Persuasion of the Heart – Deuteronomy 11:16

“Beware for yourselves lest your heart be seduced and you turn astray and serve other gods and prostrate yourselves to them.”

Moses warns the people of Israel not to be led astray by their hearts. It would seem that the persuasion for idolatry appeals to the heart which would then lead a person to the worship of a strange god.

What is this persuasion of the heart, how does it work and how could we avoid it?

The word “seduction” or “persuasion” implies the influencing of someone to do something that they would have otherwise not done. The seducer affects the emotions of the one being seduced to the degree that they follow the seducer against their own set of values and even against their own best interest.

In the realm of worship the only relevant question is: To whom does my worship belong?…