Category: Baal worship

Indecisive Israel #8

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

Gideon the Judge dies, leaving an idol for Israel to worship. His son Abimelech usurps leadership, and reigns three years (Judges 9:1-57). With Abimelech’s death, Tola judges Israel 23 years (10:1,2). Jair judges Israel 22 years (10:3-5). With Jair’s demise, Israel apostatizes even more! The fifth cycle begins.

Chapter 10, verse 6, says: “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.” Friends, there is unparalleled idolatry in Israel now. She has multiplied idols beyond belief!

God brings in the Philistines and the children of Ammon to oppress Israel 18 years (verses 7-9). We keep reading: “[10] And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. [11] And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? [12] The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. [13] Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. [14] Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.”

Let us see what Israel will do now….

 

Indecisive Israel #7

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

The fourth cycle starts after Deborah’s demise. Israel does evil in the sight of the LORD again, so He causes the Midianites to dominate her seven years. Israel cries for help, and JEHOVAH God sends a prophet to them: “[8] Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; [9] And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; [10] And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice” (Judges chapter 6).

God pities Israel. Raising up a prophet and judge, Gideon, He gives them an amazing military victory over the Midianites. Israel’s land rests 40 years. (Judges 6:1–8:32) Nevertheless….

Chapter 8 reports: “[27] And Gideon made an ephod [image/idol] thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house…. [33] And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. [34] And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:….”

Surprisingly, dear friends, Israel will grow even worse….

Indecisive Israel #6

Sunday, September 10, 2017

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

Surveying the Book of Judges, we see the following events repeated six times: (1) Israel committing evil by worshipping and serving pagan idols, (2) JEHOVAH God allowing Gentiles to punish and oppress them, (3) Israel crying out to God for help, (4) God sending a judge/delivered/ruler, (5) Israel having peace, (6) the judge dying, and (7) Israel returning to idolatry. One recurrent phrase is, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).

The first cycle begins with Israel doing evil in the sight of the LORD. They intermarry with the Gentiles and serve their idols. God has Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, oppress Israel for eight years. The Jews cry to the LORD for help, so he sends a judge, Othniel, to deliver them. Israel has peace 40 years. (Judges 3:5-11)

With Othniel’s death, the second cycle starts. Israel again does evil in the sight of the LORD. God sends Eglon, king of the Moabites, to tyrannize the Jews 18 years. Israel cries for help, God delivers them using Ehud the Judge, and they have rest 80 years. (Judges 3:15-30)

Once Ehud dies, the third cycle commences. Israel again does evil in the sight of the LORD. God brings in Jabin, king of the Canaanites, to “mightily oppress” Israel 20 years. God raises up Deborah the Prophetess and Judge, and gives Israel victory over her enemies. The land of Israel has peace 40 years. (Judges 4:1–5:31)

Notice how Israel’s apostasy originated because of two factors. Firstly, they left their heathen neighbors in their land. Secondly, they intermarried with them!

(We temporarily break away from this devotionals arc to bring a special-edition devotional tomorrow.)

Indecisive Israel #5

Saturday, September 9, 2017

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

During Joshua’s lifetime, Israel failed to dispossess the land of Canaan from all aboriginal pagans (see Joshua 15:63; 16:10; 17:12,13; cf. Judges 1:19,21,27-33). The Israelites, sadly, allowed some heathen and their idols to remain in the land with them! Hence, prior to death, Joshua scolded Israel: “Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you” (Joshua 23:13).

After Joshua’s decease, the angel of the LORD told Israel: “Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you” (Judges 2:3). Verse 21: “I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:….”

Joshua 23:6-8 was part of Joshua’s final plea: “[6] Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; [7] That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: [8] But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.” Thus explains Israel’s fickle spirituality throughout (subsequent) Judges….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How should we pray for people enduring natural catastrophes and other tragedies?”

Indecisive Israel #4

Friday, September 8, 2017

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

After presenting Israel’s decline into Baal and Ashtaroth (idol) worship, Judges chapter 2 continues: “[14] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. [15] Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

“[16] Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. [17] And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. [18] And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. [19] And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more [!] than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.”

This introduces the rest of Judges… Israel’s repeated falling into idolatry, subsequent rising to reformation, and then apostatizing again….

Indecisive Israel #3

Thursday, September 7, 2017

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

Despite remembering and voicing what the LORD God did for them (delivering them from Egyptian slavery, conquering their enemies, and so on—verses 16-18), Israel had retained their idols! Amazingly, while aged Joshua addressed the Jews for the last time, he had to instruct them to discard their idols and serve JEHOVAH God (cf. today’s Scripture). Verse 23: “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.” Israel agreed to make a covenant with Joshua to serve the LORD (verses 21-28).

The Book of Judges, chapter 2, picks up: “[8] And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old…. [10] And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. [11] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: [12] And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. [13] And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”

How tragic! Once Joshua and his generation die, Israel returns to idols. The older generation failed to faithfully communicate sound Bible doctrine to the younger Israelites. Now begins Israel’s spiritual “rollercoaster ride” in the Book of Judges….

 

Will Ye Plead for Baal?

Friday, September 30, 2016

“And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar” (Judges 6:31 KJV).

If Baal is the one true God, then he can defend himself!

The LORD had instructed Gideon: “Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down” (verses 25,26). Verse 27 continues: “Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.”

Early the next morning, the men of the city wake to find Baal’s altar thrown down, the nearby grove (shrine of images) cut down, and the second bullock that was offered on the altar (verse 28). Upon learning Gideon is responsible, they demand Joash bring out his son so they can put him to death (verses 29,30). Joash responded in today’s Scripture: “Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.” Realizing his pagan god could not punish his son, Joash was evidently converted. He accentuated his new faith in JEHOVAH, and the silliness of Baal worship, by asking, “Is ‘almighty’ Baal actually powerless? Does he need you to defend his demolished place of worship?” (This is somewhat comical!)

Verse 32 concludes: “Therefore on that day he [Joash] called him [Gideon] Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.”

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What does, ‘Quit you like men,’ mean?”

A New Standard of Power #6

Thursday, April 28, 2016

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers” (Jeremiah 16:14,15 KJV).

If you think God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt was spectacular, just wait until you see what He has in store in prophecy!

At Mount Sinai, the Jews had agreed to do “all” that the LORD had spoken (Exodus 19:8). Alas, an empty promise! They disobeyed Him for centuries. Whether you read the “Old Testament,” or secular history books, you learn that Israel failed under that Law Covenant. God, in order to cleanse His Promised Land, exiled the idolatrous Jews into foreign nations. Even today, the Gentiles dominate Israel and her land. This will continue until Jesus Christ returns.

God knew all along Israel—like all sinners—could never keep His commandments, but Israel was in denial and had to be taught it. Even though Israel failed miserably under the Law, it was only a temporary agreement. Long before Israel’s works were involved, God had promised to make Abraham’s seed His people forever (Genesis 12:1-3). Regardless of their works, God had promised to give Abraham, and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob, the Promised Land forever (Genesis 13:14-17; Genesis 15:1-21). One day, Israel will learn once for all that she will receive God’s promises by God’s grace, not by her works!

As Israel needed God to deliver her from Egypt so He could bring her into His Promised Land, Israel needs Him to bring her back from Gentile captivity so she can enter that Promised Land forever. This prophetic return will be much grander than history. She was confined to one nation (Egypt); now, she is scattered worldwide. Her Egyptian bondage was just a few centuries; her worldwide captivity has lasted over 2,000 years.

It looks hopeless, as if Israel will never return. Yet, the deliverance from Egypt was all a rehearsal for the future!

A New Standard of Power #5

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers” (Jeremiah 16:14,15 KJV).

If you think God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt was spectacular, just wait until you see what He has in store in prophecy!

Originally, God brought Israel out of Egypt so she would be His people: He would be their God and they would do His will in His land, the Promised Land. Yet, they were not interested. They wanted to do what they wanted. They preferred sin! Once they entered the Promised Land, they waxed worse and worse, until finally, God had enough of their idolatry. He ultimately evicted Israel, but not forever.

For over 2,500 years now, the Jews have been scattered worldwide, living in and among the Gentile nations. Nationally, they have no Promised Land to own, no Davidic government to protect them, no earthly blessings to enjoy, no forgiveness of sins, nothing. All those centuries ago, they broke JEHOVAH God’s laws and commandments. They refused to turn back. In accordance with the final round of chastisement (Leviticus chapter 26), God permitted the Gentiles to come in and violently remove the Jews from Canaan.

Verses 44 and 45 of Leviticus chapter 26 are God’s promise to Israel: “And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”

No matter that fifth course of judgment, Israel’s dispersion and Gentile captivity, God would not destroy Israel. He would bring her back (today’s Scripture)!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did Hosea 6:2 predict our Dispensation of Grace?”

A New Standard of Power #4

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers” (Jeremiah 16:14,15 KJV).

If you think God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt was spectacular, just wait until you see what He has in store in prophecy!

Just before Israel was expelled from the Promised Land, just before she entered captivity among the Gentiles (nations), the LORD voiced a controversy against her in Micah 6:3,4: “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.” God wanted ungrateful Israel to speak up as to why she had abandoned Him in favor of worthless, lifeless idols. “What, O what, Israel, have I done to you that you want nothing to do with Me?! Did I not deliver you from Egypt, from bondage?!” (You can sense God’s broken heart.)

Israel had reached her sin limit. She had broken the Covenant of Law for centuries. Pagan idols polluted God’s land through and through. And so, with Israel refusing to reform and return to JEHOVAH God, the fifth course of judgment fell. Just as Leviticus 26:27-43 said, God let Gentile armies come in and take Israel captive again. He drove Israel so forcefully from that land of Canaan. “And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste” (verse 33). Historically, the Jews were gradually removed between 722 and 586 B.C., scattered worldwide. The Assyrians and Babylonians took them as prisoners of war. Israel was—and still is today—in bondage again.

Today’s Scripture says JEHOVAH God has a mighty deliverance planned for Israel. It will dwarf her release from Egypt!