Divination is the attempt to discover hidden knowledge, the future, or the will of God by forbidden means.
Scripture lists it among the abominable practices of the nations and forbids Israel to learn those ways.
It includes fortune-telling, interpreting omens, consulting mediums, and every method of seeking secret information apart from the Lord.
The people of God are to inquire of their God and to turn to the teaching and the testimony, not to chirping and muttering spirits.
When Israel entered the land, the Lord warned them not to follow the abominable practices of the nations. Among those practices He named divination, fortune-telling, the interpreting of omens, and inquiry of the dead. These were the ways by which the nations sought guidance, and they were detestable to the Lord. The prophets later condemned the same practices when they reappeared in Israel. Isaiah asked why a people should inquire of the dead on behalf of the living when they could inquire of their God. In the New Testament a slave girl in Philippi had a spirit of divination that brought her owners much gain; Paul commanded the spirit to come out in the name of Jesus Christ. Divination promises access to hidden things. In reality it is rebellion against the God who alone knows the end from the beginning and who has spoken in His Word. The believer’s path is not secret technique but trust in the Lord and attention to what He has already revealed.
- Divination is explicitly forbidden in the law of God.
- It is an attempt to gain hidden knowledge by means God has not authorized.
- Scripture contrasts inquiring of mediums with inquiring of the living God.
- A spirit of divination can produce apparent knowledge while remaining demonic in origin.
- Genuine guidance for God’s people comes from His Word, His Spirit, and prayer—not from omens or forbidden arts.
- Those who turn to diviners make themselves unclean and provoke the Lord.
- The gospel calls for a complete break with every form of divination.
- Forbidden Practice – Named in Deuteronomy among the abominations of the nations.
- Seeking Hidden Knowledge – An attempt to learn the future or secret things apart from God’s revelation.
- Associated Methods – Fortune-telling, interpreting omens, consulting mediums, inquiring of the dead.
- Spirit of Divination – In Acts, a demonic spirit that produced profit through apparent foreknowledge.
- Contrast with True Inquiry – A people should inquire of their God and hold to the teaching and the testimony.
- Uncleanness and Judgment – Turning to diviners defiles a person and brings the Lord’s opposition.
- Call to Renounce – Believers are to have nothing to do with these works of darkness.
- Deuteronomy 18:10-14 – “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 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord… 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.”
- Isaiah 8:19-20 – “And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”
- Leviticus 19:26, 31 – “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes… Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”
- Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”
- 1 Samuel 15:23 – “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.”
- 1 Samuel 28:6-7 – “And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, ‘Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.’”
- 2 Kings 17:17 – “And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.”
- 2 Kings 21:6 – Manasseh “used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.”
- Jeremiah 14:14 – “And the Lord said to me: ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.’”
- Ezekiel 13:6-7, 23 – “They have seen false visions and lying divinations… Therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination.”
- Micah 3:6-7 – “Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination… the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame.”
- Acts 16:16-18 – “As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling… Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.”
- Isaiah 44:25 – The Lord “frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish.”
- Zechariah 10:2 – “For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation.”
- Numbers 23:23 – “For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’”
- Ephesians 5:11 – “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
- Isaiah 46:9-10 – “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”
Divination is the attempt to learn what God has not chosen to reveal by means He has forbidden. The nations listened to fortune-tellers and diviners; the Lord did not allow His people to do this. When they say, “Inquire of the mediums,” the answer of Scripture is clear: should not a people inquire of their God? To the teaching and to the testimony. A spirit of divination may produce impressive results and even profit, yet Paul commanded it to come out in the name of Jesus Christ. Do not turn to omens, cards, stars, or spirits for guidance. Turn to the God who declares the end from the beginning. His Word is sufficient. His Spirit leads His people. Walk in the light, and have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness.
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