23:23, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 9, Hebrews 7:5-9). Succinctly, the grace we have received should compel us to give generously to the One who gave so much for us. 

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Journal responses to the following prompts:

·       Are you proactively praying for discernment to compare what you are taking in with God’s Word? 

·       Are you tithing to your local church? If not, what are some obstacles getting in the way of you testing God in this area? 

[i] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). maʿăśēr. In Blue Letter Bible. Retrieved February 21, 2025, from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4643/kjv/wlc/0-1/

[ii] Alcorn, R. (2011). Managing God’s money. Tyndale House Publishers. p. 121.

[iii] Alcorn, R. (2011). Managing God’s money. Tyndale House Publishers.