12 Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. 13 You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you. 14 Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!
(Isaiah 47:12-14, ESV)
In 1972, Stevie wonder recorded a song titled “Superstition.” The song had a catchy tune and pointed to the popular superstitious fables of our day. His message is repeated in the chorus,
“When you believe in things that you don’t understand, Then you suffer, Superstition ain’t the way. . .”
I am not sure if Stevie Wonder wrote these lyrics with any theological underpinnings. Yet, the lyrics illustrate a precept that we must grasp. “Superstition ain’t the way.”
In this passage of Isaiah, we see the words of the Lord deriding the superstitious Babylonians. They were involved in spells, sorceries, astrology, and other forms of divination. The sentiment the Lord sarcastically expresses is to see if these things have any power to save them from their destruction. In His sovereign plan, the Lord had already purposed the destruction of Babylon by the Persian Empire, which happened under Cyrus in 539BC. The superstition of Babylon could not protect them from the Persian invasion.
Does this episode have any pertinence for the church? I want to consider the issue of superstition in our lives today. Are we a superstitious people? All the time, I find professing believers dabbling in superstition. Many still play around with horoscopes and astrology. Some participate in palm readings, tealeaf readings, necromancy, etc. These are quite the extremes in divination. However, while many reject these, the often participate in the more subtle forms of superstition.
What are some of the more subtle forms of superstition? These are things like fear of breaking a mirror, spilling salt and throwing a pinch over the shoulder, the fear of walking under a ladder, the fear of the number 13, the fear of opening an umbrella indoors, etc. I have met believers that will walk around the block to get to their homes if a black cat walks across their path. I have met others who will knock on wood to bring about some “good luck.” Are these subtle forms of superstition bad and if so why?
The answer to the question, “Are these things bad?” boils down to one question. Are you going to trust God or superstition? Every time we participate in a superstition, we state that we do not fully trust God. Therefore, superstition is sin. Why do I say this? It is because anything that is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).
In many cases, superstition is an ingrained habit that we have developed due to societal mores. We have learned these from our parents or others and they have become habitual. How do we break the habit of superstition? First, we must realize that it is a problem. When you reach for the spilled salt to throw it over your shoulder, stop and think about life. Is God sovereign or not? Will you trust God or not? He is sovereign over the events of your life.
Second, confess the attitude of superstition to Him. He knows what is in your heart anyway. The purpose of our confession is to join us with His purposes and precepts.
Third, pray in such a way as to commit your future to the Lord. It would go something like this, “Lord, I confess that I struggle with superstition. However, I know that you are sovereign over all things. I know that you care about my future and that you do work all things out together for my good, because I love you (Romans 8:28). Therefore, I reject the superstitious thought, and commit my future to you and trust you for it.”
Fourth, do not throw the salt over your shoulder. Brush it off your fingers and live out your Christian life by faith.
You see, there is a significant downside to superstition. For the nation of Babylon, it was their destruction. For us it hinders our Spirit filled walk, which leaves us lacking the power to walk in victory. Whether from a Christian perspective or not, Stevie Wonder had it right. “When you believe in things that you don’t understand, Then you suffer, Superstition ain’t the way. . .”
Renewing the Heart 