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SUBJECT: Water Divining or Use of Divining Rods [Dowsing]
QUESTIONS: What does the Bible have to say about Divining
Rods? Is it of God or Satan?
ANSWER:
Thank you for your question concerning water divining or use
of divining rods.
This is a practice of Satan and not recommended.
Water divining, also known as "water witching" and "water
dowsing," is practiced all over the world. It is the craft
of seeking underground water by means of a divining rod,
commonly a forked stick which is held by the twigs, one in
each hand with the stock pointing outward or upward. As the
diviner walks over the ground, the stick will suddenly twist
in his hands and point downward, supposedly indicating the
presence of underground water. At times there is water; at
other times there is none.
Hosea prophesied that divining rods would be used in our
time. He wrote, "My people ask counsel at their stock and
their staff declareth unto them" (Hosea 4:12). According to
the "Critical and Experimental Commentary," by Jamieson,
Faussett, and Brown, "staff" here refers to a divining rod.
What is the origin of this practice? How did it come to be
used so extensively in our western, so-called Christian
nations? In his book titled "Fads and Fallacies in the Name
of Science," Martin Gardner admits:
The employment of various shaped rods for divination
purposes goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks and
Egyptians .... In the Middle Ages, it was associated with
the power of Satan, although many churchmen made use of
divination rods. The forked twig, for finding minerals,
apparently did not appear until the fifteenth century when
it was used by German prospectors in the Harz Mining region.
When German miners were imported to England in the century
following, they brought the practice with them. It was in
England that the use of the twig was transferred from
minerals to the search for water.
God condemns such practices. He says, "Thou shalt not learn
to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall
not be found among you anyone ... that useth divination"
(Deuteronomy 18:9-10). And God adds, "I will even set my
face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his
people" (Leviticus 20:6).
There are a few guidelines which can help one find a source
of water. A Christian should first ask God in prayer to aid
him in locating the right place to drill. Then he should
analyze the lay of the land and drill in the most suitable
area. Asking the advice of an experienced well driller --
one who does not consult "witchers" -- should also be
helpful.
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