baal worship practices in the bible

If it is of men, it will not work very long. 3:23). So the word Poeni can be rewritten as Peyeni or as Payani or as Payan. They believed by their actions they could control and manipulate the Gods. In their spiritually unaware state, they will be incredulous at God's punishment for "such a little bit of sin." One interpretation is that it is a localized occurrence, in the sense of it happening just within the little flockthe church. In the mysterious tablets of Ugarit, discovered by Claude Schaeffer, Baal is the God of rain, thunder, and extraordinary bolts of lightning. The second major background factor that we need to grasp somewhat to read Hosea well is the worship of the Canaanite god Baal (s). All this was part of his fertility role, which, when fulfilled, meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and mankind. Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. A major question about II Thessalonians 2 is the scope of the described events. He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. The religion of Israel began with a man, Jeroboam I, who changed the true worship of God. Baal's objection to the window somehow concerned his three daughters and the sea-god (Yamm), but the text is broken at this point. linked to Molech (also called Milcom in the Bible). He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. Baal Worship The Battle for the Israelites' Hearts For nearly a thousand years, a battle raged for the hearts of the Israelite nation. Given Sidons position on the coast, it is not surprising that the storm god is Sidons most important god. The Sidonians were the inhabitants of ancient Sidon, a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea in modern Lebanon. Bible Study Hosea Old Testament. When the rain failed, it was inevitable that some would question YHWH's power and resort to Baal. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. The Jordan River (Nahar ha-Yarden) qualified as a mikveh as its flowing living waters originated from a natural spring (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River). Some become discouraged with the church because we are always being toldto some measure anywaydisturbing things about ourselves. Silapadikaram, a Tamil Classic, mentions more than 200 musical instruments. With the help of wonder weapons supplied and blessed by the versatile Koshar (the craftsman god), Baal was able to defeat and rout the sea-god. (verse 8). To accommodate Baal ideology to Yahwism required some radical transformations. But what was its real effect on the participants and the nation? For those who think the baptism of John (Yochanan) was something new under the sun recall that he was a Levite as was his father Zechariah (Tsekharya). Asherah, along with Astarte and Anath, was one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanite pantheon. The eschatological traits were taken over with the Canaanite myths. 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. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. If anyone could get an award for Having the Worst Neighbors, it would most likely go to the ancient Israelites. Whether it turns out to be the falling away remains to be seen. 410; reconstructed text) which after the great "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" presents six other "weather-gods," numbered two through seven. II Kings 17:7-17 catalogs the sins of Israel: Widespread idolatry. The Israelites rejected the law of God and relied on the traditions of Gentile nations. For one to keep on coming to services and leaving, like a theatergoer, without his options, opinions, or decisions resolved but deferred, is an erosion of character. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? (The Book of Amos) (Part Two). Isaiah 29:13 clarifies what God means: "Therefore the LORD said: 'Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.'" The prophet Haggai attributed the drought and scarcity in his day to the failure to rebuild the Temple (Hag. 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). The myth may refer in part to the construction of Baals own temple in the city of Ugarit. 25:111; Ps. However, it was not the religion God gave through Moses, but idolatry that flourished! Despite having the power and support of the king of Israel and his . Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. In the Bible, Baal is spoken of in a negative light, as an idol and a false god, and is associated with idolatry and paganism. He is often accused of causing their pain. Baal's sister-consort Anath demanded that Mot release her brother. It is not known to what extent the Canaanites considered those various Baalim identical, but the Baal of Ugarit does not seem to have confined his activities to one city, and doubtless other communities agreed in giving him cosmic scope. A god Baal apn was known from Egyptian and Akkadian sources before the discovery of the Ugaritic documents. guilty of adopting the ghastly Canaanite practice of child sacrifice. His overall conduct may not be too bad, but his poor self-analysis persuades him that he has no urgent need to seek God any further. They used the name of God frequently, saying they trusted Him, but they filled the nation with stealing, lying, and murder. He describes Israel as a luxuriant grape vine sending runners in every direction, indicating a bountiful crop. In the Judeo-Christian tradition Asherah is considered a false Canaanite deity and a major source of temptation to the Israelites. Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. 10:1113; 14:22). Now the word isai, simply means music in Tamil. We are seeing the same thing today, but at times, it is harder to recognize because we are accustomed to it, and it is not happening overnight. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. The worship of Baal extended in this region to the Jews, Canaanites and the Phoenicians. 1:711). In the formative stages of Israels history, the presence of Baal names did not necessarily mean apostasy or even syncretism. II Kings 17:33 illustrates their worship: "They feared the LORD, yet served their own gods - according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away." No doubt, we cant cover the breadth of verses on Baal here, but we should make a note that Baal becomes a big player in the book of Judges and during the time of the kings when Israel appears to succumb most to the foreign pantheons. The written form Moloch (in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament), or Molech (Hebrew), is the word Melech or king, transformed by interposing the vowels of bosheth or 'shameful thing'. In the Bible, the followers of the one true God encounter other gods, or previously worshipped idols themselves. you didnt even mention her horrible daughter Athaliah, the only killer queen They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. 22:816). But Jezebels religion is not Jewish whereas the religion of the Tamils is more like that of the Jews. Because of their self-absorption, God's "sudden" punishment will stun the people of the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and the other nations of modern Israel, including some members of the true church. He is the king of the east and governs an army of 66 legions of demons." Did you catch that? 1:21), would be catastrophic. The laws given to Moses by God expressly forbade the Jews to do what was done in Egypt or in Canaan. Some scholars believe that the Canaanites also sacrificed pigs and that God prohibited his people from eating pork in part to prevent this horrible cult from being established among them. El and Anath mourn violently, mutilating their faces and bodies. Anath then dismembered Mot, scattered and burned the pieces, and gave them to the birds. Thus, they developed a syncretic religious system, a blending of the truth of God and outright paganism. The divine child was named Demarous, one of the cognomens of Zeus-Baal-Hadad. Various forms of Baal worship are still going on in the Catholic church; even though these pagan idols were incorporated into Catholicism centuries ago, the worship of the sun still exists to this day. The worship of Baal penetrated Jewish religious life during the period of the Judges (Judges 3:7), became common in Israel during the rule of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33), and also influenced Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). Hosea exposes the problem between God and Israel. Groves and high places were places of worship erected to Canaanite gods and goddesses. 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). We need to be reminded of it because it can have a detrimental effect on us. However, before the war was over, both sides were summarily executing anybody who did this because those traitors could not be trusted. They were primarily devoted to the worship of Baal and Asherah (or Asherim, Asheroth). The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. They were Phoenicians. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered!only to go on doing all these abominations? This establishes the fact that the Cannanites (Phoenicians) has connections with the Tamil speaking ancient Kerala mariners. God sends a prophet to people who are cold in their relationship with Godspiritually freezing to deaththough they want to stay that way. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/ggenova. Elijah says disturbing things. This chapter reports on the behavior of the people placed in Israel after Israel's conquest and deportation by Assyria between 722-720 BC. The continued worship of Baal was given as one of the causes for the destruction of Judah (Jer. 2:11; 3:7; 8:33), while the singular of the word in combination with other terms apparently designated minor or local gods, such as Baal-Berith, Baal-Gad, Baal-Hamon, Baal-Hazor, Baal-Hermon, or, in the feminine form, a goddess, Baalat-Beer, Baalat-Gebal. Extra-biblical evidence for the flourishing Baal cult at Samaria in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C.E. Ashtoreth was the fertility goddess consort of Molech. Searching for Israel (Part Six): Israel Is Fallen, Is Fallen. 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. But when a falling away happens around us, perhaps even beginning before we were born, it is easy for our minds to adjust to the point that we almost forget the continuing rebellion against God and His way. What the Bible says about Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided children. Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. 19:5ff.). No one answered; no one paid attention" (v. 29 ESV). 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." No doubt, we cant cover the breadth of verses on Baal here, but we should note that Baal becomes a big player in the book of Judges and during the time of the kings when Israel appears to succumb most to the foreign pantheons. He began to prophesy in a time of immediate crisis, one that would become far worse before it ever improved. 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. John W. Ritenbaugh Child sacrifice was a fundamental aspect of Baal worship. The actual worship of Ba'al was carried out in terms of imitative magic whereby sexual acts by both male and female temple prostitutes were understood to arouse Ba'al who then brought rain to make Mother Earth fertile (in some forms of the myth, represented by a female consort, Asherah or Astarte). Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. Whatever the case, there is no doubt about Elijah's intent: "How long will you keep shifting from one opinion to the other?" At one point in A Stillness at Appomattox by Bruce Catton, he deals with soldiers who left the service of their armyeither the Confederate army or the Union army. Because of their self-procured wealth and affluence, they think they are being blessed with material things. The Israelites displayed a pandemic failure to love their fellow man. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. Christ's purpose is to cure, not merely to comfort, so pain will be often involved when dealing with a prophet. God wants to transform us from people who are bent on pleasing ourselves to people who show concern for others. Huffmon, Amorite Personal Names in the Mari Texts (1965), 174; W.F. O. Eissfeldt, Beitraege zur Religionsgeschichte des Altertums I (1932); H.L. The god of arts and crafts, Kothar, then proceeded to build for Baal the most beautiful of palaces which spread over an area of 10,000 acres. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. They too had blended the worship of the true God with outright paganism, utterly corrupting the relationship He had established with them. (II Kings 17:35-38). The prophet turns the heat on, and they become angry with him when he is actually working to make them better. 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. ; Job 3:8, 7:12, 9:13, 26:1213, 38:811, 40:25). He was also king of the gods, and, to achieve that position, he was portrayed as seizing the divine kingship from Yamm, the sea god. Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. Baal's house was constructed in an extraordinary fashion. north of Ugarit. Our nation has embraced the old ancient paganism that we read about in the Bible. This is typical Israeliltish syncretism, but it will not work. 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). In Psalms 48:23, Mount Zion is equated with "the recesses of afon" (the phrase quoted above from Isa. Not a BAS Library member yet? Some suppose Baal to correspond to the sun and Ashtoreth to the moon; others that Baal was Jupiter and Ashtoreth Venus. People like to feel comfortable. He views them as personally rejecting Him and His Word. The worship of Baal in Syria-Palestine was inextricably bound to the economy of the land which depends on the regularity and adequacy of the rains. When the Israelites, following Moses to the Promised Land, were in the vicinity of Peor, some of them fell into idolatry and worshiped Baal Peor. 14:2). But church is where we come to have our minds stretched and measured against Christ's standard. Murder and sexual immorality was a part of Baal worship. Certainly not those of east Asia. Baal worship spread rapidly when the king of Israel, Ahab, married Jezebel, the princess of Tyre (1 Kings 16:31-32). 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. 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. Apparently in anticipation of developments the artisan god Koshar had cast furnishings of gold and silver. Drought and the Fall of the Hittite Empire. God's difference from us is that He is holy; He is moral and we are immoral. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baal-ancient-deity, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Baal, Baal - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Essentially, the Phoenicians were the Canaanites who survived from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age and who were not supplanted by new people groups (Philistines, Israelites, etc.). Canaanite worship often took place in open-air sites at the tops of hills, referred to in the Bible as "high places." . Remember, this falling away sets the stage for the man of sin, who will have tremendous influence over humanity. The heyday of Baal worship in Israel came in the days of Elijah, when the Phoenician princess Jezebel launched a massive campaign to promote Baal. After we accept His calling, He commands us to become moral as He is. made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal" (verses 15-16). Photo: Courtesy of Claude Doumet-Serhal. This connects with the curse of Laodiceanism because God shows in the Laodiceans what can happen spiritually as people increase materially. Second was passing their babies through the fire. Since the root tr in Arabic is connected with artificial irrigation, it is apparent that Ashtar's failure to measure up to Baal represents the inadequacy of irrigation as a substitute for natural rainfall. Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. Notice the dramatic change of attitude in the people. II Kings 17:5-6 relates the ultimate consequence. Another idea is that it pictures a person shifting his weight from one foot to the other, indicating a degree of lameness. Indeed, religion flourished, as Amos, Hosea's contemporary, clearly reports (see Amos 5:21-27). The spectacular victory for Yahwism did not have a lasting effect. 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. 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. This is not brand new, but it is picking up speed. 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. What do we know about the religion surrounding this Canaanite deity, and how did it affect those in the Old Testament? The bird cannot make up its mind where it wants to settle down, so it just keeps hopping around. God's pattern is being established. A religion with such a beginning was doomed to fail, bringing the nation down with it. * Jesus is a transliteration of the Latin; it is NOT a translation! This viewpoint was developed as the basic and final argument against Baalism. In artistic depictions and archeological finds, Baal took the shape of a bull or ram and had associations with fertility. 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. Horrendous and repulsive aspects of the worship sexual excesses and perversions (Isa. The prophet comes along and troubles people by awakening them to their sins, making them feel guilty about their relationships with God and each other. 57:310), perhaps including copulation with animals (Hos. Israel "walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel." The lesson for us becomes clear, because Jesus says the same thing (Matthew 6:24; 12:25). ADD. Consequently, during this tumultuous time, most Jews kept their faith and identity outwardly but bowed to Baal when necessary to appease Jezebel as well as mainstream culture. Today, music performers entice young and old in the practice of the worship of Baal-Peor Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica. The god Baal was the heathen sun-god spoken of in the Old Testament. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal's epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. In spite of the fact that the word is used as the theophorous element in personal names, such as Eshbaal, Merib-Baal, Jerub Baal, it was long believed that the term remained an appellation and did not become a proper name, except in the case of the Mesopotamian Bel and in late theological speculation. In Phoenician he was called Baal Shamen, Lord of the Heavens. The Jews of Christ's day clearly recognized this putrid blend and despised the Samaritans for it. 14:2, 9; Num. It proved extremely hard for a monotheistic faith to compete against the Canaanite fertility cult. But God. Updates? 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. YHWH's victory over the waters is connected either with the rescue of Israel at the Exodus (Ps. 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. Even now some ancient Jews (white and black) live in Cochin, Kerala, India. What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt? It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? These Israelites were lethargic in terms of true, spiritual matters. The Name] instead of prouncing the YHWH word even though the Masoretes added the sheva below the Y and the Qamats below the W. Molech was an ancient god worshiped by the people neighboring Israel during Old Testament times. He is deceived into thinking that his material prosperity proves that God approves of his conduct and attitudes. The sum of what Elijah said is actually spiritually dangerous, due to the fact that God is judging. When a person is freezing to death, he feels a pleasant numbness that he does not want to end. He was the god that provided - food - for the people. Baal was also worshipped by various communities as a local god. These soldiers would surrender themselves to the other side to be given a bit of favor and put into prison. Though it hurts, the pain is indicative of rescue and cure. What was the rationale behind this perverse, immoral act? To become moral, we must kill our selfish egos through the use and guidance of God's Holy Spirit. The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). The prize of the victory was kingship over the gods and the enthronement ritual guaranteed the natural order of life and the welfare of the society. Those familiar with the Biblical text will recall that Sidon was an influential, wealthy Phoenician city when the kings of Israel and Judah ruled during the Iron Age. First was sexual orgies "under every green tree," where promiscuity and perverted sex acts were the norm. For instance, Hezekiahs son rebuilds the shrines of Baal and the Canaanite goddess Asherah that Hezekiah had torn down: He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. 18 Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu will serve him much. Adad roughly equates with the later Phoenician storm god Baal, the worship of whom is championed by the nefarious queen Jezebel in the Bible. 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. But who is Baal? Baal was different from his adherents merely in that he was above them.