As we study the operation of the spirit of Baal in the Bible, one can see the fruit of its operation in the USA.. Baal & Asherah. Our god is what we give our lives over to. . The prophet Amos particularizes the epidemic of social injustice in the Kingdom of Israel. Payment of the full tithe to the food stores of the Temple, some thought, would guarantee that YHWH would open the windows of heaven and pour down overflowing blessings (Mal. While it is acceptable to say that it was in what is now Jordan, to point to a particular cave and say, This is it. is ridiculous. The principal pillars of Baalism were child sacrifice, sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and pantheism . 6:30; II Kings 16:3233) are associated with him. The Spread of Baalism. Baal's house was constructed in an extraordinary fashion. If the rains failed and drought and death came upon the land and people, it was not because Mot had mangled Baal and made the glowing sun-goddess destructive; it was rather YHWH's way of meting out merited punishment to a faithless and sinful people (Deut. But when heat is applied, and the blood begins rushing into the affected areas, pain immediately occurs. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. a little T-shaped mark that stands for the long-A vowel (like a in father). (From Forerunner Commentary). YHWH's victory over the waters is connected either with the rescue of Israel at the Exodus (Ps. El is praised for his wisdom in granting the request since now it is insured that Baal will give his rain in season. II Kings 17:5-6 relates the ultimate consequence. So it was in the northern kingdom of Israel after its division from the kingdom of Judah. Speech is completely original and produced exclusively by Grace Digital Network Music licensed through Artlist.io Footage licensed through Filmpac.com and S. In Psalms 89:13 afon and yamin, in parellelism with Tabor and Hermon, hardly designate the directions north and south; yamin is almost certainly a corruption of Amana, the southern portion of the Taurus mountains, the alteration of amanah to yamin being occasioned by the misunderstanding of afon as the direction rather than the name of the holy mountain. The word bal, common Semitic for "owner, master, husband," became the usual designation of the great weather-god of the Western Semites. Not a BAS Library member yet? The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. In their spiritually unaware state, they will be incredulous at God's punishment for "such a little bit of sin." He replaced the Levitical priesthood with men of his own choosing. Baal was a cruel, sensuous, and revolting false god whose worship involved sexual degradation and lewdness. It proved extremely hard for a monotheistic faith to compete against the Canaanite fertility cult. His ministry took place about 150 years before Israel was to fall, becoming the Lost Ten Tribes, so God was beginning to make a powerful witness to them. In this article, well discuss what Scripture has to say about Baal, what we know from history about Baal, and why this ultimately matters to us today. 4:12; Hos. because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. . The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. The Lord calls for the worship of him and his idols to be uprooted and destroyed, and for the people to turn away from his false . John W. Ritenbaugh This chapter reports on the behavior of the people placed in Israel after Israel's conquest and deportation by Assyria between 722-720 BC. So the word Jezebel finally means one who is a good musician. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Hermann, in: DDD, 13238; M.S. Perhaps the clearest example of this is Jeremiah, who moaned and complained to God, "This is more difficult than You ever told me it would be. (the Middle Bronze Age). What is so interesting is that, by verse 35, it is clear God is no longer addressing Himself to the Samaritans, but to Israel: [T]he LORD had made a covenant and charged [Israel], saying: "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. Sidons Storm God. He was to be an aid in getting them from their state of being merely "churched" to that of being truly religious and servants of the Most High God. If anyone could get an award for Having the Worst Neighbors, it would most likely go to the ancient Israelites. The Macedonian Cleopatra planned to send her son to India through the Red Sea. A major question about II Thessalonians 2 is the scope of the described events. Baal transformed into Zeus, who transformed into Jupiter, etc. Isaiah 14:13 alludes to this divine abode as "the Mount of Assembly in the recesses of afon" (har moed be-yarkete afon), the latter phrase being the equivalent of Ugaritic mrym pn or rrt pn, the height or fastness of apn. Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. This is typical Israeliltish syncretism, but it will not work. Jehu's massacre of the Baal worshipers (II Kings 10:1828) did not eradicate bull worship (II Kings 10:31). In short, Scripture has nothing positive to say about Baal. Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. In Canaanite religion her primary role was that of mother goddess. 25:111; Ps. The practice of Baal worship was wide spread in Bible times and was very evil. This is a prophet's job, a hallmark of a prophet of God. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. 22:816). Rejection of God's Law. A second interpretation is that since the falling away contains the definite article, it refers to a unique event in man's history, far greater than anything that has happened before. He was the god that provided - food - for the people. I prefer transliterating the sheva with [*] rather than any other English vowel letter, so I prefer Y*HWaH to YuHWaH or to YaHWeH, for that matter. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. With Baal's functions accredited to YHWH, it was natural and fitting that some of Baal's titles would also be taken over. Recall God's prophecy in Deuteronomy 32:15, predicting that when Israel prospered, then it would rebel. Further, in biblical usage when applied to the great weather-god, the singular regularly has the article, "the Baal," which suggests that the word was not regarded as a proper name. Baal was the god of rain, wind, and fertility. The motifs of these myths were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology. Israel "feared other gods" (verse 7). (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). Thus the basis of the Baal cult was the utter dependence of life on the rains which were regarded as Baal's bounty. Now the word isai, simply means music in Tamil. The Israelites "caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger" (verse 17). For this reason, God shows that the preacher, not the civil authority, is the most vital part of the community. During the summer months the rains cease, but the temporary drought is no threat unless it is abnormally prolonged. In other words, prosperity turns people's heads. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. After a textual gap, there is a report that Baal's corpse has been found. Adad (the Canaanite Hadad, the Semitic Hadda, the Hurrian Teshub, the Egyptian Resheph, the Phoenician Baal/Bel, the Sumerian Ishkur) is the Mesopotamian storm god, who has special maritime, celestial and meteorological attributes important to the well-being of sailors. Updates? Biblical narrative incorporates tales of Baal worship into the traditions of the wilderness wandering, thus tracing Baal worship to the earliest period of Israel's existence. 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). Prepare to Meet Your God! This is not brand new, but it is picking up speed. She's most famously the mother of Baal, another god who shows up throughout the Old Testament when the Israelites stray after other idols. Figs and grapes ripen during the dry season and the grain harvest also takes place before the rains resume. All Rights Reserved. 1:4; Hab. Knowledge of Baals personality and functions derives chiefly from a number of tablets uncovered from 1929 onward at Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra), in northern Syria, and dating to the middle of the 2nd millennium bce. The Israelites fell into the worship of this idol(Numbers 25:3,5,18; Deuteronomy 4:3; Psalm 106:28; Hosea 9:10). 57 Bull Baal. Corrections? But Baal was not exclusively a fertility god. The Semitic word Baal means lord or master, and the ancient people believed he was in charge of all of nature and humans. These soldiers would surrender themselves to the other side to be given a bit of favor and put into prison. 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. Worshipers of Baal Killed. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. The Bible is full of colorful characters, from Noah to Moses to Jesus. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. 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). God's first command to destroy any forms of idol worship came early in the Bible in Exodus 34:13. . It may be, however, that these extra Baalim are Baal's attendants, mentioned as the seven or eight lads whom Baal is ordered to take with him in his descent into the netherworld. Baal in Smith's Bible Dictionary Baal (2) the supreme male divinity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish nations, as Ashtoreth was their supreme female divinity. 131; Sanh. Notably, an impressed handle found near a Canaanite grave at the site depicts Sidons storm god and a ship. BAAL WORSHIP AND SEMITIC RACISM This term was used as a title and name of various local deities worshipped as guardians, heroes, and kings. At the foundation of every community is a way of life that its people live and teach their children. The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). Although they lived in Israel, Jezebel and her retainers were free to worship Baal. Remember, this falling away sets the stage for the man of sin, who will have tremendous influence over humanity. Koshar twice recommended that a window be installed and Baal twice vetoed the suggestion, although Koshar insisted that Baal would have to reconsider. He then merely floats, going through the motions, even feeling good about himself as he neglects so great salvation (Hebrews 2:3). Not only do the Jews have to deal with the abomination of Zeus and Antiochus Epiphanes IV (Daniel 8), but the Greek pantheon later gets repeated in the Roman pantheon, and practices from both the Greeks and Romans still exist today.
Investir Pour Le Royaume De Dieu,
Endeavour Why Did Joan Thursday Leave Home,
Richest Cities In Ecuador,
Articles B
