Baal Worship
Submitted by Splash! on December 9 2001 22:04:28
In reply to Re: To Splash! submitted by Splash! on November 22 2001 02:08:36
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1 Kings 18 commentary I found: The Israelites were captivated by the false god Baal. Baal worship included practices of immoral sensuality. It allowed people to indulge their flesh and yet still have a sense of being in the presence of God. In other words, it was a licentious religion, very wicked, sensual and immoral. It encouraged people to live only by their senses. “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” The Holy Spirit was speaking through Elijah here. You see, there was indecisiveness in the hearts of the people. Even though they were enjoying Baal worship, they all had a mysterious inner knowledge that it was really not of God. It was fun, and their senses were being touched, and they had a sense of provision; but, deep down, they knew it was not of the Lord. And that’s why they were indecisive. They could go on indulging in Baal practices, but they couldn’t yield themselves fully to Baal. They had a deep inner knowledge that this truly was not the altar of God. “How long will you halt?” Elijah asked them. The word in Hebrew for halt here means to hop, to skip over, to spare, or to dance as a lame man. Elijah is saying to the church of his time, “How long will you continue to skip over the truth? How long will you continue to spare yourself any deep dealings and callings of God? How long will you continue to worship as a lame man, when you could behold the Lord? Why do you halt between two opinions? Why do you stop at this place halfway between heaven and hell? Why can’t you make up your mind where you’re going to live, which side you’re going to commit yourself to?” Elijah was issuing a strong challenge. Yet, Scripture says, “the people answered him not a word.” Here is an incredible thing. The people knew this was a man of God. If somebody had mentioned the name of Elijah to them, they would answer without hesitation, “He is a man of God. Wherever he goes, the fire of God goes. And wherever he is, there’s a sense of awe. There’s a sense that God goes with this man everywhere he travels. Oh, yes, Elijah is a man of God.” These people knew that Elijah spoke for the Lord. Yet, when this man of God put the question before them, “Who is it that you’re going to serve?” they didn’t answer. They couldn’t answer. Strangely enough, that’s the way it is in many evangelical churches. A man of God will stand before the people preaching God’s Word, clearly cutting between soul and spirit, and joint and marrow, and going straight to the thoughts and intentions of the heart. But the people sit and offer no response. God’s question is always the same: “Will you come back to me? Will you come to that place of remembrance?” In Elijah’s case, the people answered not a word. There was no response at all. Perhaps they were hoping that the conviction would just go away. After all, they knew in their hearts that Baal was not God. That’s why they could neither yield fully to the idol nor answer Elijah’s question. Some of God’s people probably felt they had been genuinely touched at the altar of Baal. False religion does offer a certain sense of comfort. It can make you happy, make you dance, give you a sense that you’re prospering, give you a sense of satisfaction. People worship false gods all over the world, and in some places they’re having a lot of fun doing it. And now these Israelites were saying in their hearts, “I know God isn’t at work through Baal. But I’ve been touched at this altar. Tell me, Elijah, why should I leave this to go with you? Come on, all these other prophets can’t be wrong. There are 850 of them, and you’re only one man, one voice.” I’ve heard this same claim so many times from Christians. Over the years, I’ve tried to counsel people who have been involved in ludicrous things, foolish things, all in the name of Jesus Christ. I’ve tried to open the Bible and show them their error straight from God’s Word, but they merely push it away. Their response is always the same: “But you don’t understand. I’ve been touched there.” “…but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks (two sacrifices); and let them choose one bullock (choose your sacrifice) for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.” At this point, the prophets of Baal began to try calling down the presence of God. I believe these false prophets were sincere. They truly believed in what they were doing. But it’s not enough to be moved by sincerity; there’s got to be truth behind what you preach. It doesn’t matter how sincere any person is. What he preaches must be the truth. It has to touch our hearts and convict our lives. ”And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.” “Elijah came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again.” “Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” The arrival of this false gospel was the judgment of God on a slumbering church. The church has wanted prosperity and security. It has wanted no cross, no strong Word, no repentance, no cutting to the core, no living water. It has wanted only to feel good. As I saw this false gospel taking hold, I prayed, “Mighty God, you’ve got to come again. Your people have been captured. They’ve been taken captive by Baal.” “When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought then down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.” We live in a generation when truth has fallen in the streets. I want to be among those not running away from the conflict, but running into it, crying, “Run for your life!” I want to say, “Run from gospels that focus only on success and prosperity. Run from those that use the name of Jesus Christ only for personal gain. Run from those that are picking your pocket in the name of Jesus. Run!” Run from gospels that focus only on self-improvement, or on three steps to a better personality. Run from churches where men and not Christ are glorified. Run, get out of that place! Run from churches in America and Canada where there is no Bible, no cross, no searching Word, no repentance from sin. Run when there’s no mention of the blood of Jesus. It’s an unclean place, so run! Run from churches where the worship leaves you cold, where there’s no sense of God’s presence, because they don’t know God. Run! Run from churches where you’re comfortable in your sin. If you enter God’s house with sin in your life, but you’re not convicted of it, you’re sitting at a table of devils. Run! Run from pulpits that are filled with politically driven men who use the pulpit of God for a personal agenda. Run! Run from those who preach division between races and cultures. Run! Get out! They know nothing of God. Run from ungodly, spasmodic movements and endless empty prophesying. Run for your life! Run from preachers who tell only stories and jokes. Run like you’ve never run before. Run from those who use one gimmick after another to get your money. Run! |
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