Our god is what we give our lives over to. Virtually all reference to Baal's consort, the violent "Virgin Anath" with whom Baal copulates by the thousand in one of the Ugaritic mythological fragments has been excluded from the Bible, but the goddesses Ashtart (Judg. In others, they rejected Yahweh worship altogether and fully turned themselves over to the idols of Canaan (2 Kgs 17:14-17). They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. BAAL WORSHIP AND SEMITIC RACISM This term was used as a title and name of various local deities worshipped as guardians, heroes, and kings. The above comment is by Prof. Abraham Joseph, M.Sc., M.Phil. The Tetragrammaton should be rendered as Yahoah, with the vav being pronounced as the o in Torah, menorah, Eloah (singular form of Elohim), and Yehoshua (=Joshua, Christs REAL name). According to the Bible, centers of worship for Canaanite gods such as Molech and the Baal's were set up in Judah and Israel by apostate kings. THIS IS A PROFILE OF PRACTICES, DOCTRINES, AND SYMBOLS OF BAAL WORSHIP . Indeed, religion flourished, as Amos, Hosea's contemporary, clearly reports (see Amos 5:21-27). This time, Baal puts up a fight and holds Mot off in battle. 18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Evil practices never go away. He was considered superior to his father, El, the chief of the deities. Baal Worship In some cases, they attempted to attach this practice to worship of the Lord (Ezek 23:39). The Israelites displayed a pandemic failure to love their fellow man. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. Who were the Sidonians, and what do we know about their religion? Baal's sister-consort Anath demanded that Mot release her brother. We may not sacrifice our children on altars for everyone to see; instead, we sacrifice them behind closed doors at a doctor's . Baal, of course, could not talk to them, but if he could, he would probably have said basically the same thing, so the people were in a very uncomfortable situation. The triumph of Baal recounted in the myths and perhaps reenacted in ritual drama gave assurance of help in the present and the future as in the past. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them (2 Kings 21:3). Today, some evangelicals attempt to prepare the people for what is to come, but their teaching is a mixture of right and wrong. For instance, Amos 2:7 describes a deliberate act of ritual prostitution in a pagan temple: "A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name." That afon designated the "north" in Hebrew is presumably due to the fact that Mount Casius lies directly north of Palestine. At Shittim they attached themselves to Baal-Peor, ate sacrifices for the dead, and indulged in sacred sexual orgies (Num. What is so interesting is that, by verse 36, God is no longer reporting on the Samaritans but is addressing Israel. Worship of Baal was also carried out right on the housetops of the people, from where sacrificial smoke to their god was frequently seen to rise. Most of them were just saving themselves and making themselves comfortable in their situation. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan (1968); Albright, Arch Rel; S.M. The Jews of Christ's day clearly recognized this putrid blend and despised the Samaritans for it. Not a BAS Library member yet? In their ignorance, the people do not realize the terrible calamity that is coming soon upon modern Israel. Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. It indeed produces great material prosperity, but it is consumed through self-indulgent gorging. Updates? They believed by their actions they could control and manipulate the Gods. He established a feast in the eighth month to replace the true Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh. 106:28). Baal rejoiced and celebrated with a banquet. If anyone could get an award for Having the Worst Neighbors, it would most likely go to the ancient Israelites. After a sortie against the sea-god, Baal returned to his house and ordered Koshar to install a window; Koshar laughed, reminded Baal of the debate, and complied. The Macedonian Cleopatra planned to send her son to India through the Red Sea. The Laodicean evaluates himself, saying, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17). Nyberg had restored it in Deuteronomy 33:12; I Samuel 2:10; II Samuel 23:1; Isaiah 59:18, 63:7; and Hosea 7:16. Second was passing their babies through the fire. Paul, then, is letting the church know that it need not be concerned about missing the end time. In popular and syncretistic religion in Israel, Yahweh could be equated with both El and Baal. God wants to transform us from people who are bent on pleasing ourselves to people who show concern for others. Assyria, a kingdom known as much for its innovative weapons as for their brutal implementation, conquered the Kingdom of Israel in 718 BC. In the books of Kings and Chronicles, we can read the record of a given king who turned away from God and served the Baals, and the foolishness sounds quick and casual because we are reading a summary. Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace. Elijah's work was to reveal the true God to Israel in a time of growing national crisis. They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree; and there they burned incense on all the high places, as the nations had done whom the LORD had carried away before them." The principal pillars of Baalism were child sacrifice, sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and pantheism . 10:1113; 14:22). l /), or Baal (Hebrew: baal), was a title and honorific meaning 'owner', 'lord' in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity.From its use among people, it came to be applied to gods. So it was in the northern kingdom of Israel after its division from the kingdom of Judah. Besides the names Baal and Haddu, the Ugaritic texts furnish a variety of other titles, such as "Mighty Baal" (aliyn bl) and "Prince, Lord of Earth" (zbl bl ars). In the Old Testament, many of the kings and eventually the whole nation of Israel rebelled against God and chose opposing belief systems. One of the rooms in this temple had a bench, where offerings would have been placed, and an altar made of . However, before the war was over, both sides were summarily executing anybody who did this because those traitors could not be trusted. Apparently in anticipation of developments the artisan god Koshar had cast furnishings of gold and silver. Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. The word bal, common Semitic for "owner, master, husband," became the usual designation of the great weather-god of the Western Semites. Your email address will not be published. What the Bible says about Baal is a Canaanite and Phoeniciandeity and the son of the chief god El. In Canaan, however, when the solar theology had absorbed the older beliefs, Baal, passing into a sun-god and the goddess who stood at his side becoming a representative of the moon--the pale reflection, as it were, of the sun- -Ashtoreth came to be regarded as the consort of Baal and took the place of the solar goddesses of Babylonia. Its prosperity played a part in corrupting the Israelites' hearts, which is why Hosea mentions the divided or disloyal heart in context with its bountiful fruit. It proved extremely hard for a monotheistic faith to compete against the Canaanite fertility cult. Recall God's wrath when Aaron made a golden calf at the urging of the Israelites in the wilderness and proclaimed a feast to the Lord (Exodus 32:1-5). 19Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the sun god and as the storm godhe is usually depicted holding a lightning boltwho defeated enemies and produced crops. But God. Right now, though, we are witnessing a steady defection from the basic principles of the Bible, away from what we call the Judeo-Christian ethic. Immorality lies in the desire of men to live self-centered lives independent of God, as when Adam and Eve took of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:1-19). One was 260 days and was used for . See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Revelation 2:14 "THE DOCTRINES OF . 22:816). A solution has been supplied by a tradition ascribed to the ancient Phoenician priest Sakkunyaton (Greek Sanchuniathn) that when El-Kronos defeated Ouranos, he captured in the battle Ouranos' pregnant concubine and gave her to Dagn. In contrast, the church has had periods of strength and weakness all throughout its historyit goes through cycles of rallying around truth and then gradually letting it slip. A DSS fragment has it spelled Iaw in Greek (iota-alpha-omega), which is consistent with Yahoah; see ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/lxxjewpap/4QLevB.jpg. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. One such deity who gripped Israel for a period of time was Baal. They were Phoenicians. (II Kings 17:35-38). The second major background factor that we need to grasp somewhat to read Hosea well is the worship of the Canaanite god Baal (s). In artistic depictions and archeological finds, Baal took the shape of a bull or ram and had associations with fertility. What the Bible says about Baal Worship ( From Forerunner Commentary ) 1 Kings 12:26-33 The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. Matthew 5:17Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Some suppose Baal to correspond to the sun and Ashtoreth to the moon; others that Baal was Jupiter and Ashtoreth Venus. When religion is ungodly, its power is destructive, and every institution in the nation suffers. The latest archaeological discoveries shed light on Biblical Sidon and provide a window into the Sidonians polytheistic religion and worship practices during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Baal worship also included, at times, child sacrifice, which we see some Israelite kings engaging with later on. We need to be reminded of it because it can have a detrimental effect on us. Since El and Dagn are distinct deities, this seeming confusion over Baal's paternity needs explanation. 27:1, 30:7, 51:910; Ezek. Everything Joshua* (Yehoshua) did was in accordance with the TaNaKh, which is an acrostic for Torah (=Law/Instruction), Neviim (=Prophets), and Ketuvim (=Writings). In addition to Baal still influencing religions and pagan practices today, we must take note of what happened to the Israelites and vigilantly watch our churches. It is related that on one occasion a strange ruler came to the place where Peor was worshiped, to sacrifice to him; but when he heard of this silly practise, he caused his soldiers to attack and kill the worshipers of the god (Sifre, Num. Prepare to Meet Your God! Baal is also referred to about 12 times as "the Rider of the Clouds" which undoubtedly testifies to his control over the rain and storms. When a person is freezing to death, he feels a pleasant numbness that he does not want to end. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. The beliefs and practices of the Canaanites were not only detestable, but they also . Rejection of God's Law. Meaning of Jezebel: This word can be also pronounced as Isabel. Elijah prepared the way for Elisha, who had a double portion of Elijah's spirit and did many more miracles. He awakens them to their spiritual and moral responsibilities. In a normal good year, when the rains come in due season, there is no hiatus in productivity, for the land yields its increase, the trees produce their fruit, the threshing overlaps, the vintage overlaps the sowing, and there is food aplenty, prosperity, and peace (Lev.
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