Then there is the flip side of this:
Thou shalt not put The Lord thy God to the test.
RE: Thou shalt not put The Lord thy God to the test.
I don’t think investigating a miracle to see whether it is true ornot belongs to the category of “Putting the Lord to the test”.
In the Book of Judges Chapter 6, Gideon puts God on trial, and tests him several times. God first consumes an offering that Gideon places upon a rock (Judges 6:17-22); later, God fills some fleece with dew while leaving the surrounding area dry (Judges 6:36-38), and then does the opposite (Judges 6:39-40).
But God never rebukes Gideon for testing him; God never says, “I said no testing, you unbeliever!” God gives Gideon all the evidence he needs to believe.
In the Book of First Kings Chapter 18, God prompts Elijah to summon people from all over Israel to witness a test between God and Baal (1 Kings 18:19). Elijah reasons with the people saying, “If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). God wasn’t trying to run from a fight, he was saying, “Come, let us put this matter to a test!”
God had no objection to being tested against another god, in fact, it was his idea!
In fact, what I see is this: When it comes to belief in other gods, God demands evidence before faith, but when it comes to belief in God, God demands faith before evidence.
Agreed 👍
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Funny that in the last two days I watched testimonials from 2 Christians——
Keith Green and Nicky Cruz.
The takeaway was the True Proof was in their Transformed lives by the
Love of Jesus.
So many hardened atheists are doing so in rejecting (at least) a creator God despite the degree of evidential warrant for one. but honestly seeking evidence of God is not what that command is about, but that of insolently requiring a miracle or act of God after He has already made His reality and will evident:
And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord [who had abundantly overtly supernaturally manifested His care for them already]? (Exodus 17:1-2)
And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? (Exodus 17:1-2)
Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16)
or acting presumptuously, doing something that is contrary to His known will and expecting God to delivery you:
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Matthew 4:5-7)or impudently committing sin when knowing better, mocking God as if He was not a judge of such:
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. (Acts 5:9)
Then there is the flip side of this: