Reading: Romans chapter 1
Introduction
The
Elijah Message, we learned in the
previous Sermon Note, was a call to forsake the worship of the god
BAAL (plural
Baalim) and to return to the commandments
of
YAHWEH, the
Creator of the mighty universe. The Old
Testament abounds with warnings against
Baal worship. According
to the Apostle Paul those warnings
"are there for our admonition on
whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor.10:11). But who is
Baal? and what is
Baal worship? Were you to walk into
any church and ask the audience
'What is Baal worship?' you would
probably not find many believers who knew. To be sure most Bible
students know that the god
Baal is mentioned over and over
again in the Bible: but what
Baal worship is, few have any idea.
Just to refresh your memories about the prophet
Elijah I will read one short passage from scripture about him.
| 1 Kings 18:
| 17: And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab
said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18: And he answered, I
have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have
forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed
Baalim.
|
Today I have decided to speak about this particular enemy -
Baal and
Baalim. Who or What is Baal? and What is Baal worship? Why is the Most
High so incensed when His people worship Baal? Are we, perhaps, wrong
in supposing that Baal was some ancient god that has nothing to do
with modern man? Or could it be that
Baal worship is something
of which our society is guilty? Let us find out.
The word
Baalim is the Hebrew plural for
BAAL, the pagan god of
nature and fertility. I quote from the Westminster Dictionary of the Bible
article '
BAAL' (emphasis mine)
-
- "... Baal worship apparently had its origin in the belief that
every tract of ground owed its productivity to a supernatural being,
or baal, that dwelt there. The farmers probably thought that from the
Baalim, or fertility gods, of various regions came the increase of
crops, fruit and cattle ... The worship of Baal was accompanied
with lascivious rites (1 Kings 14:24), the sacrifice of children in
the fire by parents (Jer.19:5), and kissing the image (1 Kings 19:18;
Hos 13:2). Baal was often associated with the goddess
Astoreth (Judg.2:13), and in the vicinity of his altar there
was often an Asherah. (Judg.6:30; 1 Kings 16:32-33,R.V.)"
Of the goddess
ASTORETH the same dictionary says:
-
- "... She was the goddess of sexual love, maternity and fertility.
Prostitution as a religious rite in the service of this goddess under
various names is widely attested. The identification of 'Ashtart with
Aphrodite is evidence of her sexual character."
"Ashtaroth (plural of Astoreth). In connection with the plural of Baal, a
general designation for the female divinities of the Canaanites ..."
"Asherah refers to a wooden pole or mast which stood at Canaanite
places of worship (Exo.34:13); originally it was, perhaps, the trunk of a
tree with branches chopped off, and was regarded as the wooden symbol
of the goddess Asherah, who like Ashtoreth, was a type of fertility ... It
was erected beside the altar of Baal. (Judg 6:25, 28)"
We can see from these quotes that
Baal and
Ashtaroth worship
incorporated illegal sexual acts and that the Asherah was nothing but a
phallic symbol. That word lascivious means lewd, lustful, licentious,
lecherous, bawdy. In other words
Baal worship was accompanied with
sinful sexual acts; behaviour expressly forbidden in Jehovah's law.
That is the first fact I wish to make this morning. Let us now find out what
those forbidden sexual acts were.
1. Divine Laws Concerning Sexual Behaviour
We live in a sex crazed world. Sex is the most talked about, sung about and
written about subject in the world. The news and advertising media, not to
mention the entertainment world, are all obsessed with sex.
Sex is big
business! Few will doubt this assessment. But what does the
Most
High think about modern man's pre-occupation with sex? What does His law
say concerning sexual matters? Has He given mankind any instructions as to
how we should organise our sex lives? For the benefit of all who preach the
Elijah Message let me quote the Bible on the rights and wrongs of sexual
behaviour. Currently the laws of many countries conflict with what I now
have to say and write. But the following is
Jehovah's law: and preachers
these days will certainly need courage to proclaim it.
- Adultery: Sexual act with
a person other than your spouse
| Exodus 20:
| 14: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
|
| Leviticus 20:
| 10: And the man that committeth adultery with another man's
wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the
adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
|
| Proverbs 6:
| 32: But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh
understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
|
| Jeremiah 23:
| 14: I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible
thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the
hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are
all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
|
- Fornication/Whoredom: sexual
acts between unmarried persons for
pleasure or profit.
| Leviticus 19:
| 29: Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore;
lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
|
| 1 Corinthians 6:
| 18: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the
body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
|
- Illegal sexual acts between close relatives
| Deuteronomy 27:
| 22: Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his
father, or the daughter of his mother.
|
| Deuteronomy 27:
| 23: Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law.
|
| Leviticus 20:
| 12: And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall
surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be
upon them.
|
- Homosexuality
| Leviticus 20:
| 13: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman,
both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put
to death; their blood shall be upon them.
|
| Deuteronomy 23:
| 17: There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a
sodomite of the sons of Israel.
|
| Genesis 13:
| 13: But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the
LORD exceedingly.
|
| Genesis 18:
| 20: And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and
Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21: I will go
down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the
cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
|
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans writes about popular sins,
particularly that of homosexuality, which he says comes as a direct
result of rejecting the evidence of creation and refusing to believe in the
Creator.
| Romans 1:
| 18: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;
19: Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened.
22: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23: And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and
creeping things.
24: Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between
themselves:
25: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Amen.
26: For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for
even their women did change the natural use into that which is against
nature:
27: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that
which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their
error which was meet.
28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient;
29: Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit,
malignity; whisperers,
30: Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31: Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in
them that do them.
|
- Bestiality
| Exodus 22:
| 19: Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
|
| Leviticus 18:
| 23: Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself
therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down
thereto: it is confusion.
|
| Leviticus 20:
| 16: And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down
thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put
to death; their blood shall be upon them.
|
| Deuteronomy 27:
| 21: Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all
the people shall say, Amen.
|
2. In the Days of Noah
In Noah's day people were pre-occupied with
food, drink and
sex.
Restraint was removed and appetite became a god. Noah preached a
warning message for 120 years: but to little avail. The population thought
the old man was crazy: that he had no idea of what he was talking about. It
is exactly the same today. People are obsessed with
food, drink and
sex.
Another disturbing factor is that it will soon be against the law to condemn
the sexual behaviour of others. Does this mean that we who preach the
Elijah Message should be silent? I think not. Our commission is to warn
mankind of coming judgement: and this matter of sexual sin is in the
forefront of our message. The Master warns:
| Matthew 24:
| 37: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be.
38: For as in the days that were before the flood they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that
Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took
them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
|
| Luke 17:
| 26: And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the
days of the Son of man.
27: They did eat, they drank, they married wives,
they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
|
There is, of course, nothing wrong with
eating, drinking and
getting
married; the human race would cease to exist without these things. What the
Master is saying here is that in the last days, just prior to his return,
mankind would
give itself over:' become obsessed with gluttony,
drunkenness and sinful sexual behaviour. When I use the word
'sinful' I
mean behaviour which violates
Divine Law.
3. In the Days of Lot
A similar situation developed in the days when the patriarch
Lot lived
in
Sodom; a town which gave its name to the homosexual act between
males. The Saviour warns:
| Luke 17:
| 28: Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29: But the
same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from
heaven, and destroyed them all.
30: Even thus shall it be in the day when
the Son of man is revealed.
|
Bear in mind that:
| Leviticus 20:
| 13: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman,
both of them have committed an abomination ...
|
4. Baal-Peor
Notwithstanding these divine commandments the men of Israel plunged
headlong into sexual debauchery with the daughters of Moab.
| Numbers 25:
| 1: And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2: And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3: And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
4: And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people,
and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger
of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.
5: And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.
6: And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto
his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight
of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping
before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7: And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a
javelin in his hand;
8: And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust
both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her
belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
9: And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
|
5. Immorality in Israel
| Judges 10:
| 6: 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.
|
| 1 Kings 14:
| 21: And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah.
Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did
choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his
mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
22: And Judah did evil in
the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins
which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.
23: For
they also built them high places, and images, and groves, (Asherah) on
every high hill, and under every green tree.
24: And there were also
sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of
the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
|
| 2 Kings 17:
| 16: And they (Israel) left all the commandments of the LORD
their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a
grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
|
| 2 Kings 21:
| 3: For he (Manasseh) built up again the high places which
Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and
made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of
heaven, and served them.
|
Priests / Pastors / Prophets
| Jeremiah 2:
| 8: The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle
the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the
prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
|
6. Judgement of Baal Worshippers
Baal worshippers are scheduled for a terrible end; as prefigured in the following two accounts about
Jehu and
Josiah. Remember that these are
'prophetic dramas'
which have a wider application than most believers remotely imagine.
They also apply to our generation. There will be no escape if
repentance is not
sought soon!
| 2 Kings 10:
| 18: And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
19: Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his
servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great
sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live.
But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20: And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
21: And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
22: And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
23: And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.
24: And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu
appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I
have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life
shall be for the life of him.
25: And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu
said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none
come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the
guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house
of Baal.
26: And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
27: And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
28: Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
|
| 2 Kings 23:
| 1: And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
2: And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men
of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests,
and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.
3: And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the
LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his
testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to
perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And
all the people stood to the covenant.
4: And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests
of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of
the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal,
and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them
without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them
unto Bethel.
5: And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah
had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah,
and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense
unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
6: And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without
Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and
stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves
of the children of the people.
7: And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
8: And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and
defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba
to Beer-sheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in
the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which
were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.
9: Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the
altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread
among their brethren.
10: And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children
of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass
through the fire to Molech.
11: And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to
the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of
Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the
chariots of the sun with fire.
12: And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of
Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh
had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat
down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into
the brook Kidron.
13: And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on
the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of
Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and
for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the
abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
14: And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
15: Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that
altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and
stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.
|
7. Overcomers
I am happy to announce that many true believers will refuse to be taken in
by the current popular trend in sinful sex. In scriptural terms these believers
are called
'overcomers.' End-time overcomers are prefigured by the
7000
who remained faithful to Yahweh in the days of
Ahab and
Jezebel,
when the majority in Israel had plunged into
Baal worship and
sinful sex.
| 1 Kings 19:
| 18: Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees
which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed
him.
|
| Revelation 2:
| 7: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
|
| Revelation 2:
| 17: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna,
and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written,
which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
|
| Revelation 2:
| 26: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to
him will I give power over the nations.
|
| Revelation 3:
| 5: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment;
and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess
his name before my Father, and before his angels.
|
| Revelation 3:
| 12: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my
God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of
my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon
him my new name.
|
| Revelation 21:
| 7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son.
|
- Diet
The Bible makes it plain what meats a believer is allowed to eat.
(Lev.11) Not only are we expressly commanded to abstain from unclean
meats. But gluttony and
drunkenness are also forbidden.
- Dress
It is said that the clothes one wears are simply the outward
expression of what is in the mind. How should believers dress? The
answer is - with modesty. To be sure you may be fashion conscious: but
a believer's dress must be modest and never sexually provocative.
- Entertainment
A true believer's reading and viewing must be closely
guarded against the brain-washing influence of Baal worship (illegal
sex).
- Sexual Behaviour
There is absolutely no place in Yahweh's church for practicing adulterers,
fornicators, rapists, abusers of children or homosexuals. Those who are committing these sins must repent and forsake them: only then will they be
welcome in Yahweh's church. Failure to repent and forsake sin
attracts the wrath of the Almighty God! For more information see sermon entitled Sex and the Bible.
| Hebrews 13:
| 4: Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but
whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
|
Summary
- Baal worship is not a bygone phenomenon. It is widespread
in these last days. Baal worship is giving free-reign to the carnal
nature. It expresses itself in gluttony, drunkenness and sinful
sexual acts.
- The Elijah Message calls people back to obedience of the
commandments of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel. On the physical
level it denounces sexual sin. On the spiritual level it denounces the
observance of pagan festivals. Read Stewarton Bible School's online booklet,
The Sacred Calendar of the God of
Israel.
- Though the vast majority of mankind will continue to worship Baal, there
will be many 'overcomers,' believers who keep the commandments of
God and have the faith of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).
Endeavour to be amongst that remnant few.
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sbs777/snotes/note1112.html
Easter is "Pessach" in Hebrew, "Pascha" in Greek, "Pachons" in Latin and "Pa-Khonsu" in Egyptian, "Khonsu" being an epithet for the sun god Horus. In Anglo-Saxon, Easter or Eostre is goddess of the dawn, corresponding to Ishtar, Astarte, Astoreth and Isis. The word "Easter" shares the same root with "east" and "eastern," the direction of the rising sun.
In the gospel tale, there are two dates for the crucifixion: the 14th and the 15th of the month of Nisan, and within Christianity the date for Easter was debated for centuries. There continue to be two dates for Easter: the Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, thus demonstrating that this holiday is not the historical date of the actual crucifixion of a particular man. The dates are, in fact, astronomical, astrological and astrotheological.
The need to time the Easter celebration - or resurrection - to coincide with the vernal equinox demonstrates that "Christ" is not an historical personage but the sun. This fact of Easter being the resurrection of the Sun has been well known for centuries, just as "the Savior's" birth at the winter solstice has been recognized as another solar motif. Another obvious clue as to Christ's nature is the fact that the "Lord's Day" is Sunday.