Often times, we are so quick to skim through the Scriptures just to "read". Truth be told, we don't really understand all that we read. But we're reading the Bible. Isn't that good enough? Well, no. Historically, there is so much to the Scriptures, especially the Old Testament, that something that we don't understand could, with just a little research, provide great insight into what we read. If we're diligent enough to take 2 minutes to actually do the research.
Here's why I'm coming up with this thought. And there is a connection. Recently, I read a transcript of a sermon by Dr. Joseph Stowell. A good teaching on sexual immorality in our culture, based on the messages to the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira in Revelation Chapter 2. Thyatira, specifically, was rebuked for allowing a Jezebel Spirit (or a prophetess in the mold of Jezebel) to rule and decieve many. As an aside, I may print the text of that sermon here at some point. Anyway, that led me to read in 1 Kings about Jezebel and her "strong, dominant" husband, Ahab. Anyway, it was under her decree that Ahab erected altars to Baal and Asherah poles beside the altars. Now, if you've studied the Bible at any length, no doubt you've come across Baal. Baal is really the chief "false god" mentioned in the Old
Testament, and the son of Molech, whom many Israelites sacrificed their children to. But what the heck is an Asherah pole? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Is it just a stick stuck in the ground? A mop handle? I did a little research into it. I think you'll be interested in my findings.
Asherah, Astarte, Ashtoreth, whichever you decide to call her - was a Phonecian female goddess, equated to fertility and love. jewish mythology referrs to her as Ashtoreth, a demon of lust (more on that later). She was considered the consort of Baal, the sun god, who we all know as THE false god the Israelites tended to gravitate toward. But Asherah was his wife, so naturally they were set together. According to some archeologists, Asherah (and the subsequent poles) were EVERYWHERE in early Israel. You would find these little statues under every tree, in every house (remember during David's life the mention of "household gods"? One of them was probably Asherah). Some, including the Authorized Version of the Bible, have mistranslated "Asherah" as "groves", referring to the areas where Asherah would be placed, rather than the diety herself.
The first mentions we see of Asherah is in 1 Kings when we run into King Ahab, who had a "lovely" wife, Jezebel. She incited him to erect altars to Baal, no doubt because she was completely absorbed into the false religion. It's fascinating to see that ahab, in commanding the Baal altars be built, all but set up Baal worship as the official religious practice of Israel. Jezebel, being the domineering woman she was, no doubt had to set up altars to Asherah as well. Nothing like having a female deity to "aspire to". Today, one simply has to scan certain pagan-influenced web sites to see that Asherah is still a familiar name to many. In fact, she is referenced in many fertility dance-cults (like Luna Yoga) and others.
Seeing correlations to 21st century culture? Feminism is so ingrained in many parts of our culture. Many want to change God to a female form (God, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ...don't laugh, I've heard it in a mainline church before...) or, as I mentioned in wicca and pagan religions, Asherah herself is Queen, worshipped even today. But for most, I think Asherah worship is happening right under our noses, and we don't even realize it. Why is pornography a multi-billion dollar industry? Why is sex used to sell everything from cars to food to furniture? Why can't you watch any popular shows without hearing numerous sexual references or innuendo? Why, when all we have heard over the last thirty-plus years is "women are equal to men in every way", do some women still feel the need to use their bodies as objects to "get their way". Why does our culture allow it to continue? Why does my eight year old daughter want to dress like the girls she sees on TV? Why does a man's head turn every time a girl walks by with a tight shirt or a short skirt? Why does the girl need to wear that stuff? Sure, the easy answer to all these is sin. But what if...
Satan is clever and crafty, but he is not creative. In Old Testament times. he used a pagan fertility god to draw the Israelites (and its women) astray. Why wouldn't he do the same today? In the New Testament, there is talk of temple prostitutes. Ephesus is widely considered a hub for this type of sexual devience. Venus, the goddess of love (which equates to sex in pagan cultures) was the patron deity of Corinth, which was also home to a large church. Remember the part in 1 Corinthians when Paul expels a man from the church? What was he doing? Having sex with his stepmother. Sexual morays run amock. How many exhortations did Paul put in the epistles that relate to sexual behavior? Too many to list here. Do a topical study on it sometime.
Though we are the most blessed nation in the history of the world, we too have set up our altars to Asherah and ignored the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob to pursue other gods. Millions of Christian men are addicted to pornography, bound by lust. Ashtoreth was the Hebrew demon of lust. Asherah is just the personification of the evil we are seeing every day around us. I think it would be helpful to see that Satan is being very specific with men (and women), binding their minds and souls so that they are not free to worship as God would want.
Psalm 62.1 says "My soul finds rest in God alone". What I see is a culture that is trying to find its rest in sex. That is the draw of lust and pornography - a man sees the naked woman and she beckons to him, "I am all you need. I'll satisfy your every desire." Perfect, the man says. Sexual gratification without the emotional tie. She won't demand anything of me, just my sex drive. The man engages the "woman" sexually. But just when he thinks he'll reach that utopia, she pulls the rug out from under him, and locks him in. He's a prisoner of his own desires. He'll run on the sin treadmill forever. He'll never get where he thinks he wants to be. Sure, it's pleasurable. But it's temporary. Like drugs or alcohol, it's only good until the buzz wears off. And it will wear off.
"In His presence there's fullness of joy. At his right hand there are pleasures forever." (Psalm 16.11). True contentment, pleasure and joy is ONLY found in God's presence. It's eternal, permanent, transcendent of any circumstance. When we seek Him, we'll find Him. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they WILL BE FILLED!!!!! If you hunger after Asherah and all she can give you, you'll only be hungry again.
God told Joshua to get rid of the foreign gods when the Israelites entered the promised land. They didn't and God's chosen were polluted. Asherah was one of the false gods that was allowed to stay. And they paid a heavy price for their compromise. So do we, when our culture is so corroded by our worship of the feminine form, instead of the one true living God.
My friend Derek wrote a song a number of years ago called "Tear Down the Idols". Go to www.amanirecords.com/shop/downloads.asp?ID=8 and you can get the song for a buck. Our God is the one true God. And we need to strip away all others avenues of worship and clear the way for Him to change us into His true people. The Ten Commandments has one near the top of the list - "You shall have no other gods before me". That not just a command. It's a promise. As we worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, we won't need other gods. He will be all sufficient.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment