Day #1

Ye shall not eat [any thing] with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times -- Leviticus 19:26.

This probably refers to charms and incantations, which, though not in themselves immoral or licentious, tended to superstition and idolatry. It is astonishing to find that many today are still influenced by superstitious beliefs. Even reputable newspapers carry information on "lucky" and "unlucky" days. Men profess to be able to foretell the future by the position of the stars, and to advise what should or should not be done on certain days. Fortune-tellers and spirit mediums flourish by the thousands, and millions are deceived by them. Some carry charms in their pockets or on their persons, nail horseshoes over their doors; others "knock on wood" lest evil befall them. Many will not begin or perform certain tasks on a Friday. The number 13 is thought to be unlucky. Some think a black cat an evil omen on a journey, and have been known to go back and begin their journey anew. Some refuse to walk under a ladder, and others again claim to cure certain sicknesses by throwing an object behind their back on a moonless night. Anciently such things were taken more seriously than they are today, and there was danger lest Israel delve further into the magic of the nations about them -- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, [Leviticus 19:26].

Day #2

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God -- Leviticus 19:31.

The Lord presented before Israel the results of holding communion with evil spirits, in the abominations of the Canaanites: they were without natural affection, idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and abominable by every corrupt thought and revolting practice. Men do not know their own hearts; for "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Jeremiah 17:9. But God understands the tendencies of the depraved nature of man. Then, as now, Satan was watching to bring about conditions favourable to rebellion, that the people of Israel might make themselves as abhorrent to God as were the Canaanites. The adversary of souls is ever on the alert to open channels for the unrestrained flow of evil in us; for he desires that we may be ruined, and be condemned before God.

Satan was determined to keep his hold on the land of Canaan, and when it was made the habitation of the children of Israel, and the law of God was made the law of the land, he hated Israel with a cruel and malignant hatred and plotted their destruction. Through the agency of evil spirits strange gods were introduced; and because of transgression, the chosen people were finally scattered from the Land of Promise. This history Satan is striving to repeat in our day. God is leading His people out from the abominations of the world, that they may keep His law; and because of this, the rage of "the accuser of our brethren" knows no bounds. "The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Revelation 12:10, 12. The antitypical land of promise is just before us, and Satan is determined to destroy the people of God and cut them off from their inheritance. The admonition, "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38), was never more needed than now -- Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 688, 689.

Day #3

And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people - Leviticus 20:6.

The belief in communion with the dead is still held, even in professedly Christian lands. Under the name of spiritualism the practice of communicating with beings claiming to be the spirits of the departed has become widespread. It is calculated to take hold of the sympathies of those who have laid their loved ones in the grave. Spiritual beings sometimes appear to persons in the form of their deceased friends, and relate incidents connected with their lives and perform acts which they performed while living. In this way they lead men to believe that their dead friends are angels, hovering over them and communicating with them. Those who thus assume to be the spirits of the departed are regarded with a certain idolatry, and with many their word has greater weight than the word of God. . . .

The Hebrews were expressly forbidden to engage in any manner in pretended communion with the dead. God closed this door effectually when He said: "The dead know not anything. . . . Neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psalm 146:4. And the Lord declared to Israel: "The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." Leviticus 20:6. -- Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 684, 685.

Day #4

When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch -- Deuteronomy 18:9, 10.

God was a wise and compassionate lawgiver, judging all cases righteously, and without partiality. While the Israelites were in Egyptian bondage, they were surrounded with idolatry. The Egyptians had received traditions in regard to sacrificing. They did not acknowledge the existence of the God of Heaven. They sacrificed to their idol gods. With great pomp and ceremony they performed their idol worship. They erected altars to the honour of their gods, and they required even their own children to pass through the fire. After they had erected their altars they required their children to leap over the altars through the fire. If they could do this without their being burned, the idol priests and people received it as an evidence that their god accepted their offerings, and favoured especially the person who passed through the fiery ordeal. He was loaded with benefits, and was ever afterward greatly esteemed by all the people. He was never allowed to be punished, however aggravating might be his crimes. If another person who leaped through the fire was so unfortunate as to be burned, then his fate was fixed; for they thought that their gods were angry, and would be appeased with nothing short of the unhappy victim's life, and he was offered up as a sacrifice upon their idol altars -- Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, pp. 303.

Day #5

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee -- Deuteronomy 18:11, 12.

To the self-indulgent, the pleasure-loving, the sensual, spiritualism presents itself under a less subtle disguise than to the more refined and intellectual; in its grosser forms they find that which is in harmony with their inclinations. Satan studies every indication of the frailty of human nature, he marks the sins which each individual is inclined to commit, and then he takes care that opportunities shall not be wanting to gratify the tendency to evil. He tempts men to excess in that which is in itself lawful, causing them, through intemperance, to weaken physical, mental, and moral power. He has destroyed and is destroying thousands through the indulgence of the passions, thus brutalising the entire nature of man. And to complete his work, he declares, through the spirits that "true knowledge places man above all law;" that "whatever is, is right;" that "God doth not condemn;" and that " all sins which are committed are innocent." When the people are thus led to believe that desire is the highest law, that liberty is license, and that man is accountable only to himself, who can wonder that corruption and depravity teem on every hand? Multitudes eagerly accept teachings that leave them at liberty to obey the promptings of the carnal heart. The reins of self-control are laid upon the neck of lust, the powers of mind and soul are made subject to the animal propensities, and Satan exultingly sweeps into his net thousands who profess to be followers of Christ -- Great Controversy, pp. 555, 556.

Day #6

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger -- 2 Chronicles 33:6.

Even some of the children of Israel had so far degraded themselves as to practice these abominations, and God caused the fire to kindle upon their children, whom they made to pass through the fire. They did not go to all the lengths of the heathen nations; but God deprived them of their children by causing the fire to consume them in the act of passing through it -- Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, pp. 303, 304.

Day #7

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only -- 2 Kings 17:17.

These were sacrifices in which children were consumed by the flames (see on Deut. 18:10; 32:17; 2 Kings 16:3). The indictment of Judah was similar (Jer. 19:5).

Divination. This refers to the various methods by which men endeavoured to ascertain the will of the gods or to secure from them secret information.

Enchantments. These consisted of various types of necromancy and witchcraft.

Sold themselves. Those who engaged in these iniquitous practices became the servants of the demoniacal powers back of the occult and mysterious rites. Instead of being servants of God they were henceforth slaves of Satan. They found the evil one to be anything but a kind master (see 1 Kings 21:20) -- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, [2 Kings 17:17].

Day #8

Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments -- Isaiah 47:8, 9.

"Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee;
And thou hast said in thine heart,
I am, and none else beside me.
Therefore shall evil come upon thee;
Thou shalt not know from whence it riseth:
And mischief shall fall upon thee;
Thou shalt not be able to put it off:
And desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which
thou shalt not know. "Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the
multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast
laboured from thy youth;
If so be thou shalt be able to profit,
If so be thou mayest prevail. "Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels.
Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly
prognosticators,
Stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come
upon thee.
Behold, they shall be as stubble; . . .
They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the
flame: . . .
None shall save thee." Isaiah 47:10-15.

Day #9

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish -- Jeremiah 27:9, 10.

Divination. A general term for various false systems of seeking supernatural aid, either for information regarding the future or for guidance in present affairs. Those who practised divination were called diviners (1 Sa 6:2; Is 44:25; etc.). Three types of divination are mentioned in Eze 21:21-divination by arrows, by consulting teraphim, and by liver. Since in Arabic, a cognate language to the Hebrew, qasama means "to cut" or "to split," it has been suggested that the Hebrew term originally was limited to divination by cutting open an animal and examining its entrails. All types of divination were strictly forbidden by the Mosaic code (Deut 18:10, 11). The expression "Diviners' Oak" (Jgs 9:37, RSV; KJV "plain of Meonenim") was used probably to designate some specific ancient tree, the site of which was connected with soothsaying or necromancy.

Enchanter. In the KJV the term occurs twice, once (Deut 18:10) as the rendering of a word derived from the Heb. nachash, "to look for an omen," "to divine," and once (Jer 27:9) as the rendering of a word derived from the Heb. anan, "to appear," or "to cause to appear," hence probably a spirit medium.

Sorcerer. One who uses witchcraft or employs powers gained from the assistance and control of evil spirits, though in some instances certain terms thus translated may refer to one possessing a knowledge of chemistry and physics that enable him to give demonstrations that the ignorant would regard as supernatural feats. Sorcerers are mentioned as being active in Egypt (Ex 7:11), Babylon (Dan 2:2; cf. Is 47:9; etc.), Israel (2 Ki 9:22, RSV), Judah (2 Chr 33:1, 6, RSV; Jer 27:1, 9), and among the Jews in Nehemiah's time (Mal 3:5). In Egypt sorcerers counterfeited Moses' miracles before Pharaoh (Ex 7:11; etc.). In Israel those who practised sorcery were condemned to death (see Ex 22:18, RSV; cf. Lev 20:6, 27, Deut 18:9-12). A certain Simon practised sorcery (KJV), or magic (RSV), in Samaria (Acts 8:4-11), as did also Elymas in Paphos on the island of Cyprus (Acts 13:6, 8). God classifies sorcery with the vilest of sins (Gal 5:20, RSV) and promises to those who practice it ultimate destruction in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8) -- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary.

Day #10

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God -- Galatians 5:20, 21.

The purity and holiness of Christ, the spotless righteousness of Him who did no sin, was a perpetual reproach upon all sin in a world of sensuality and sin. In His life the light of truth was flashed amid the moral darkness with which Satan had enshrouded the world. Christ exposed Satan's falsehoods and deceiving character, and in many hearts destroyed his corrupting influence. It was this that stirred Satan with such intense hatred. With his hosts of fallen beings he determined to urge the warfare most vigorously; for there stood in the world One who was a perfect representative of the Father, One whose character and practices refuted Satan's misrepresentation of God. Satan had charged upon God the attribute he himself possessed. Now in Christ he saw God revealed in His true character--a compassionate, merciful Father, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Him in repentance, and have eternal life.

Intense worldliness has been one of Satan's most successful temptations. He designs to keep the hearts and minds of men so engrossed with worldly attractions that there will be no room for heavenly things. He controls their minds in their love of the world. Earthly things eclipse the heavenly, and put the Lord out of their sight and understanding. False theories and false gods are cherished in the place of the true. Men are charmed with the glitter and tinsel of the world. They are so attached to the things of the earth that many will commit any sin in order to gain some worldly advantage -- Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 254.