Provoking God

　

"He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord,… to anger than all…who were before him." (1 Kings 16:32, 33).

Baal worship was no innocent religion, no misguided belief, no slight error which some may think God overreacted to. It was first of all a stench to God because of the false gods it worshipped. It was also infuriating because of what the worshippers did.

Baal worship celebrated how Baal, "rider of the clouds," was supreme god over the rain and storms. When the earth was dry, it was because Mot, the god of sterility and death had slain Baal. Baal was then rescued by his sister Asherah, the goddess of love and war.

The sexual union between the gods was celebrated by the gross immorality of the worshippers with temple prostitutes of both sexes. These acts promised fertility for agriculture, beasts, and humans. One of Baal’s rites was the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings (Jer. 19:5).

We may think that God holds no anger for us. Perhaps we comfort ourselves with the thought that we today do not believe such idle tales as Baal, Mot, and Asherah. But does this truly change how God views us? We do not need gods today to justify our sexual conduct outside of marriage. We do not burn children with fire, but abortion kills them just as finally as if there was some vile god to serve.

God is never provoked without reason. Let us not forget that. If He did not overlook Ahab, He will not disregard us.