Deuteronomy 6:16
However, the Bible records that Gideon tested God with the fleece (Judges 6:36-40); Elijah tested God before the heathen (I Kings 18:36-38); and Hezekiah asked for a sign that he would get well (II Kings 20:8-11). See also: Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12.
Response
Deuteronomy said not to tempt God in unbelief (“as ye tempted him in Massah”). Exodus 17:7 says that in Massah, the children of Israel “tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” Unbelief is very wrong, and testing God in unbelief is also wrong.
Regarding the account of Gideon, the fact that the Bible records history accurately does not mean that it endorses what people do. Gideon’s test for God perhaps demonstrated some unbelief on his part, and God was patient and understanding with Gideon, but this does not mean that God endorses this unbelief. Furthermore, the account of Elijah never says that Elijah was testing the LORD; he believed God completely but was asking God to perform a miracle to show the unbelieving crowd that the false prophets were wrong and the LORD was the only true God.
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