Idol worship!

One may wonder what did God have against the Canaanites that he ordered Joshua to eradicate them from the face of the earth. When we investigate the practices in Canaanite cities of that time in archaeological digs it becomes obvious.

The principle idol or God of the Canaanites was Baal. The feminine version was Ashtoreth. The Babylonian name for Ashtoreth was Ishtar and the Greek was Astarte. You would read about the poles in the “high Places” which was the Ashtoreth poles which simply symbolized the male sexual organ. 

The temples were simply places where orgies took place and the male priests were called Sodomites (where the word sodomy originates) and the female Priestesses were simply temple prostitutes.

Interesting note is that archaeological digs shows that more than simply elaborate orgies took place. 

Excavations at Gezer show that in 1500BC there was an enclosure of 150 ft by 120 ft where the ceremonies took place with a number of pillars before which sacrifices were made. What were the sacrifices? Well they were found in stone jars under the debris which contained the remains of babies sacrificed to the god Baal.  They also found what was known as Foundation scarifies in buildings in Gezer and many other Canaanite cities, This was where a child of the family was built into the wall of the house sacrificed for the good of the rest of the family.  The pillars at the temples were to hold the child as they would dance and eventually kill the child to be taken to the building site and dismembered as they built it into the wall.

At these sites they also found idols with hugely exaggerated sexual organs designed to stimulate sexual practices in the temple area. The “prophets” of Baal and Ashtoreth were the official murderers of the children and babies.  This would explain why the Prophet Elijah was so set against the priests of Baal and exterminated them as did Jehu.

Many Israelites also worshipped these false gods including Solomon who we are told worshipped the Goddess Ashtoreth (1 Kings 11:5, 33).

Why am I talking about ancient Gods who no longer exist and what is the relevance to us today? These Gods have passed away or have they? We may not worship Baal or Ashtoreth by attending a temple and practicing massive orgies but, whenever we access the internet and wander to the pornography sites who are we worshipping?

My prayer is that you will join Joshua and eradicate these practices so that you too could be blessed and victorious.