A while back God gave this to me to write. It is about Baal worship. For those of you who do not know Baal was an idol god that many of the nations in the Old Testament worshiped. God warned the Israelite's to not follow after other gods; he knew that if they did it would pull them away from Him. He knew the wickedness the people engaged in when worshipping other gods. But the people did not listen, just as many people today do not listen. They are following after other gods, but God is a jealous God and he will not give his glory to another. God warned the people against making idols to worship. The people worshipped idol gods of wood, stone and different metals. They held ceremonies and sacrificed to these gods that could not see, hear or speak. Many people today are still involved in this type of idolatry but worshipping of idols can also be any person, object or activity we give a higher priority to in our life than a relationship with God. An idol can be our home, our computer, or our job; it can be a vehicle, a relationship, or even our family. An idol can also be alcohol, drugs, and sex.
The people worshipped Baal as the sun, storm and fertility god. They offered sacrifices to him which sometimes involved human sacrifice, specifically CHILD SACRIFICE. It was a gruesome practice. “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind” Jeremiah 19:5. The Priests lit fires that heated the statue from its lower parts, and the idol would become hot until it was glowing, they would then place the children on the burning hot outstretched hands and watch them be burned alive. Doesn’t this sound terrible? As God spoke this to me he said this is exactly what many parents are engaged in today. Sacrificing their children to Satan and they don’t know it. God has given parents the responsibility for bringing our children up in the knowledge of him, we are to teach and train them concerning the things of God, not just take them to church. “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” Deuteronomy 11:17-18.
In the book of Ruth, there was a man named Elimelech who left the land God had given to his people because of a famine in the land and he went where he thought things were better. He took his family from the land of promise to a land of sin. He took his family, his wife and two sons from a land God had given to the Israelites to a land where people did not know the one true God. He did this because of the hardships he and his family were suffering. Elimelech was the head of the family, he was the provider and protector, but he chose the wrong direction. How often have we been in situations where we did the wrong thing, thinking that it would help our situation but it didn’t? Elimelech should have been protecting his family from the influences of the ungodly nations, but instead, he put them right in the path of people who did not know God. How often have we not protected our family from wicked influences? How often have we allowed our children to go into environments we knew were not good?
How are we sacrificing our children today? We allow them to watch anything on T.V., we allow them to listen to all kinds of music, we allow them to follow the present culture in behavior and dress, we allow them to play any type of video games, we allow them to do whatever they want on the computer, we allow them to tell us what they will and will not do, etc., etc., etc. I am not saying we are to put our feet on the necks of our children but scripture says to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We are to protect our children as much as possible from outside influences, but sadly many parents don’t see the need to do this. “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD” Leviticus 18:21.
We need to understand that the mind is the battleground and if Satan can get the minds of our children then he will influence their behavior as they grow into adulthood. We are in a spiritual battle, whether we know it or not. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” Ephesians 6:12. We are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds on a daily basis. We are to follow the commandments of God, this includes our children. Today our children are bombarded on a daily basis with all the ungodliness that is happening in our world today.
So how do we bring about a change in our children’s lives, do we immediately take everything from them? I would say no, but each person must decide for themselves. Remember I said everything, but there are some things we need to make an immediate change in. The scripture says in Luke 5:37-39, “And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.”
The bottom line, our children will rebel if they have become used to the old wine. But before we can begin to teach our children, we must first be partakers of this new wine because if we are not living a godly life how can we teach it to our children? As we partake of the spirit of God we teach the word to our children and they will begin to see the change in us. We pray for them and point out the things that are displeasing to God and let the spirit of God work in their lives. Let us not sacrifice our children. Be blessed. In Jesus name. Amen
Nadine Richmond
The Church Readiness Ministries
