0 SAB Is magic OK?

Some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16

Is magic OK?


Yes, God approves of magic.

God taught Moses some cool magic tricks to impress the Pharaoh.

And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. ...
And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. Exodus 4:2-6

The Bible has a magical procedure to find out if a woman has been defiled.

And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot. Numbers 5:27

And God invented a magical cure for snakebite.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9

No, the Bible condemns magic.

It is an abomination to God. (So are magicians.)

There shall not be found among you any one ... that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 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. Deuteronomy 18:10-12

God forbids believers to use magic.

Ye shall not ... use enchantment, nor observe times. ... Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:26-31

Witches, wizards, and people with "familiar spirits" must be stoned to death.

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Exodus 22:18

A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:27

God praised Hezekiah for destroying Moses's magical bronze serpent (which God told Moses to make to cure people from the snakes that God created to kill them). Apparently God even dislikes his own magic.

He [Hezekiah] did that which was right in the sight of the LORD....
He ... brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made. 2 Kings 18:3-4

Elsewhere in the Bible magic and magicians are condemned.

In the Old Testament, Manasseh's use of magic was called "wicked in the sight of the Lord."

Manasseh ... observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD. 2 Kings 21:1-6

And Acts, Simon "bewitched" the people of Samaria.

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. Acts 8:9-11

And Elymas the sorcerer was blinded by Paul.

Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him [Elymas the sorcerer]. And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Acts 13:8-11

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