63. Obsessed with Baal and abandoning the true God, false god worship and erotic culture

“Therefore, God allowed them to do impure things according to the desires of their hearts, so that they would shame each other’s bodies. They turn God’s truth into a lie, worshiping and serving created things, but not worshiping the Creator! [Romans 1:24-25]

Joshua’s generation passed by; they wandered in the wilderness for forty years, then entered Canaan to fight for seven years. After the war ended, they received their own land and entered their later years in peace. Bitter first, then sweet. Under God’s guidance, their faith grew richer with age, leaving the world as calmly as a ripe melon falling from its stem.

The generation that followed them was led by their parents into Canaan, and upon reaching adulthood, they moved into mansions with their parents to enjoy Canaan’s abundant resources. They envied the skilled ironworking and farming skills of the Canaanite locals, so they deliberately defied the instructions of Moses and Joshua, unwilling to drive out the remaining Canaanites, instead making them do hard labor and serve as helpers for their families. Over time, intermarriage naturally occurred. After intermarriage, some Israelite husbands or wives were gradually drawn to the cultural and religious worship of their Canaanite spouses, eventually kneeling before their idols.

The statues of Canaanite include the male god Baal and the goddess Asrod. Baal had the body of a cow, carrying the living infant offering of his joy; the Canaanites believed he was in charge of the harvest. Asrod had long hair and a large bust; the Canaanites believed she was in charge of childbirth. Because the Israelites destroyed the temples that had once been widespread among the Canaanites, and knowing that the Lord God commanded the Israelites to kill anyone who bowed to Baal, these devout Canaaanites secretly fled to the wild valleys and quietly performed religious ceremonies under the cover of night. Because of the strong trust brought by love, Israelites who married into them were also invited to participate.

Spring is the season when Canaanites worship Baal and pray for a good harvest, and it is also the season when Israel celebrates Passover to commemorate Jehovah’s salvation. The Israelites who, driven by curiosity and love, would accompany their Canaanites to secret gatherings in the wild valleys out of curiosity and love.

Late at night, the Canaanites, who had been out of the city and anxious, finally stopped worrying about the Israelites inside the city seeing them and relaxed completely. Streams flow gently through the valleys, and people light clusters of bonfires by the rocks and under emerald trees, reflecting the star-filled sky. The spring breeze brushes over the young people’s skin like silk, and the night soaks their passionate hearts like dew. After finishing the barbecue and drinking the fine wine, their once bright eyes grew hazy with the flickering campfire, their cheeks flushed slightly in the reflection. It seemed summer had suddenly arrived.

The strong and robust Canaanite priest came to the center of the campfire, his upper body bare, his bulging muscles searching for an outlet like overflowing passion, as if about to burst open his taut skin. A full-chested, slender priestess danced around him. The young men and women sitting around began to chant, clapping and clapping in unison, the air stirred, and the campfire seemed to dance along with it. The naive and ignorant Israelites had intended to calmly observe, but then they noticed their wives’ burning gazes fixed on the priest, as if no one else was around. Out of jealousy, they too began to boldly gaze at the priestess’s alluring figure.

The singing seemed magical; the priest danced along, his long hair flowing down to his shoulders, eyes tightly shut, dreamlike and entranced, muttering incantations, occasionally howling to the sky, sweat slowly soaking his body, as if covered in glaze, shining brilliantly. He suddenly paused, as if awakening from a dream, opened his eyes, looked around at everyone, and shed a line of tears: “We have abandoned the god Baal for too many years, we have neglected the goddess Asloth for too many years.” Yet they did not abandon us, and every year they bestowed a bountiful harvest upon us. Today, we have finally come here to pray once again to the couple Baal and Asrod, whom our ancestors worshipped for thousands of years. It is regrettable that we no longer have temples, but in such distress, they may soon become angry with us. Let us repent, show our initial enthusiasm, and please them with the most sincere sacrifices. ”

While the Israelites were feeling guilty and self-reproachful after hearing the priest’s words, the Canaanite men and women around them had already stood up simultaneously. Their wives seemed to no longer recognize their husbands, but instead seemed possessed, grabbing another man and jumping around the priests. The campfire gradually dimmed because no one was tending to it. Out of the corner of the eye, only the genders of men and women could be seen. Everyone’s faces were hidden in the darkness, but their eyes shone like starlight. Their dance steps were perfectly synchronized, and the ground seemed to bounce. The Israeli men, who had been struggling to look around at their wives, were unknowingly grabbed by other Canaaite women and jumped into the dancing crowd.

The Israelites were left speechless by the shock. Although Israel’s festivals were grand, they were very solemn. Aaron’s descendants served as priests, presiding over holy rituals that involved slaughtering cattle and sheep as sacrifices, leading the congregation in prayer and praise, reading the Mosaic law, reminding the people to keep the Sinai covenant, and warning the congregation not to kneel and worship other gods. Now, although these Canaaite people were kneeling to worship false gods, their rituals were truly captivating. O Lord God, do not send down fire from heaven, do not tear the earth apart.

The starry sky in the sky remained dazzling, while the bonfires on the ground were gradually going out. People no longer needed firelight, their dance steps no longer orderly. The group of men and women in the innermost circle had already sat together, forming a circle, spreading the garments they had taken off on the ground. Inside the circle, the male and female priests lay on top of their clothes. In the hazy night, they merged into a writhing black shadow. The Israelites finally understood what had happened; the sounds made their hearts leap out of their chests. Suddenly, they thought of their wives and instinctively wanted to cry out, but the night seemed to swallow their voices. Perhaps, before they could speak, another young and beautiful woman had already covered their helpless mouths with full lips.

The angel of the Lord came from Gilgal to Pokin and said to the people, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you to the land I swore to your ancestors.” I have said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.’ Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land or tear down their altars. ‘ You have not listened to my words. Why are you doing this! Therefore I said, ‘I will not drive them out from your presence.’ They will be thorns under your ribs, and their gods will become your snare. ’”

The LORD’s anger was directed at Israel, allowing them to indulge their desires and raising enemies around them, handing them over to their enemies so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord attacked them with disaster, just as the Lord warned them. They are extremely struggling. Just one generation later, the Israelites were swept into an uncontrollable whirlpool. What price must they continue to pay to awaken?