Deuteronomy 13:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Have you not heard the words of the prophet, or even God speaking through the prophet, declaring that they can neither do good nor evil? Even if they were able and willing to provide healing, which is fundamentally impossible, it would be a grave mistake to pursue a fleeting benefit at the cost of eternal ruin. Do you aim to heal the body while endangering the soul? Your gain is flawed: you seek help from a villain to mend the body and provoke God—the Creator of that body! Is it not simple for a nefarious person, through his medical skills, to lead you into the worship of false gods? Indeed, many pagans have successfully treated various ailments and restored the health of the afflicted through their practices. So what does that mean for us? Should we therefore partake in their wickedness? Absolutely not. Reflect on the admonition that Moses gave to the Israelites: "But if there arise in thee a prophet, or a man that seeth a dream, and shall give thee a sign or a wonder, and a sign or a wonder shall come unto thee, saying, Come, let us serve other gods, which thou knowest not: lest thou hearken not unto the saying of that prophet, or that man that seeth that dream." This implies that if a prophet appears and performs a miracle—such as raising the dead, cleansing a leper, or healing the afflicted—yet afterwards leads you towards evil, do not place your faith in him due to the miracle he accomplished. Why? "For he will tempt the Lord your God, to draw you away; but if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Therefore, it is evident that demons do not offer genuine healing. Should they occasionally bring about healing through God's allowance, it is for the purpose of testing you—not because God is unaware of your being, but rather to help you learn to reject healing from demons.

But that prophet or dreamer shall be put to death because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). What a sacred and divinely instituted law! If those who take life should certainly face death as prescribed, how much more fitting is it for those who lead souls into grave errors and plunge them into the abyss of destruction—those things that, according to the Savior's own words, are of greater value than the body (Matthew 10:28)? Thus, God acknowledges that it is fitting for the liar and deceiver to receive the ultimate penalty; He also assigns the same consequence for those who heed such individuals with a careless and trivial attitude. Given that it was not difficult to seek refuge in the truth with a sober mind, why, He asks, did he willfully choose to turn to unrighteousness?

If He understood the heart of the one being tested, what did He seek to uncover through the temptation? Clearly, it was to enable the tempted to gain self-awareness and recognize his own despair when he witnessed how the Lord provided for the needs of the multitudes with just a few loaves, even when he believed there was no sustenance available.

There exists a trial referred to as temptation, as seen in the phrase, "The Lord your God is tempting you to see if you love the Lord your God." This "to know" signifies that He intends for you to recognize it as well, for He knew it already. God does not tempt anyone with the intent to deceive and lead them into failure.

The notion that God knows is underscored when He makes others aware, as recorded in "The Lord your God tempteth you, to know whether ye are His lovers." This declaration is made not out of God’s lack of knowledge but to allow individuals to comprehend the depth of their progress in loving Him. Humans typically gain this understanding through various temptations, and the term "tempts" refers to allowing individuals to face such trials. Additionally, when it is stated that God "knoweth not," it may imply that He does not sanction or acknowledge certain actions, similar to the phrase "I know you not" (Matt. 25:12), or it may mean He intentionally does not reveal certain knowledge for their benefit.

Thus, regarding the assertion that the Father alone knows the day (See Matt. 24:36), it is apt to view this as a reflection of His sovereignty in imparting knowledge to the Son. When it is said the Son does not know, it suggests that He does not disclose information that would not be beneficial for humanity to possess.

Moses conveyed this understanding to us when he stated: “But if a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass, and he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' whom you have not known, and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 13:2-4). Thus, the false prophet can perform signs only by God’s allowance. This teaches us to disregard any miracles performed by someone who advocates against true piety. Moses decreed that such a prophet must be put to death to protect the people from corrupt teachings, saying, “You shall purge the evil from among you” (Deuteronomy 13:5). Should a kin or a close friend, caught in deception, try to mislead others, the law mandates that the community must publicly denounce this purveyor of falsehoods and administer justice, casting the first stone at one who adheres to such false teachings. This public display of accountability serves to deter others from following in the same error.