The condemnation of Bibliomancy and or seeking an answer by randomly pointing within His Word.

[Bible Highlighter]

I recently encountered Bibliomancy and or randomly opening and pointing to a point within the Bible so as to get an answer from God. This to me was something new to me that I did not really know about before. I did not know that this was an occult practice or a practice used in the occult. When I started to partake of this method for just one day via by learning about it, God warned me by using life circumstances and with Him silently bringing up His Word to me. I encountered smoke and fire two times within a span of two days. The second time the fire happened in another place and by another method, I was thinking of the first fire. I decided to seek what that meant in the Scriptures, and God just talked to my heart.... "danger." Then a verse came up in my mind. It was 2 Peter 1:20. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:20, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." Earlier that day, I prayed and asked for an answer from God, and I landed in Revelation. Revelation is clearly prophetic. Yet, I was using it for private interpretation by wanting an answer on a life situation. Clearly this was wrong, and at the time I did not realize it was until I researched more about this kind of thing.

Anyways, I now know Bibliomancy or randomly opening the Bible to get an answer from GOD is wrong. We should not try to force an answer out of GOD. God will answer in His timing and way. For He is GOD, and not us. So Bibliomancy and all its forms should be a condemned practice. Nowhere do we see God's people partake of this method in desiring an answer from the Lord.

 

[Albion]

I recently encountered Bibliomancy and or randomly opening and pointing to a point within the Bible so as to get an answer from God. This to me was something new to me that I did not really know about before. I did not know that this was an occult practice or a practice used in the occult.

Francis of Assisi used that technique, and so did others in Christian history, so I hardly think it is "an occult practice." And the term Bibliomancy is certainly inaccurate.

I don't think it's a good practice, but that's about all that needs to be said.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Francis of Assisi used that technique, and so did others in Christian history, so I hardly think it is "an occult practice." And the term Bibliomancy is certainly inaccurate.

I don't think it's a good practice, but that's about all that needs to be said.

If you research the topic more, it is an occult practice. We shouldn't try to copy or do what they do - IMO. Plus, there is no biblical example of such a practice, either. The closest thing we see is the choosing of the disciple Matthias (to replace Judas) by the drawing of lots. But this was not randomly selecting a verse in the Torah, though.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

If I had a few hundred letters from my dad, in a drawer,
and randomly picked one out to enjoy a word or two from Him again,
that is encouraging,
not a sin.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Plus, there is no biblical example of such a practice, either.

Okay, perhaps: JUST HOW did the Bereans search the Scripture to verify if a message was from God or not?

COULD you prove they did not pray, then open the Bible and read it !?

 

[Bible Highlighter]

If I had a few hundred letters from my dad, in a drawer,
and randomly picked one out to enjoy a word or two from Him again,
that is encouraging,
not a sin.

It is.... when you are trying to force an answer. We cannot force GOD to answer.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

It is.... when you are trying to force an answer. We cannot force GOD to answer.

So your problem is mis-identifying things.

"force an answer" is quite common among people everywhere on this forum, including your posts it seems.

But to attribute "force an answer" to some things when it is not being done, is wrong - it is trying to "force an answer".

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Okay, perhaps: JUST HOW did the Bereans search the Scripture to verify if a message was from God or not?

COULD you prove they did not pray, then open the Bible and read it !?

The Bereans were trying to confirm the newly spoken Word of God (i.e. New Covenant teaching) with the Written Word of God. This is not seeking an answer from GOD by pointing to the Torah. This was confirming a newly given Word of God via by it being spoken orally.

 

[Albion]

If you research the topic more, it is an occult practice. We shouldn't try to copy or do what they do - IMO.

If you present evidence, I will of course take a look at it.

However, it needs to be kept in mind that almost all that passes for "occult practice" is of recent origin or simply invented by people wanting to be witches or mystics or something like that. Virtually nothing that they do can actually be traced back as far as, say, the time of Francis of Assisi, meaning that they have borrowed something from Christian history rather than the other way around.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

So your problem is mis-identifying things.

"force an answer" is quite common among people everywhere on this forum, including your posts it seems.

But to attribute "force an answer" to some things when it is not being done, is wrong - it is trying to "force an answer".

Perhaps if you can give us a biblical example of randomly pointing to the Scriptures so as to get an answer, then maybe we can see if this practice is true or not. But yes. I believe GOD is GOD and we cannot force an answer out of Him by taking the Bible out of context to fit our life situation.

 

[A Realist]

Looks like all those folks casting lots in the bible to determine "God's will" were in the wrong, then.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

The Bereans were trying to confirm the newly spoken Word of God (i.e. New Covenant teaching) with the Written Word of God. This is not seeking an answer from GOD by pointing to the Torah. This was confirming a newly given Word of God via by it being spoken orally.

No,
they did not "try to confirm" , (as if supporting something before knowing if it was truth)....
they searched the Scriptures, reading the Bible (they prayed, and opened the Bible, to read it) ,
trusting God to lead them and guide them, to reveal, so they could see if the Bible says what a new word delivered says or not.

They accepted the Bible. If the new message also was in perfect harmony with the Bible, they accepted it.
If it did not line up with the Bible, they rejected it.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Looks like all those folks casting lots in the bible to determine "God's will" were in the wrong, then.

I agree that God allowed for them to do this. This was to make a decision based on random chance alone that did not involve God's Word in certain special circumstances. They did not use the Scriptures as a part of this. We also do not see them do this all the time, either. If this was the case, then there would be no need for prayer.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Perhaps if you can give us a biblical example of randomly pointing to the Scriptures so as to get an answer, then maybe we can see if this practice is true or not. But yes. I believe GOD is GOD and we cannot force an answer out of Him by taking the Bible out of context to fit our life situation.

A lot of people, including those already noted by @Albion in this thread,
use that or a similar method in searching the Bible, in seeking for God's Plan, Purpose or Will, or verification!

No one is "forcing" you to do this, but most likely you have frequently done this same thing.

 

[Albion]

It is.... when you are trying to force an answer. We cannot force GOD to answer.

Why have you added "force" to this subject when it is not part of it? And as for there being no Biblical basis for the practice, that doesn't prove that this is an occult practice.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

on random chance alone

God SAYS HE CONTROLS THE OUTCOME!
NOTHING RANDOM about that method at all - GOD SAYS SO!

 

[Bible Highlighter]

No,
they did not "try to confirm" , (as if supporting something before knowing if it was truth)....
they searched the Scriptures, reading the Bible (they prayed, and opened the Bible, to read it) ,
trusting God to lead them and guide them, to reveal, so they could see if the Bible says what a new word delivered says or not.

They accepted the Bible. If the new message also was in perfect harmony with the Bible, they accepted it.
If it did not line up with the Bible, they rejected it.

Again, not the same thing. There is a huge difference between what the Bereans were doing, and what people do when they randomly open the Bible so as to get an answer from God. The Bereans were not praying to GOD so as to resolve a personal life situation or problem and then randomly pointing to a place in the Scriptures. They SEEKED the Scriptures to confirm a truth of God's Word in spoken form. Big difference.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Why have you added "force" to this subject when it is not part of it? And as for there being no Biblical basis for the practice, that doesn't prove that this is an occult practice.

Try doing your homework by doing an internet search. Look up Bibliomancy, and read up on it. Folks do this in other religions; Especially the occult. It is not up for debate. It is a fact of life. We are called to be holy and separate from others.

 

[A Realist]

I agree that God allowed for them to do this. This was to make a decision based on random chance alone that did not involve God's Word in certain special circumstances. They did not use the Scriptures as a part of this. We also do not see them do this all the time, either. If this was the case, then there would be no need for prayer.

According to your definition then, it seems like casting lots is forcing God to answer in the absence of prayer.

 

[Albion]

The Bereans were not praying to GOD so as to resolve a personal life situation or problem and then randomly pointing to a place in the Scriptures. They SEEKED the Scriptures to confirm a truth of God's Word in spoken form. Big difference.

Let's be fair about this, whether we like the practice or not. The practice, as described, is NOT some sort of Ouija Board for Christians.