The Sixth Commandment – Part 6
Good Day to each of you reading this column on the Sixth Commandment.
I must be honest with you reading as I get somewhat discouraged not hearing from anyone or not adding their thoughts.
My wife and I are avid gardener’s and she gave me this article—Take a moment to read:
Yard Work—As viewed from Heaven
(overheard in a conversation between God and St. Francis):
God: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought, and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees, and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of color by now. All I see are patches of green.
St. Francis: It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are called the suburbanites. They started calling your flowers “weeds” and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
God: Grass? But it is so boring, it’s not colorful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms. It’s temperamental with temperatures. Do these suburbanites really want grass growing there?
St. Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they cut it… sometimes twice a week.
God: They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?
St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
God: Now let me get this straight… they fertilize it to make it grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
St. Francis: Yes sir.
God: These suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
St. Francis: You aren’t going to believe this Lord, but when the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
God: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It’s a natural cycle of life.
St. Francis: You’d better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
God: No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
St. Francis: After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
God: And where do they get this mulch?
St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.
God: Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
St. Catherine: “Dumb and Dumber,” Lord. It’s a really stupid movie about…
God: Never mind – I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis!
I hope you enjoyed this article—It does make a lot of sense and quite comical.
By the way, I was watching some old TV shows and one of those was Hogan’s Heroes—You remember Col. Hogan, the German Commander and good ole Sergeant Schultz—
Sergeant Schultz was known for saying— “I know nothing! And I see nothing!”.
That phrase really hit a nerve– Have we gotten to that point where we know nothing or see nothing and turn a blind eye to our surroundings? Our countries and people use to stand for something and now, it seems, that we will fall for anything. We are living in the times where good is evil and evil is good.
Before I begin the lesson, I recently picked up the book, The Paradigm by Jonathan Cahn—As he says, this is the Ancient Blueprint that holds the mystery of our times. I urge you to pick up a copy of the book and let me know your thoughts.
One of the key points of the book is Baal Worship—Who? Baal worship—If you thought Baal worship is not being used in our society, then think again—it is alive and being practiced in our countries today.
I will touch on Baal worship and the correlation to abortion shortly as this is interwoven in our culture. The “new morality” has come forward in full force throughout the world and with this “new morality” is the worship of Baal.
Who or what is Baal? Baal is the chief god of the Canaanites according to the New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Sixty three times Baal is mentioned in the Bible—62 times in the Old and once in the New Testament—Baal-Berith is an idol and mentioned twice, Baale is a form of Baalah found in 2Samuel 6:2, Baal-Gad is a Canaanite city and found in Joshua 11, 12, & 13, Baal-Hamon is a place near Samaria and found once in Song. 8:11, Baal-Hanan is a king in Edom & a superintendent for David, Baal-Hazor is a place near Ephraim, Baal-Hermon is a city near Mt. Hermon, Baalim is the plural of Baal and is found 18 times in the Old Testament, Baal-Meon is a Reubenite town, Baal-Peor or Peor is a Moabite Idol and found 6 times in the Old Testament, Baal-Perazim is a place near the valley of Rephaim, Baal-Shalisha is a place in Ephraim and Baal-Zebub which is better know as a Philistine idol or Beelzebub.
Let’s put an image to Baal WRITTEN BY:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica LAST UPDATED: Aug 12, 2019 See Article History
Alternative Titles: Baal Shamen, Baal Shemin, Baalim
Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. As a Semitic common noun baal (Hebrew baʿal) meant “owner” or “lord,” although it could be used more generally; for example, a baal of wings was a winged creature, and, in the plural, baalim of arrows indicated archers. Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. In Ugaritic and Hebrew, Baal’s epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. In Phoenician he was called Baal Shamen, Lord of the Heavens.
According to Answers.com: So, the modern-day Canaanite is really the Palestinian Arab of Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
We have established who Baal is, what he does, where he was worshipped. He was a god of war, lord of the sky, master of weather, god of fertility, increase and productivity.
Baal demanded human sacrifices—Baal demanded children of those who believed in Baal to be sacrificed by fire—The child would be placed into the idol’s bronze hands with the fire below the idol’s arms and the child would be engulfed and consumed. In return, the parents would receive prosperity and increase of blessings.
Here is what the Bible says: Turn to 2Kings 17:16-17 (FF) Thus they abandoned the whole of the Commands of their Ever-Living God, and made two metal Calves, and Shrines, and bowed down to all the host of the skies, and served Baal; and passed their sons and daughters through the fire, and practiced Divination, and worshipped snakes, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Ever-Living and provoked him.
Now turn to Deuteronomy 18:10 (NIV) Let no one be found among you who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft.
Ahaz, king of Israel and married to Jezebel, and sacrificed his son by fire. Look at 2Kings 16:3 (FF) He (Ahaz) followed the paths of the kings of Israel, and even passed the children through the fire, like the foul heathen whom the Ever-Living drove before the face of the children of Israel.
For further references on the subject of child sacrifice, go to Leviticus 18:21 and Leviticus 20:2-5.
Here we have the detestable practice of child sacrifice in its most hideous form and to think, is it still being practiced somewhere in the world today?
Before that question is answered, look at Mark 10:13-16 (FF) And when they were bringing children to Him, in order that He might touch them, His disciples repelled those who brought them. But Jesus, seeing it, became indignant; and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not prevent them; for of such is the Kingdom of God. I tell you indeed, he can never, that whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a little child, he can never, by any means, enter it.” Then having caressed them, placing His Hands upon them, He blessed them.
Jesus also goes into detail about his love for little children in Matthew 19:13-15 and Luke 18: 15-17. Turn to Proverbs 17:6 (NIV) Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. Proverbs 31:28 (NIV) Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
We have set the stage of what happened to Israel when they allowed Baal worship into their society. Baal worship destroys the moral fabric of the nation, creates the “new morality” and takes the 1st commandment and literally throws it out the door!
Is Baal worship being practiced today? Is child sacrifice being practiced today? Baal was carnal and, in the temples, and shrines were priests and priestesses who officiated over and took part in sex acts. Clay images of Canaanite fertility goddesses’ idols were everywhere in the cities, shopping districts and in homes. Sexual relations were the “norm” with other partners and marriage was a thing of the past—The excuse was that the church was taking part so we can too.
The Baal worship, by the Canaanite people, took it to the next level—The “New Morality of Baal Worship” objectives was to weaken marriage, encourage sexual immorality, encourage sexual relations with someone other than their spouse regardless of gender, and completely rid of God’s laws.
I would like to continue this next time by answering the above questions-I wish to go in depth on Baal worship and child sacrifice in the world today.
Until then, may God Bless you and keep you safe.
Jeff