June 11, 2023

THE ALTAR OF BAAL AND GIDEON

The fallen angel known as Baal craves worship. During the time of the judges in Israel, there were many places set up for Baal worship. One of the places was a village where Gideon lived. This satanic worship place consisted of a grove of trees that hindered outsiders from seeing what was taking place. In the midst of the grove was an open place where a statue of Baal stood in front an altar.

“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.” (Judges 6:1-10)

Gideon’s father, Joash, was an idol worshiper and he built an altar to Baal which included a statue of this demon god surrounded by a grove of trees. The Bible does not indicate if Gideon was also a Baal worshiper. What we do know is that when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he complained that Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites. Gideon failed to realize that the Midianites were terrorizing them as a punishment by God.

“And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” (Judges 6:11-13)

The angel did not bring up the issue of Baal worship with Gideon, just that God was going to use him to deliver Israel. This seemed laughable to Gideon because his family was among the poorest. Nevertheless, the angel of the Lord persisted that Gideon was going to lead Israel in a fight against the Midianites. Not having much faith in God’s messenger, Gideon asked for some kind of supernatural sign. He was instructed to put an offering on a rock and soak it with the broth. Then the angel touched the offering with his staff and the offering was consumed by fire. Gideon then built an altar and worshiped the Lord.

“And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee.

And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes.

Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.” (Judges 6:14-24)

A MESSAGE FROM JESUS

As Gideon worshiped the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Son of God told him to tear down the altar to Baal which belonged to his father and replace it with an altar for God and offer a sacrifice upon it.

“And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.” (Judges 6:25-26)

Gideon was told to defy his father. This was a grave sin and would have violated the commandment of God had his father not been living in rebellion.

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12)

THE NIGHT OF ACTION

Gideon was afraid of his father and servants and the rest of the people in the small town. But he was instilled with courage from meeting with the angel and having seen the miracle of the sacrifice consumed by the touch of the staff. Gideon decided to abandon Baal and return to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Gideon was an adult and had his own household and servants. He selected ten men, and as soon as it was night and the townsfolk had gone to bed, Gideon and his men went to work. They destroyed the altar to Baal, the statue, and cut down all the trees in the grove. Once the demolition was done, they built an altar to the Lord. Gideon then took two bullocks (oxen) from his father’s household and used them for a sacrifice.[1]

“Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.” (Judges 6:27)

The Baal grove was located outside the town and this no one heard the demolition noise; however, there was a great commotion the next morning when the town discovered the “sacred Baal grove” had been destroyed and replaced with an altar of the Living God. When they learned it was Gideon and his men that had destroyed the grove and altar, they demanded Joash give up his son so they could kill him.

“And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.” (Judges 6:28-30)

A CHANGE OF HEART

Joash was defiant when he emerged from his house. He basically told the crowd to pound sand; any person that wanted to plead on behalf of Baal would be put to death. It was absurd to plead for a god of stone. If Baal was indeed such a powerful god, let him defend his own honor.

“And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.” (Judges 6:31)

Joash renamed his son to Jerubbaal (Baal will contend) for this act of bravery.

“Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.” (Judges 6:32)

This single act of bravery and defiance against the Luciferian agenda led to a successful uprising against the Midianites under the leadership of Gideon.

GOD WILL SORT IT OUT

Since we are living in the period of grace, we cannot as individuals arbitrarily destroy places of evil like abortion mills, gambling joints, bars, whorehouses, etc. Jesus addressed this issue when he taught a parable on the wheat and tares. The Son of God chooses to let wicked people live among the righteous, but rest assured there will be a separation and judgment in the end.

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.

The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24-30)

IMPRECATORY PRAYER

We have been given the power to pray and there is nothing to stop God from hearing our words and sending angels to address the issues we bring up. We can certainly pray for our loved ones, friends, health issues, finances, and protection. But we can also direct our attention to evil men and their pernicious deeds. Imprecatory prayer is a different type of prayer because it appeals to the justice of God. Psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 109, and 139 were written by King David asking God to bring judgment upon his enemies. He encountered evil men and certainly wasn’t shy about asking the Lord to intervene.

“Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.” (Psalms 35:6)

“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” (Psalms 55:15)

“Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.” (Psalms 58:6)

“Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” (Psalms 69:28)

“Let his days be few; and let another take his office.” (Psalms 109:8)

CURSED BY GOD

King Nebuchadnezzar was warned in a dream that there are watchers (holy angels) who are in charge of rulers on this earth.

“I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;

He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:

Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:

Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:13-17)

Nebuchadnezzar thought too highly of himself and was humiliated when holy angels reduced his mental faculties and he lived like an animal for a substantial amount of time. This decree of the Watchers served as a punishment and a warning that the God of heaven rules the earth.[2]

Belshazzar learned the hard way that his kingship was not impervious when he trespassed against God and lost his life.[3]

King Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great, quickly learned that God is not to be trifled with when an angel executed him.[4]

A Jew named Bar-Jesus delving into witchcraft tried to oppose the apostle Paul and lost his eyesight for a season.[5]

PRAYER SUGGESTION

My Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Only you know if Joe and Kamala will be saved before they die. If they aren’t, I ask you to remove them from the earth. Please do not let them serve out their allotted time in the White House. Remove them just like you did with Herod Agrippa. The blood of the aborted babies cries from the earth just like Abel’s blood after Cain murdered him. I thank you Father God for hearing and answering my prayer in Jesus’ name.

REGISTERING PRAYER WARRIORS

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