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.). In the parallel Ugaritic list, which is unfortunately very fragmentary, the "Weather-god, Lord of Mount azi" apparently corresponds to Baal apn, while those following are termed simply Baalim (blm). 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 ). He may have replaced the Sabbath with Sunday worship. BAAL-PEOR - JewishEncyclopedia.com This is the crux of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Jun 2. 7:1416). The Macedonian Cleopatra planned to send her son to India through the Red Sea. It is urgent that we understand what is involved here because it reveals the cause of God's anger that led to Israel's defeat and scattering. Baal worship was the bane of the Ancient Israelites. FREE ebook: Israel: An Archaeological Journey. Before we explore what Scripture says about Baal, lets establish a brief depiction of the Canaanite deity. Archeological excavations have dated information about Baal back as far as the second millennium BC, and the spread of Baal worship caught fire in Egypt in 1400 BC. 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. Baal Worship Jews nowadays say Ha-Shem [i.e. He began to prophesy in a time of immediate crisis, one that would become far worse before it ever improved. Scott Broberg Fig Tree Ministries. 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." They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble." I appreciate your consideration, and Im sure the Most High does as well! While they gave lip service to the Creator, they adopted most of the Canaanitish religion with its lewd immorality, and in actual practice, patterned their life after it. Baal was the god of rain, wind, and fertility. A large part of this world's appeal is its offer of financial security. Elijah had to take drastic measures to prevent Baal worship from completely eradicating the worship of the true God (I Kings 18:20-40). 11:17; I Kings 8:3536; Jer. . Baal was different from his adherents merely in that he was above them. a deeper walk-What were the child sacrifices, high places and God wants to transform us from people who are bent on pleasing ourselves to people who show concern for others. Who were the Sidonians of the Bronze Age (c. 30001200 B.C.E.)? 1:4; Hab. 3:8; Ps. 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. It was under the Sol Invictus cult that CHRISTIANITY as a religion BEGAN TO BE ACCEPTED AND GROW, but THERE WAS A BIG PRICE THE EARLY ROMAN CHURCH HAD TO PAY. He then merely floats, going through the motions, even feeling good about himself as he neglects so great salvation (Hebrews 2:3). As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. In other words, God is saying that He was driven to defeat and scatter Israel because they were guilty of exactly the same sin as the Samaritans! El is praised for his wisdom in granting the request since now it is insured that Baal will give his rain in season. (verses 9-11). A complaint is made to Bull El, father of the gods, that Baal has no house like other gods. The Jews of Christ's day clearly recognized this putrid blend and despised the Samaritans for it. 13:2) such as Baal himself performed in the Ugaritic myth are depicted in the prophetic tirades. In the first encounter, Baal is invited to a banquet at which he is to be both guest and main course. In others, they rejected Yahweh worship altogether and fully turned themselves over to the idols of Canaan (2 Kgs 17:14-17). Blending the lies of this world with the truth of God produces a foul mixture called syncretism (James 3:10-13). Characteristics of Jezebel Churches (Baal Churches) A prophet's life is not a happy situation. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel." 10:25, 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18). Sidon's Phoenician Temple. 131; Sanh. (the Middle Bronze Age), this impressed handle depicts a ship and a leonine dragon, which is the symbol of the Mesopotamian storm god Adad. 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. Whoever is missing shall not live.". Kings Ahaz and Manasseh, 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. Christ warned the Pharisees: "For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the traditions of men." If it is of men, it will not work very long. He was overseeing a tevilah (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism#Full-body_immersion_.28Tvilah.29) in a mikveh (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikveh). 33 Bible Verses about Baal Worship, History So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel. Valimai means strengh, or force or weight. The eschatological traits were taken over with the Canaanite myths. This establishes the fact that the Cannanites (Phoenicians) has connections with the Tamil speaking ancient Kerala mariners. Let's exemplify Baal doctrines as preached . There is no doubt that prosperity is good, but unless one is properly focused and disciplined, it can also be a demanding master because of its power to distract one into idolatry. Their reverence for Him was mere intellectual accommodation intended to appease Him. Isai is music in Tamil and Vallavi means an expert. They were Canaanites and shared numerous similarities, including many of the same gods, with their close neighbors in the southern Levantwho were also predominantly Canaanite. John W. Ritenbaugh 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. The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). The Baal-worship so often alluded to and described in Holy Writ might, perhaps, be better styled, id-worship, moon-worship, Melek (Moloch)-worship, or Hadad-worship, according to places and circumstances. You have a cuddly little Baal idol in your child's bedroom without even suspecting it. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal's epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. Hosea exposes the problem between God and Israel. . The Canaanites often worshipped her via trees (Asherah poles) because of her association with the tree of life. How could you worship Baal? But if we dont exercise extreme discernment, we may find ourselves doing the same with modern-day baals. The motifs of these myths were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology. One was 260 days and was used for . However, even though their origins were Canaanite, the Phoenicians established their own distinct culture. Baal, Ashtoreth and Molech - God's Old Testament rivals The word bel can be transformed into vel or val. That the World May Know | Fertility Cults of Canaan Israel's false religion, represented by the altars of Bethel, is at the root of her problems. Who was the Canaanite god Molech? - CompellingTruth.org The second major background factor that we need to grasp somewhat to read Hosea well is the worship of the Canaanite god Baal (s). Separating Fact from Myth: Asherah and Idol Worship - Steppes of Faith And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. The word bal, common Semitic for "owner, master, husband," became the usual designation of the great weather-god of the Western Semites. Like ancient Israel, we can easily fall back into our former ways. How many pagan ideas have we let seep in? Your email address will not be published. Updated: 12/07/2022 After we accept His calling, He commands us to become moral as He is. The first mention of Molech is in Leviticus 18:21 in which the . 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. In an Akkadian catalogue of Ugaritic deities Baal apn is listed as dIM be-el hurn a-zi, "Storm-God, Lord of Mount azi" (see above; az [z] i being the Hurrian name of Mount apn which survives in the Greek and Latin Kasios/Casius as the name of the storied mountain of the gods). Historical Background of HoseaBaal and Idolatry A frequent epithet is "Cloud Rider" (rkb rpt) which has an almost identical parallel in Psalms 68:5. The beliefs and practices of the Canaanites were not only detestable, but they also . . Even those who have vaguely heard of the name Baal in the Bible know it doesnt have a good connotation. (Jeremiah 7:8-10). Prepare to Meet Your God! That afon designated the "north" in Hebrew is presumably due to the fact that Mount Casius lies directly north of Palestine. A falling away is taking place right now. . "But there was no voice. 19:5ff.). Lastly, he replaced God with golden calves in Bethel and Dan. When Ashtoreth is mentioned in scripture, she is linked to Molech, (also called Milcom in the Bible). Scholars previously associated the theonym with solar cults and with a variety of unrelated patron deities, but inscriptions have . This is no different from what Israel was doing when Amos wrote back in 760 BC. Is Baal worship going on in USA and we don't even know it? A biblical pharaoh's border monument. 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. . They used the name of God frequently, saying they trusted Him, but they filled the nation with stealing, lying, and murder. that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had .just like her momma. 22:816). The worship of Moloch, which was practiced at a special site (outside the walls of Jerusalem in the valley of Ben-Hinnom) called Topheth, became firmly established in the time of King Manasseh, his son Amon, and at the beginning of Josiah's reign. 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. Superstitious fear and sexual rites on the one hand fought against faith and loyalty on the other. He sends someone long before the real crisis reaches its peak, while it is building. The prophet Amos particularizes the epidemic of social injustice in the Kingdom of Israel. 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 worship of Baal extended in this region to the Jews, Canaanites and the Phoenicians. With Baal's functions accredited to YHWH, it was natural and fitting that some of Baal's titles would also be taken over. God's difference from us is that He is holy; He is moral and we are immoral. 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. Although they lived in Israel, Jezebel and her retainers were free to worship Baal. Next both Mot and Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict. In the Aztec religion, life existed before humans, and civilization was built after the destruction of the fourth sun. The name Baal in the Bible is most commonly associated with the Canaanite and Phoenician god of fertility, the rain, the sun, and the storm. 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. 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.
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