Deuteronomy 4: 14 "And the Lord commanded me (Moses) at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. 15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: 16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, 18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth: 19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven."
Those who look beyond God for solace and comfort have corrupted themselves. Lifting up ones eyes toward celestial bodies for guidance is as corrupt as graven images, beast worship, or fish worship, all of which the Egyptians did! You say "I don't worship the stars. I merely read the horoscope for entertainment!" I ask "Would you read the Koran for entertainment?" Unlikely.
The horoscope is a prediction of a person's future based on the alignment of celestial bodies. Hence, the reading of the horoscope is soothsaying! Astrologers use the horoscope in their study of the stars and constellations. Astrology is the study of the bodies as effects human behavior. The astrologer predicts people's outcomes based on the positions of those bodies. It's a cause and effect relationship. Rather than your life being in God's will, you're a product of the gravitational pull of stars and galaxies. In effect instead of faith on God, those who read horoscopes put theri faith in material bodies. Although they are not graven images, they are likenesses of male and female pagan gods and goddesses.
The practice of astrology is a violation of The First Commandment "Thou shall have no other Gods before me." "Well", you say, "I put God first." "Before" doesn't mean "prior to"; it means "in God's presence or in his face"! When a person reads the horoscope they do it in God's face. He's appalled! Those who believe in or practice astrology are in effect spitting in God's face, because God commands that it's not to be done!
The Jews weren't punished for failing to worship God, they were punished for worshiping other gods alongside the One True God! That's a critical thought! Christians must never participate in popular activities associated with other religions. Examples are: horoscopes, yoga, the martial arts, meditation, positive affirmations and the like. There is much more, all similar to the following:
Jeremiah 8:2 "And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth."
Remember that relying on the horoscope is soothsaying (fortune-telling). Here's what God says about that:
Micah 5:12 " And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands."
Yes, soothsaying is as bad as witchcraft. That's what it is! It's serious business for Christians because there is spiritual war going on. We're battling with principalities (dark angels). If humans dabble with the occult, humans lose! It's just the way it is! However, if we obey God and his commands we'll separate ourselves from occult practice and God will shield us!
People always say "I don't take it seriously!" "In vain" means "without value"! Since we're not to use God's name frivolously, I might add, it's provocation to participate in false religions in vain!
Archeologists have said that ugurats such as the Tower of Babel were towers devoted to astrology. They were structures of twelve levels with each level having colors of the zodiac; and on the top deck were astrological symbols. It's clear that mankind was confused because they dabbled in astrology! That's how important it is to God that we practice no other religion in his face.
It's nothing to me, but I hate to see God dishonored! With that said, how do you think God feels about such blatant irreverence? He told us not to do it, but we just can't stay away from stuff which is an abomination to him! I'm glad we have a merciful God!
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