October 12-16, 2009

And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in he sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. And it came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worship him.

I Kings 16:30-31

I’ve traveled a lot of roads throughout this world and I’ve seen a lot of road signs along the way. I believe that each one has been put there for a good reason and I would be wise to heed their message. Unfortunately, as we travel along our path this week, we find that not everyone pays attention to the signs and continue to take the same deadly road as the person before them.

As we travel the northern kings’ highway, we find that the leaders of Israel all took the same road. Each king’s route is compared to the course of Jeroboam. The two golden calves set up in Dan and Bethel and called by the name YHWH not only marked the territorial extremes of the kingdom, but also identified the extremes of their sin. Although each king was aware of the warnings and signs through the prophets sent to their predecessors, their message was ignored and they proceeded on their sinful journey.

This week we are introduced to a new benchmark of sin in Israel, the northern kingdom. As a result of a coup led by Omri, Israel’s most wicked family came into power. The death spiral to the nation not only affected the northern kingdom, but was also the catalyst that brought the Kingdom of Judah to its demise. As if Omri wasn’t bad enough, he sired a son named Ahab! What was it that Ahab propagated that made him so wicked? He married Jezebel, the Sidonite, and she brought her god with her. Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal and stood to worship this abomination!

As we continue our journey with the kings, we find that Baalism and the worship of Asherah invoke great anger in YHWH, the one true God. As we continue on our trek, it will help if we understand the nature of Baalism. Baal became a term that encompassed a number of different pagan gods. Their commonality is that they are all linked to the god and goddess of fertility. The priests of Baal always wore black. Worship of Baal was expressed through burning incense, sacrifices, sometimes even human sacrifices, and sexual intercourse. It was a religion based on sensory experience. Music, dance, scents were all used to heighten desire and engage the senses. It was believed that rain was Baal’s sperm coming down to impregnate the soil. Isn’t that a disgusting thought!!!

Because worshippers have a desire to emulate whatever, or whomever they worship, sex and fertility became an important part of the cultic practice. Groves of trees were planted and kept for worshippers to come and cohabitate with priests or priestesses of the cult. This is where the term “temple prostitute” originated. Children born of these unions were thought to be sacred and also became priests and priestesses. It was the duty of every married male and female to come to the groves when they were beseeching Baal’s help or blessing. Before the Israelites went into Canaan, God had told them they were not to emulate the nations who dwelt there before them.

You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. (Leviticus 18:3)

What was it that the nations had done before them that caused the land to spew them out? You may want to be reminded and read Leviticus 18. “You shall not uncover the nakedness of…..” is the constant phrase throughout the chapter. “Uncovering nakedness” didn’t refer to peaking up a woman’s skirt, but to sexual misconduct. Every kind of sexual acts mentioned in Leviticus 18 were welcomed practices in the Baal cult. God had put a clear signpost for the nation of Israel. The imminent danger for disobedience was clearly spelled out.

But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you; (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled); so that the land may not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. (Leviticus 18:26-28)

Ahab’s not only catered to Jezebel’s desire to bring Baalism into the country, but encouraged her ambition to eradicate the worship of YHWH and replace it with Baal and Asherah. Her intent was to kill every prophet of YHWH within the northern kingdom of Israel.

It is on this backdrop that we are introduced to Elijah, the Tishbite. Our first encounter with this amazing prophet is when he comes and stands before Ahab and says, “As YHWH, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” When we remember that in Baalism, it was believed that rain was Baal’s sperm, we can quickly understand that Elijah’s words before the king were a declaration of war on Baalism!

As we walk down the road with the kings of Israel, we continually see the nation decline and take on the characteristics of the nations God had driven out before them. From our lofty perspective, we wonder how they could be so blind to the dangers ahead. Didn’t they read the road signs? Couldn’t they perceive the tragic end? The marker clearly spelled out the danger!!! But like so many people in this life, their flesh found satisfaction on the path they were on, and the thrill of the moment overrode the impending doom that lay ahead.

May we be careful to read the warning signs in God’s Word that clearly mark any dangerous path we may turn on. And may we follow the light that will bring us back to the right way. Truly, our life depends on it!!!