In Deuteronomy 13:1 and 2 Moses spoke about a prophet or dreamer of dreams who stands up and gives a sign or wonder and that sign or wonder occurs, about which he spoke, saying, "Let us go after other gods whom you have not known, and let us serve them." Moses went on to tell the people not to listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams, "for Jehovah your God is testing you in order to know whether you love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (v. 3).
In verse 4 Moses continued, "You shall follow Jehovah your God; and you shall fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and hold fast to Him." Instead of using the expression "hold fast to Him," we today may speak of laying hold on Christ. We all need to lay hold of, to hold on to, Christ.
In verse 5 Moses said, "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has advocated apostasy from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery, in order to force you out of the way in which Jehovah your God has commanded you to walk. Thus you shall utterly remove the evil from your midst." The Hebrew word rendered "advocated" literally means "spoken." The word translated "apostasy" can also be translated "a turning away against." Literally the Hebrew word for "utterly remove" means "burn out" or "consume."
In verses 6 through 11 Moses spoke about what to do with the brother, son, daughter, wife, or friend who entices the children of Israel secretly to serve other gods, which neither they nor their fathers had known. They were not to yield to such a one nor listen to him, nor was their eye to pity him, nor were they to spare him nor conceal him (v. 8). Rather, Moses said, "You must slay him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones so that he dies, because he sought to force you away from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (vv. 9-10).
In verses 12 through 18 Moses told the people what to do if they should hear in one of their cities that "some worthless men" have gone out from their midst and "have forced the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which you have not known)." Concerning such a case, the children of Israel were to investigate and examine carefully and inquire thoroughly. If the thing were true and certain that that abomination had been done in their midst, they were to slay the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that was in it and its cattle. They were to gather all its spoil at the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire wholly to Jehovah their God, and it would be a mound only forever and would not be built again. Nothing of what had been cursed was to cling to their hand. When they did in this way what was right in the sight of Jehovah their God, He would turn from His burning anger, show them tenderness, be compassionate to them, and multiply them as He had promised their fathers.
In Deuteronomy 12 Moses was strict in the matter of division, and in Deuteronomy 13 he was strict in the matter of apostasy. When he came to these matters, he was no longer general but very definite. Like the apostles in the New Testament, we need to learn of Moses concerning these two crucial things. We also must be very strict concerning division and apostasy. This means that we must keep the unique oneness of God's people and the unique faith in the person and redemptive work of Christ.