Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him. (2 Kings 23:25) This verse indicates the high regard that God had for…
Posts Tagged: pagan gods
2 Kings 17:33 – Syncretism
When people try to serve both other gods and Yahweh, the God of the Bible, at the same time, they are guilty of syncretism. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines syncretism “as the combination of different forms of belief or practice.” In ancient Israel, this sin was a serious downfall among the people. In fact, it’s what led…
Judges 2:19 – They Turned Back
Many people consider the book of Judges the saddest in the entire Bible. It chronicles the persistent apostasy of Israel despite God’s continuing mercy upon His children. Yahweh had given the land of Canaan to the Israelites. He promised He would fight for them to drive out its wicked inhabitants. But, they had a responsibility;…
Deuteronomy 29:18 – Poisonous & Bitter Fruit
God so wanted His children Israel to love and follow only Him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy sell. Spending 400 years in the midst of a pagan culture that worshiped many gods tainted them. It wasn’t like what we’re told today in Hebrews 11:1 concerning our belief in Jesus Christ and all He has for…
Deuteronomy 12:23 – Don’t Eat the Blood
We read of certain prohibitions the Lord commanded Israel and may wonder what’s behind them. One such that we come across today in our reading is Deuteronomy 12:23 in which Yahweh declares through Moses: “Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat…
Numbers 33:55 – Trouble in the Land
Because of what the Israelites had learned in Egypt over their 400 years of captivity, Yahweh had a deconditioning project to accomplish with them. They had been in the midst of a pantheon of pagan gods and gotten used to deities whose image they could see. The verbal history of their people had probably taken…