If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)
In my view the test described in Deuteronomy 13:1-3 originates with the LORD only in the sense that the prophet or dreamer is given the freedom to say and do as s/he pleases. In my experience God doesn’t play games. Some scriptures seem to indicate God does play games. The Bible’s book of Job, for example, depicts God playing very cruel games, as I see it, but that’s another story. The Bible’s book of James states another view:
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone... (James 1:13)
Yes, my faith in God is often tested by the presence of evils and by the actions of evil beings. Mysteriously, God permits those tests, but in no way sponsors them.
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