Amulets

Amulets were very common in the ancient cultures of the Bible lands, especially among the pagan peoples. Amulets are magic charms worn by people to protect themselves from negative energies, evil and injury, and also to bring good luck. Amulets are usually in the form of crystals, Celtic crosses, or other mystical jewelry worn as a pendant on a necklace or bracelet, or hung on a chain dangling from the rear-view mirror of automobile windshields. Amulets are believed to have mystical powers, which supposedly results in personal protection, success and prosperity. Often the charms are regarded to be transmitters of healing energies and positive vibrations, supposedly promoting a feeling of peace and tranquility.

God abandons those who depend on divination, fortune telling and other occult practices.

• Leviticus 19:26 HCSB "You are not to eat anything with blood in it. You are not to practice divination or sorcery.
• Deuteronomy 18:10-14 HCSB No one among you is to make his son or daughter pass through the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, 11 cast spells, consult a medium or a familiar spirit, or inquire of the dead. 12 Everyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable things. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do this.
• 2 Kings 21:1-7 HCSB Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king; he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, imitating the abominations of the nations that the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them. 4 He would build altars in the LORD's temple, where the LORD had said, "Jerusalem is where I will put My name." 5 He built altars to the whole heavenly host in both courtyards of the LORD's temple. 6 He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great amount of evil in the LORD's sight, provoking Him. 7 Manasseh set up the carved image of Asherah he made in the temple that the LORD had spoken about to David and his son Solomon, "I will establish My name forever in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
• Isaiah 2:6 HCSB For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of divination from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They are in league with foreigners.
• Isaiah 57:3-5 HCSB But come here, you sons of a sorceress, offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute! 4 Who is it you are mocking? Who is it you are opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue at? Isn't it you, you rebellious children, you race of liars, 5 who burn with lust among the oaks, under every flourishing tree, who slaughter children in the wadis below the clefts of the rocks?
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 HCSB Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit God's kingdom? Do not be deceived: no sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, or swindlers will inherit God's kingdom.
• Galatians 5:19-21 HCSB Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance--as I told you before--that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

During times of apostasy and idolatry, Israelites copied the superstitions of pagans, including the practice of wearing magic charms. God uttered a stern warning to the false prophetesses of Israel who wore amulets.

• Ezekiel 13:17-20 HCSB "Now, son of man, turn toward the women of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say: This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the women who sew magic bands on the wrist of every hand and who make veils for the heads of people of every height in order to ensnare lives. Will you ensnare the lives of My people but preserve your own? 19 You profane Me in front of My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread; you kill those who should not die and spare those who should not live, when you lie to My people, who listen to lies. 20 "Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: I am against your magic bands that you ensnare people with like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. I will free the people you have ensnared like birds.

Note: The “magic bands” (“keseth” Strong’s #3704) were bands, fillets, covered amulets or false phylacteries that were used by false prophetesses in Israel to support their demonic fortune-telling schemes.

Pagan peoples also possessed larger talismans called teraphim, also known as ‘household idols'. These miniature images were kept in the home or would be taken along when on journeys. God was against them.

• 2 Kings 23:24 HCSB In addition, Josiah removed the mediums, the spiritists, household idols, images, and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the LORD's temple.

Whenever idols and other magic charms are mentioned in Scripture, God's attitude is one of chastisement against them.

• Psalms 31:6 HCSB I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.