Judges, Chapter 6, Verse 1-2
1 The
Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, who therefore delivered
them into the power of Midian for seven years, 2 so that Midian held Israel subject. From fear of Midian the Israelites made dens
in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear
no evil;
for you are at my side.
One does
wonder; what was the evil that the Israelite's did in the sight of the Lord?
Answer: Baal was the
name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The practice
of Baal worship infiltrated Jewish religious life during the time of the Judges
(Judges 3:7), became widespread in Israel during the reign of Ahab (1 Kings
16:31-33) and also affected Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). The word baal
means “lord”; the plural is baalim. In general, Baal was a fertility god
who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce
children. Different regions worshiped Baal in different ways, and Baal proved
to be a highly adaptable god. Various locales emphasized one or another of his
attributes and developed special “denominations” of Baalism. Baal of Peor (Numbers
25:3) and Baal-Berith (Judges 8:33) are two examples of such localized deities.
According to Canaanite mythology, Baal
was the son of El, the chief god, and Asherah, the goddess of the sea. Baal was
considered the most powerful of all gods, eclipsing El, who was seen as rather
weak and ineffective. In various battles Baal defeated Yamm, the god of the
sea, and Mot, the god of death and the underworld. Baal’s sisters/consorts were
Ashtoreth, a fertility goddess associated with the stars, and Anath, a goddess
of love and war. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the sun god and as the storm
god—he is usually depicted holding a lightning bolt—who defeated enemies and
produced crops. They also worshiped him as a fertility god who provided
children. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic
prostitution in the temples. At times, appeasing Baal required human sacrifice,
usually the firstborn of the one making the sacrifice (Jeremiah 19:5). The
priests of Baal appealed to their god in rites of wild abandon which included
loud, ecstatic cries and self-inflicted injury (1 Kings 18:28).[1]
Aids in Battle [2] The “Our Father” is a battle cry
In this
prayer, Christ has just spoken of the Evil One, placing us on alert before the
battle, reminding us of our enemy, and keeping us from negligence. “For the
kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours” (see Mt 6: 13).
·
The kingdom belongs to God, we should fear no
one? For no one can withstand Him or tear apart His Empire.
·
“The power is Yours,” Christ says. For this
reason, no matter how many forms your weakness may take, you may still rightly
be confident in the battle.
·
“The glory is Yours.” Not only can God free you
from the dangers you face; He can also make you glorious and outstanding in
battle. His power is great and His glory is beyond telling— they are both
limitless and never come to an end. See how He has in every way anointed you,
His champion, and surrounded you with confidence? ST. JOHN
Daily Devotions/Prayers
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