This small group Deuteronomy 13 Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 13 Bible Study And Discussion Questions – Deal With Temptation
Outline
I. Don’t listen to prophets who entice you (1-5)
II. Don’t listen to family members who entice you (6-11)
III. Don’t listen to worthless people who entice you (6-12)
I. Don’t listen to prophets who entice you (1-5)
Discussion Questions
• What is the key teaching in this passage?
• What is the first source of temptation Moses mentions?
• Are signs and wonders proof that a person is on God’s side? Why or why not?
• How could a person not serving God perform a miracle?
• What does this teach us about Satan and demonic forces?
• What test should they use to see if a person was a genuine prophet?
• How should the false prophet be dealt with?
• Why was the punishment so harsh?
• What might happen if swift and stern punishment was not executed?
• What does the strict punishment teach us about the stakes involved in this issue?
Cross-References
Deuteronomy 18:21-22 – And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
2 Peter 2:1-3, 14 – But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!
2 Timothy 2:21 – Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
Matthew 7:15 – Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Overview of the chapter – Moses has just given another stern warning about following after other gods in Deuteronomy 12:29-32. In this section, he tells them about some of the possible sources of these temptations. By warning them ahead of time of the sources of temptation, they could be better prepared to face them. As they say, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
It would be unlikely for a faithful follower of Yahweh to wake up one day and, without any negative influence from others, just decide to go and start worshiping a false god. This almost always happened as a result of negative influence from peers.
Application – Today, we should also consider the sources of temptation. What are those voices that are speaking negative influences into our lives? Could it be a friend or family member? Or is it perhaps a teacher at school? Or maybe it is a certain type of music suggested by a classmate? We need to be aware that temptation can come from many directions. Then we can wisely avoid it or defend ourselves from it.
2. The first source of temptation was from false prophets – False prophets would openly attempt to entice the people to follow after gods. They would build credibility by performing signs and wonders. These “miracles” would then be used to “prove” the truth of their words. Once they had the rapt attention of the masses who were swayed by the amazing things they saw, they would use that influence to push people toward worshiping false gods.
Jesus also told us that we should expect such false prophets.
Matthew 24:24 – For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Note that these people can sometimes pull off “great signs and wonders.” The priests at Egypt were able to replicate some of the same plagues Moses was performing, albeit on a smaller scale (Exodus 7:11).
Reflect – How can these people perform signs?
Sometimes it could be an illusion or trick. Other times, it can be real. We should remember that there are spiritual forces in this world (Ephesians 6:10). Many of these are wicked. Demons are fallen angelic beings. They can do things that people cannot. When they possess a person, they can give the person certain abilities beyond what humans are capable of.
The lesson for us is simple. We should not believe and follow someone just because they perform a sign.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
Satan appears as an angel of light and his servants misrepresent themselves as well.
Application – We need to exercise discretion in who we listen to. It is important to go deeper. You might see a big crowd, eloquent speech, and amazing signs. Yet it is important to test teachers of the Word. Here are two tests we should use.
• Are they speaking the truth? Moses warned that believers should look deeper than the signs. If their message is not consistent with the truth of God’s Word, don’t listen to them. Paul said that if even an angel came and preached a different gospel, they should not listen (Galatians 1:8-12). The other question is if they prophesy, does it come true? If not, they are not a real prophet (Deuteronomy 18:22).
• Is their lifestyle consistent with godliness? Peter warns us that in addition to considering their message, we should look at the lifestyle of a teacher (2 Peter 2). False teachers are often immoral or greedy. They may preach the perfect gospel message, but if their character does not line up with what they preach, we should not follow them.
3. The Lord your God is testing you – God allowed them to be tested by these types of people. If they passed the test (and some did in their history), their faith would be strengthened. A test provides an opportunity for success and advancement or for failure. We should seek to recognize tests from God and then pray for strength to pass those tests. Rather than viewing them as a bad thing, we can see them as an opportunity to grow.
4. The false prophet shall be put to death… So you shall purge evil from your midst – God prescribes a very serious punishment for false prophets who willfully intend to lead His people astray. The punishment shows us the stakes. Allowing false prophets to spread their lies could lead to thousands or even millions of people believing them and losing their souls for eternity as a result.
Leniency encourages crime and wickedness, while harsh and swift penalties discourage it. That has always been the case.
Take the US drug problem, for example. Many major cities are experiencing something that looks like a zombie apocalypse. Thousands of drug addicts live on the streets. You can see used needles everywhere. Crime is running rampant. Long ago, many of these cities stopped punishing drugs. They instead legalized it. They even created places where people could legally take drugs with a doctor watching to ensure they aren’t overdosed. The more it is legalized and accepted, the worse the problem gets. It is not an exaggeration to say such leniency toward corrupting behaviors creates a systemic rot that threatens to collapse an entire civilization.
Shoplifters just walk into stores and take what they want. They are seldom punished. That encourages them and others to do it even more.
There is no recorded case of Israel obeying this command. Instead, we see that Israel was ensnared by idolatry and it almost destroyed their entire nation.
Obedience to God’s rules is always better than deciding we know better.
God wanted to preserve and protect His people. We could better understand this with the idea that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. However, even that falls short of giving a full picture. The strict commands to execute these idolatrous influencers would actually discourage those people from doing it to begin with. The command didn’t just protect the nation as a whole. It actually protected the very people who might become the cause of temptation by dissuading them from doing it.
While enforcing a law against drugs protects society as a whole, it also protects all of the people who don’t go on drugs because of the law. While such laws can appear to be harsh, they are actually merciful.
II. Don’t listen to family members who entice you (6-11)
Discussion Questions
• What is the second source of temptation Moses mentions?
• What does this teach us about the source of temptation?
• Why does this make it even more important to marry the right person and raise up godly children?
• At that time, what should a person do if a family member came up and suggested following another god?
• Is this too harsh?
• Did Israel obey this command from God?
• What was the result of their disobedience?
• How did their disobedience affect the entire nation historically?
• What does verse 11 say would have been the results of obeying?
• What does this passage teach about the priority of our relationship to God compared with other relationships?
• What other practical applications can we learn for today?
Cross-References
Luke 14:26 – If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 17:1-2 – And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
Ephesians 5:11 – Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. A second source of possible temptation was family and friends – Moses first mentioned false prophets. They would be the most public and open form the temptation to idolatry would take because they are talking to the crowds. Sometimes temptation comes from the public arena, media, or “influencers.”
Here, Moses warned them that sometimes it comes more secretly from people who are close to us. Such temptations can be deadly because they come from people we trust and our guard is more likely to be down. These temptations wouldn’t come outside in the crowd. They would come in the quiet of one’s home. Because the crowds aren’t there, there would also be less accountability and positive peer pressure.
We know that these forms of temptation can be very powerful. Ahab, Solomon, and Samson are a few examples of people who were led into sin by those closest to them. Job was also tempted by his wife, but stood strong.
Application – It is of the utmost importance that believers surround themselves with godly companions.
Proverbs 13:20 – Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
You cannot choose your parents or your siblings (though, as adults, you can choose how much time to spend with them), but you can choose your spouse and friends. You also can greatly influence your children. We should practice temptation prevention by choosing wise companions. Choosing a spouse is probably the second most important decision you will ever make after your decision to follow Jesus.
A godly spouse can help you in your walk with the Lord, pick you up when you stumble, and encourage you in Christian growth. An ungodly spouse will be a drag on your spiritual life and a constant source of temptation.
While we cannot 100% control the temptations we face, we can greatly reduce them by being wise in who we spend time with.
2. Your eye shall not pity him…you shall kill him – If a family member or friend attempted to entice an Israelite to worship a false god, that person was to report them and then lead a public stoning of the offender. That is a very hard thing.
Can you imagine reporting your spouse or child when you know it means death for that person?
Although this is emotionally more difficult than punishing the false prophet mentioned above, the principles are the same. Leniency would eventually give way to idolatry. Idolatry would result in lost generations of souls. Idolatry would also result in the fall of the nation as it was conquered many times by foreign powers, expressly as a judgment from God against Israel turning to other gods.
Here is what God said would be the result of obedience.
Deuteronomy 13:11 – And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.
There is no biblical record of Israel ever keeping this command. Obeying it would be a powerful disincentive for anyone to broach the topic of worshiping other gods. Even one enforcement every fifty years would serve as a strong deterrent from idolatry.
Reflect – Today we live in a different period, the age of grace. There are no nations that operate as a theocracy. Is there any practical application today of the principles here and if so what?
Application – From a national perspective, criminals should generally be punished to the full extent of the law. Too much leniency encourages more crime. One application for individuals is for parents to wisely discipline their children. Repeated threats or warnings without any actual discipline will cause children to ignore their parents.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 – Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.
III. Don’t listen to worthless people who entice you (12-18)
Discussion Questions
• What is the third source of temptation Moses mentions?
• What precautions were prescribed so that no one would be punished unjustly?
• Why was it important that they were not allowed to take spoil from that city?
• How could this preserve Israel as a community?
• What applications can we get for today from this passage?
Cross-References
1 Peter 5:8-9 -Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. A third possible source of temptation – Moses mentions a third way that idolatry might infiltrate the nation. Worthless people could convince an entire town to “go rogue” and worship idols. Idolatry could then spread from city to city.
In this case, the whole city should be put to death.
Deuteronomy 13:15 – You shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.
The danger was that one group of people involved in idolatry would influence others to do the same.
The same could be true for public sin allowed to go unchecked in a church today. It is like yeast, which affects the whole lump of dough.
1 Corinthians 5:6-7 – Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Application – Churches need to take seriously their role to enforce church discipline for egregious cases of willful and public sin (1 Corinthians 5). Sin should be “nipped in the bud” before it can blossom and grow.
Take cancer, for example. If it is discovered early and removed while it is small, the body will be protected. But if it is allowed to remain and spread, it will metastasize and infect everything. By that time, it will be too late to stop it, and the cancer, which started off small, will kill the host.
2. Inquire and make search and ask diligently – Moses put into place due process guardrails to ensure that the innocent were protected. Attacking a city was a serious thing and not something to do willy-nilly.
Application – We should always perform due process before dispensing discipline. Teachers should fully understand a situation before taking disciplinary action against a student. That includes listening to both sides of the story (Proverbs 18:17). Parents should also be fair to their children. If there is a conflict, do not be in a hurry to render a verdict. For example, two kids are fighting for a toy. Do not just quickly shout across the room, “Neither of you can play with it.” Instead, seek to understand the situation fully. Then give a fair verdict. Fairness is very important to everyone, including children. Unfair discipline is sure to do more harm than good in the long term.
3. Burn the city and the spoil – Moses tells them that they are not to keep any spoil from the city. It is to be burned. This command is very important. If they were allowed to keep the spoils, it would incentivize people to make false claims as a pretense to attack and steal what they wanted. Because they were prevented from receiving any personal benefit for carrying out this judgment, it would act as a safeguard against false accusations.
4. Obey the voice of the Lord your God – The same theme of obedience is repeated throughout Deuteronomy. Unfortunately, they did not obey these commands. As a result, the nation fell into idolatry and only through God’s grace was a remnant preserved.
Application – What do you need to obey in the coming week based on the passage today?
