Bible Word of the Day
Baal (Baalim, A demon worshiped by ancient pagan Canaanite cultures)
Meaning
Baal was the name appropriated to the principal male god of the Phoenicians, moreover, it was the name given to several demons worshipped by pagan cultures. It is found in several places in the Bible, both in the singular form Baal and the plural form Baalim. Baal is also identified with Molech. Molech was the demon inspired false god the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel followed in their rebellion against God. Part of their sacrifice was to burn their infants on the outstretched arms of the idol which were heated by fire. Baal was known to the Israelites as Baal-peor and worshipped till the time of Samuel. And with the split of Israel into the Northern and Southern kingdoms Baal-peor was afterwards the religion of the ten tribes which made up the Northern Kingdom. And in the time of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel they promoted Baal worship. Jezebel was the Gentile bride of Ahab, whose father was involved in the Baal priesthood.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was defeated by the Assyrians and taken into captivity never to return because of their idolatry. Baal worship also flourished for a time in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, till finally God put an end to the practice by the severe discipline of captivity when the Southern Kingdom went into exile into Babylon under Gentile king Nebuchadnezzar. The priests of Baal were in great numbers and consisted of various classes or a hierarchy of priesthood. During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel there were 450 priests of Baal whom the Lord slew through Elijah when he went up against them on Mount Carmel and proved they worshipped a false god. Baal worship may have started as early as the third millennium BC and continued under various forms and names. Baal worship in all of its forms was the main cause behind the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel as well as the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
“And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” (Book of 1st Kings 16:31-33)
“Then Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, ‘Ahab served Baal a little, Jehu will serve him much. ‘Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.’ But Jehu acted deceptively, with the intent of destroying the worshipers of Baal. And Jehu said, ‘Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.’ So they proclaimed it. Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. So they came into the temple of Baal, and the temple of Baal was full from one end to the other. And he said to the one in charge of the wardrobe, ‘Bring out vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.’ So he brought out vestments for them. Then Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab went into the temple of Baal, and said to the worshipers of Baal, ‘Search and see that no servants of the Lord are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.’ So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself eighty men on the outside, and had said, ‘If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escapes, whoever lets him escape, it shall be his life for the life of the other.'” (Book of 2nd Kings 10:18-24)