What the Bible Says About the Occult by Myra Kahn Adams for Town Hall
Author’s Note: Readers can find all previous volumes of this series here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible.” Part Two, featuring volumes 57-113, will be published later this year.
Thanks for joining today’s study to discuss what the Old and New Testaments say about the occult. To negate any confusion, let’s define the term. According to Wikipedia:
“The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic, sorcery, and mysticism and their varied spells.”
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Before we dive into Scripture, I will share two occult-related stories. First, years ago, my Bible study teacher said he did not read his horoscope because it was an occult practice. That impacted me, and I stopped reading mine.
Second, around where I live, numerous storefronts are located on all the main roads, offering tarot card readings, psychic mediums, and spiritual advisors. Occasionally, I fight the urge to patronize these establishments — curious about what might be revealed. Fortunately, that “urge” is always defeated by a little voice saying, “Trust God.”
Then, this past week, after feeling called to write about the occult, I rationalized how a psychic reading could be justified as “research.” But a nanosecond later, I recognized that rationalization emanated from a dark voice and rejected the temptation.
Why does the occult conflict with God? Compatible with my story, the Almighty God wants us to trust Him as the most powerful force in the universe. He knows our past, present, and future. God is our “spiritual advisor.” His door is always open with no credit card needed.
Furthermore, the Word of God forcefully warns against the occult. Let’s read some selected verses starting with the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in order of appearance:
