01/03/2022 - ISRAEL´S INCREDIBLE DEVIATION

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They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. Judges 2:13

The unlikely happened: Israel left the Lord and started worshiping Baal and Ashtaroth, man-made gods that “helped” them in fertility and in the sexual area. Now, the Lord is the only God and takes care of those who trust in Him in all aspects (Psalm 9:10). The “gods”, on the other hand, create various detours for the unwary to fall into the web of lies and of Hell (Psalm 115:4-8). It is hard to believe that this happened to Israel!

The devil managed to infiltrate in the midst of the holy people, and all of the Lord’s warnings to the Israelites were disregarded. They held the filthiest of cults and indulged in unholy Baal worship. In the parks, “spiritual” meetings were held, such as the feasts to the god Bacchus, from which the word bacchanal originated. The orgies were to offer people the opportunity to remain lost.

The difference between the worship of Jehovah, which the Lord’s chosen ones were taught to practice, and that of Baal – is great. Jehovah is the god of holiness, and Baal, the god of promiscuity. When a man felt guilty for having displeased some deity, he was told to take a woman and take her under a tree in order to have a carnal conjunction and then be forgiven. He possessed her by consent or by force, and this pleased the most degenerate in society (Isaiah 57:5; Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6). Stay alert and pray!

Ahab ascended the throne of Samaria and instituted the worship of Baal, whose temple at its entrance had the figure of a male genital organ. In a short time, Baal had won over many people to his deceitful doctrine. Certainly, the consequence for the serious mistake would come, but those who only thought about life here on Earth – didn’t care about that. As for eternal life, they said they would deal with it later. Such madness they practiced! Mercy!

At the entrance of the temple of Ashtaroth or Asherah, there was a figure of a female organ. In many parts of the Middle East, this cult was well accepted, for the lost man is not interested in whether he goes to Heaven, but whether he can satisfy his filthy instincts. However, there will be a day of reckoning, and whoever is seduced by any impurity will march into the lake that will forever burn with fire and brimstone (1 Corinthians 6:9,10). Watch and pray!

One of the reasons Baal worship spread so quickly was the following teaching: the person was exempt from blame for their actions at those meetings. Therefore, many were carried away by the lie and sinned blatantly. The Word declares:  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  (Galatians 6:7). On the last day, there will be despair with the sentence of eternal punishment!

However, with Jehovah the situation was opposite. The right thing was to repent of the sin and confess it so that it would be covered. Now, it is impossible for anyone to claim to be deceived, for with Jesus’ victory over the devil, it became easy to leave the life of iniquity and enter the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 2:1-6). It´s good to see how you are living your life! At the Last Judgment, there will be no love, forgiveness or mercy. Everyone will hear their sentence. Today, God loves you and forgives you!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares