about this verse
"While Israel was staying at [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim, the people profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women, who invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. The people partook of them and worshiped that God. Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and the Lord was incensed with Israel" (Numbers 25:1-3)
What does it mean to partake? According to the dictionary it is "to have a share, or part. To take a portion.
Most of what I've read on this particular god (Baal and he was worshiped on Mt Peor) links him with uncovering oneself indecently and publicly pooping (to put it nicely) in front of the idol as part of the worship ceremony. :o The Hebrew meaning of the name Baal means master and husband.
While I know of no Christian church that partakes of worshipping other gods in this manner I'm wondering if there are other ways we may be partaking in things that initially were used as pagan worship. Things that we have come to accept as a "church" practice. Things that believers, disassociating themselves from Jewish practice (Jesus was Jewish and practiced it) have taken from pagan ceremonies and twisted them to come in line with Christian thought. Specifically, I'm thinking of two particular holidays. Easter and Christmas.
I'm not intending to bash anyone who celebrates these but why have we rejected God's feasts (Succot is the time of year He was born", and Passover was the last supper He ate with His disciples) for feasts that were initially pagan rituals and had nothing to do with the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. I'm wondering if partaking of celebrations originally aimed as worship of pagan gods is incensing HIM.
He says He's jealous. He says not to take things of the other lands and use them as worship of Him, yet that seems to be exactly what has been done. When Saul brought back some sheep from a land where God had instructed him to kill all, he tried to justify himself by saying he brought them as a sacrifice to God....but God was incensed.
It's just something I've been thinking of a lot lately.
"While Israel was staying at [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim, the people profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women, who invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. The people partook of them and worshiped that God. Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and the Lord was incensed with Israel" (Numbers 25:1-3)
What does it mean to partake? According to the dictionary it is "to have a share, or part. To take a portion.
Most of what I've read on this particular god (Baal and he was worshiped on Mt Peor) links him with uncovering oneself indecently and publicly pooping (to put it nicely) in front of the idol as part of the worship ceremony. :o The Hebrew meaning of the name Baal means master and husband.
While I know of no Christian church that partakes of worshipping other gods in this manner I'm wondering if there are other ways we may be partaking in things that initially were used as pagan worship. Things that we have come to accept as a "church" practice. Things that believers, disassociating themselves from Jewish practice (Jesus was Jewish and practiced it) have taken from pagan ceremonies and twisted them to come in line with Christian thought. Specifically, I'm thinking of two particular holidays. Easter and Christmas.
I'm not intending to bash anyone who celebrates these but why have we rejected God's feasts (Succot is the time of year He was born", and Passover was the last supper He ate with His disciples) for feasts that were initially pagan rituals and had nothing to do with the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. I'm wondering if partaking of celebrations originally aimed as worship of pagan gods is incensing HIM.
He says He's jealous. He says not to take things of the other lands and use them as worship of Him, yet that seems to be exactly what has been done.
When Saul brought back some sheep from a land where God had instructed him to kill all, he tried to justify himself by saying he brought them as a sacrifice to God....but God was incensed. It's just something I've been thinking of a lot lately.
