Does God Deceive People?

"And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel." (Eze. 14: 9 kjv)

Many Bible teachers and students are puzzled by the Lord saying “I the Lord have deceived that prophet." Does God do that? Is not Satan called the deceiver? (Rev. 12: 9, etc.) 

We also read of a case where Jeremiah, the Lord's prophet, says these words: 

"Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, Saying, ‘You shall have peace,’ Whereas the sword reaches to the heart.” (Jer. 4: 10 nkjv)

"O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me." (Jer. 20: 7 kjv)

We might argue that Jeremiah was wrong to think this way about his God. However, in the above text in Ezekiel it is LORD God himself who says he has deceived false prophets. So, how do we harmonize this with the fact that God is a God "who cannot lie"? (Numb. 23: 19; Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:17-18) 

Notice also that God not only deceives the prophet but destroys him for being deceived. That seems to be the work of an unjust tyrannical god. 

Some Bible commentators explain this to mean that God merely permits prophets to be deceived. But, this is to be doubted as the meaning, but is accepted by some due to the cognitive dissonance such a statement produces and is a way to exonerate God from being the one who directly caused the deception. I find this explanation interesting, especially coming from those who deny that God is the cause of all things, or has decreed or predestined all things, for if they allow that God's permitting sin means he causes sin, then they ought not to be objecting to Calvinists who assert that God is the cause of all things, including sin. 

However, God could have prevented the tempter's entrance into Eden. Since he did not, he may be considered a contributing cause of Eve being tempted. A "contributing cause" (or contributing factor) is a condition, event, or action that helps bring about a result, increases its likelihood, or makes it more severe, but is not the immediate or direct or the efficient cause of the action. Further, God is "the first cause of all things," the cause of all other causes, of all secondary causes. We might also call God the "material cause" of all things (though he is not a physical being, but spiritual), one of the four causes identified by Aristotle. I discuss these four causes in my series on predestination (here) and where I used this chart:

This is what Paul taught when he said of God: "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things." (Rom. 11: 36) "Of him" sees God as the first or material cause, "through him" sees him as the instrumental cause, and "to him" as the "final cause." "Of" or "from" him is from the Greek word "ek" which means "out of" and "through" is from the Greek preposition "dia" which denotes instrumentality, and "to" or "unto" is from the preposition "eis" which means into, unto, for the purpose of. So, all things are from God, and through God, and for or unto God, for his own ends and purpose. 

In the Garden of Eden Satan came and deceived the woman into disobeying the express command of God not to eat of the tree of forbidden knowledge. We also learn that God considers it wrong to permit evil when it is in our power to prevent it. Notice this text in support of this assertion:

"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols." (Rev. 2: 20 nkjv)

However, God allowed Satan to enter the Garden and he allows everything that occurs and it would not occur without him permitting it. So, why is he not to blame? Many think he is for this very reason. He knows who will be murdered, so why does he not prevent it? Why did he not kill Hitler and save millions from death? So, if God deceived the prophets by permitting them to be deceived, one still has a problem explaining why God allowed such to occur.

Other Bible commentators explain the text to mean that though God is the one who is doing the deceiving, and not by simply allowing it, yet it is just and right since it is done by way of punishment for sin, just as his hardening of hearts is likewise a judicial hardening done for habitual sin committed. That is likely the case. Hardening refers to a judicial act by which God as judge hardens the hearts of individuals for persistent resistance to his will and which leads to a further state of spiritual insensitivity and rebellion. This is a case where God says to such incorrigible stubborn sinners "just be that way then!" or "have it your way then." Or, as we read where he will say to some in the day of judgment - "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still." (Rev. 22: 11 nkjv) Similarly we read of this divine judgment upon those who stubbornly reject God and his law:

"But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house." (Eze. 3: 27 nkjv)

We also read where Lord God acted this way towards those who refused him over and over again:

"Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.” And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.” (Rom. 11: 8-10 nkjv)

The Lord also said in another of his Oracles of judgment:

“But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels." (Psa. 81: 11-12 nkjv)

For God to do these things in declaratory judgment causes the wicked ones described to be further deceived, for to be blinded, deafened, given over to their own stubborn hearts, will lead to the results mentioned, that they will "walk in their own counsels," be blinded or deceived, and be left alone by the Lord. So the Lord declared:

“For Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn calf; Now the Lord will let them forage Like a lamb in open country. “Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone." (Hosea 4: 16-17 nkjv)

Not only is God telling others to "let them forage like a lamb in open country" but to "let them alone," things which God himself does in judgment and which brings them disastrous effects. Translators are not uniform in how they translate part of this text, with some translating as "can the LORD now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?" (esv) "now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place" (kjv). Many like the ESV translate the words as a question. The KJV says that "the LORD will feed them..." In the latter case the words would suggest doing them good rather than evil. 

But, the context is one of judgment. I think the NKJV is correct. Two times God says "let" such and such be the case. We saw this same word above in Romans chapter eleven where LORD God says "let their table become a snare and a trap" and "let their eyes be darkened." We should understand the word "let" to mean the same thing as when the Lord said in creation "let there be light." So, it may very well be that when the Lord says that he has deceived a prophet who is forsaking the one true God he means that he has said "let him be deceived." It is a judgment for God to say "let them forage in an open country." In that situation they would as sheep not be under the protection of a shepherd, but would rather be in peril of wolves and lions. 

We have another similar case of this in these words of the Lord:

“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols." (Ezekiel 20: 39 nkjv)

When God says to those who had forsaken him "go and serve everyone of you his idols" he is not saying this to mean that this is what he actually wants, but is said sarcastically, or as I said previously, is a case where God is simply saying "okay, be that way then" or "have it your way then." God says to the stubborn refusers -  "okay be deceived then." "Go serve your idols" is akin to "Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone."

The prophet Micaiah describes a vision in heaven where God asks a divine council how to entice King Ahab into battle, because God in judgment has determined that Saul be slain as a result and be removed as king. God therefore authorizes a "lying spirit" to go into the mouths of Ahab's prophets to deceive him. Notice the story:

"19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ 22 The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23 Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.” (I Kings 22: 19-23 nkjv)

Here is a case where the prophets of Saul, "his prophets," "these prophets of yours," not God's prophets, are deceived by a "lying spirit" being given permission of the Lord to deceive them and in deceiving them Saul himself would also be deceived and thus would result in his destruction. 

We also see where in the days of the Apocalypse when the Antichrist or lawless one, the little horn of Daniel, is revealed and becomes dictator or tyrant over his global Satanic kingdom. Wrote the apostle Paul:

"8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thess. 2: 8-12 nkjv)

Notice that this "strong delusion" (deception) is not arbitrary or without just cause. It is sent on those who refused God and instead accepted Antichrist as their God and who believed "the lie" and who are thus condemned for not believing the truth and for having pleasure in unrighteousness.

In the old testament we see where God suffered false prophets to come among his people and to attempt, and sometimes to succeed, in deceiving them. Notice it:

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deut. 13: 1-3 nkjv) 

The time under the Antichrist will likewise be a test for mankind. (Rev. 3: 10)

"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." (nkjv)

Deception in War 

Deception in War is generally accepted as a valid military strategy to protect lives and win battles, and the Bible contains several examples where God's people used ruses or where strategic military deception was seemingly approved or commanded. In Joshua 8:2–7 God instructs Joshua to set an ambush against the city of Ai, using a feigned retreat to lure the enemy out. In Judges 7 Gideon uses torches, pitchers, and strategic shouting to make the Midianite army believe the Israelite forces are much larger than they are. Rahab lied to protect Israelite spies in Joshua 2, an act praised in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31) for her faith. 

In WWII the British were experts in ways to deceive the Nazis. In Operation Overlord the allies under General Eisenhower made the Nazis believe that the allies would land at Pas-de-Calais and this sub-operation was called Operation Fortitude. They landed at Normandy beaches where they were least expected. General George Patton was placed in command of the fake army in southeastern England to convince the Germans a major attack was coming across the shortest point of the English Channel. The Allies used inflatable rubber tanks, wooden aircraft, and fake landing craft made of canvas and scaffolding to trick German reconnaissance flights. This deception saved the lives of many allied soldiers.

When someone is defiant against God, who is a willful determined enemy of his, as is Satan, it is perfectly just and right for God to deceive him.

Sometimes we also justify deceiving others for other good purposes. We often do this when having surprise birthday parties. We will tell the person, whose birthday it is, various lies to get him to be in the place of the party and to keep him from knowing in advance what has been planned for him.

The point is this: God does not deceive as does Satan. He does not deceive for the same reason. It is God's desire that "all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2:4). But, for some, God has said he will deceive them, and in the way and for the purpose I have shown.