In the last post, I described a vision God showed me of the LA Basin being filled with His liquid glory. As my heart was overwhelmed with this beautiful imagery, my spirit heard the Father’s admonishment: “Don’t let any flies in the bowl.”
As recorded in Matthew 12:24, the Pharisees (who represent a spirit of religion) accuse Jesus of getting His power from Beelzebul. Some translations describe this Beelzebul as “Satan, the prince of demons.” The name “Beelzebul,” however, literally means “lord of flies” or “fly-god.” It comes from the Hebrew for Baal, which is the false god—and idol—that plagued the Israelites for centuries throughout the Old Testament. Let’s have a look…
THE IDOL
The first mention of God’s people being yoked to Baal is found in Numbers 25. Moses has lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and now they are en route to the Promise Land. They should have been there by now except that their disobedience has sent them on a 40-year detour. During this time of wandering in the wilderness, some Israelite men “began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them” (Numbers 25:2-3, NIV).
Thousands of years later, when writing to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul cites this story while pleading with the people to “flee from the worship of idols” (1 Corinthians 10:14, NLT). And remember, an idol is anything that takes God’s place in your heart. See 1 John 5 and this previous post.
But back to Baal… Israel (a people and a place) yoked itself to Baal of Peor. What is Peor? Geographically, it is a mountain in Moab, a high place, that overlooked the desert. In Hebrew, the word means actually means “to open wide the mouth”! And what comes from our mouth—OUR SOUND! That’s ultimately what the enemy is after and he’ll get it however he can. How did they yoke themselves to Baal? With a sacrificial meal and by bowing down. And what is that a picture of—HOLY COMMUNION AND WORSHIP. The enemy always has a cheap counterfeit.
PHINEHAS, THE PRIEST
When the Israelites sinned with Baal, the wrong had to be righted. Phinehas, a PRIEST and grandson of high priest Aaron, saw an Israelite man going into sleep with a Midianite woman. Phinehas rose up, took a spear, and drove it through the man and into the stomach of the woman. Graphic, I know. But it illustrates how Baal and idolatry must be dealt with IN THE SPIRIT.
Because of the godly zeal of Phinehas, the Lord’s anger turned away from the people and He said that Phinehas “and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites” (Numbers 25:13, NIV). This a prophetic picture of how we now have a lasting priesthood because of the new blood covenant made by our High Priest Jesus through His atoning sacrifice.
While we may not talk about “Baal” much in our modern day context, the demonic strongman of Baal is still in operation today. As a spirit that is high up in the demonic hierarchy, when Baal is left unchecked, it can rule over large regions and keep people locked up in spiritual darkness, deception, and depravity. It also coordinates the workings of other sprits like Jezebel, idolatry, and witchcraft. It even has multiple names in an attempt to mimic the many names of the Lord. That is why we must rise up as the royal priesthood, like the priest Phinehas, and take a zealous stand in the spirit. Dutch Sheets has a powerful and profound revelation on how Baal has had a grip on the United States of America and how we are getting free. For more on that, check out his message here.
But now, here is what I feel God showing me on the subject:
GIDEON, THE WARRIOR
Even though Phinehas did the right thing, the story between Israel and Baal had just begun. Following the incident in Numbers, we next hear of Baal in Judges as the people start worshiping idols again. The Israelites are in deep trouble because of the Philistines. So God finds a guy named Gideon who is currently hiding in a cave. After a little convincing, Gideon heads out on his first mission from the Lord.
Judges 6:25-26 NLT
That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”
Gideon, that insecure and intimidated guy, rises up, pulls down Baal, and builds and altar to the Lord. Then he gets the name Jerubbaal, which can be translated, “Baal-Fighter”! I love that! In the next chapter it says, “Now, the Baal-Fighter (that is, Gideon) and his men rose early” (Judges 7:1, TPT). Oh, we need some Baal-Fighters to rise up in our day! They might be, like Gideon, from unlikely places, but they are powerful in the Spirit! They are the ones who tear down Baal and BUILD UP ALTARS!
ELIJAH, THE PROPHET
If we continue with Israel’s story, we will eventually come to perhaps the most famous encounter with Baal: the showdown on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the prophets of Baal as recorded in 1 Kings 18. At this time, King Ahab of Israel had married Jezebel and followed her in worshiping her god, which was, you guessed it—Baal.
If you dig further into the root word “baal,” it literally means “to marry, to rule over.” It’s the enemy’s counterfeit to Jesus being our Bridegroom and us being His bride! It’s all about COVENANT. A blood covenant. And where are covenants made? At the ALTAR.
The marriage of Ahab and Jezebel resulted in heartbreaking spiritual implications for the entire nation of Israel. The people once again turned away from the Lord by worshiping idols (which included blood sacrifices), and thus came into covenant with Baal… allowing darkness to rule.
That’s why the Bible constantly compares Israel’s idolatry to prostitution and calls her an unfaithful wife (Ezekiel 16). She was to be married to the Lord and faithful to her covenant with Him. Just like us! But the agenda of Baal is to get us to turn away from God’s covenant and enter into union with the enemy. Idolatry is spiritual adultery.
Psalms 106:28-31, 34-39 NLT
Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor; they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead! They angered the Lord with all these things, so a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas had the courage to intervene, and the plague was stopped. So he has been regarded as a righteous man ever since that time. Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land, as the Lord had commanded them. Instead, they mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs. They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters. By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan, they polluted the land with murder. They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight.
Hosea 9:10 AMP
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness [an unexpected and refreshing delight]; I saw your fathers (ancestors) as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree in its first season, But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to shamefulness [the worship of Baal], And [because of their spiritual and physical adultery] they became as detestable and loathsome as the thing they loved.
How tragic. How eerily similar to our world today. But the story isn’t over.
In 1 Kings 18, Israel had been in a drought for three years. Enter Elijah, a prophet of the Lord and another Baal-Fighter. God sent Elijah to confront Ahab, Jezebel, and ultimately, Baal. And so we come to Mount Carmel. It’s Elijah vs. 450 prophets of Baal and an entire nation in drought—physically and spiritually. These prophets ate at Jezebel’s table, illustrating how Jezebel serves and feeds her lord and god, Baal. It looks like the odds are stacked high against Elijah. But here’s the best part: it’s JUST A FLY.
Now, I am fully aware that this demonic stronghold is just that—strong. I never want to make light of or water-down the reality of what has and continues to occur because of the influence of Baal over people and places. It’s horrific. As people like Dutch Sheets and Lou Engle (some incredible generals of the faith) have shown us, it takes much spiritual warfare over a period of time to see breakthrough. In fact, Jesus Himself told us that Satan has power. But it’s no comparison to the power (and authority!) we have in Him and He Himself has! Jesus has ALL POWER AND ALL AUTHORITY. And we fight from that victory! Each generation is to do their part in bringing Heaven to earth until Jesus comes back.
So…
- It’s time to get the flies out of the bowl.
- It’s time to SWAT THEM DOWN in the spirit.
- Just like Phinehas.
- Just like Gideon.
- We are the Baal-Fighters.
Now let’s look at how Elijah did it.
In 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah stands on Mount Carmel in front of the Israelites and tells them to choose their god — Baal or the Lord! Then he addresses the prophets of Baal, challenging them to a contest. Both the prophets of Baal and Elijah would get a bull to sacrifice an opportunity to call on their god. Whichever god answered with fire, would be recognized as the one true God!
The prophets of Baal went first. They started their ritual, which included cutting themselves until the blood flowed… an inferior blood covenant with darkness. Hours passed and “there was no sound, no reply, no response” (1 Kings 18:29, NLT). Then it was Elijah’s turn. Before anything else, Elijah first repaired the ALTAR of the Lord. He then sacrificed a bull, poured out water (in a drought!), and prayed for fire to fall… and it did! The Lord answered! Elijah then killed the 450 prophets of Baal, further displaying the supernatural power of God. But here’s the point: It all started at an ALTAR.
THE ALTAR
The greatest flyswatter you have is the altar you build.
No longer do we have to live as a spiritual prostitute. We can be married to Jesus! We are His Bride. We get married at the altar. That’s where covenant is made. We sacrifice on the altar. That’s where we lay down our life for His. And while we no longer sacrifice animals, we do take communion—to remember and announce His great sacrifice! The body and blood our perfect sacrificial Lamb! His blood that speaks a better word! But we must repair and rebuild His altar!
The first mention of an altar in Scripture is when God gave the covenant (Law) to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Exodus 20:24-25 NLT
Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you. If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use.
The Scripture says, “build me an altar made of earth.” The word “earth” in Hebrew comes from the same Hebrew word used in Genesis when God forms man out of the dust of the ground. It’s also where the name “Adam” comes from. And so, when God says, build me an altar made of earth, it’s almost as if He’s saying, build me an altar made of YOU! Because, the altar is not just a place. It’s more than that! The altar is not just a place… it’s a posture of our hearts.
Whenever we use our free will to do His will, we build an altar. Whenever and wherever we create space for Him, we build an altar. Whenever we release our sound and worship Him in spirit and truth, we build an altar. Wherever we take communion and commune with Him, we build an altar. This is how Baal is dismantled and destroyed. It’s starts with pure hearts that have become altars where the fire of the Holy Spirit falls. You want revival fire? Build an altar, starting with laying down your life for Him as a living sacrifice.
People and places are delivered at the altar!
JEHU, THE KING
Even though Elijah had a great victory in 1 Kings, there was still more to be done. Soon another man, Jehu, came to finish the job. Queen Jezebel was still around, but her days were numbered.
2 Kings 9:22 NLT
King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?”
In a couple of epic chapters, Jehu first deals with Jezebel as he orders her to be thrown out of an upstairs window. Her life ends in a bloody death and Jehu doesn’t stop until the temple of Baal is torn down and turned into a toilet! “In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel” (2 Kings 10:27-28, NLT). What a victory!
Sadly, nonetheless, the saga would continue and Baal would return to Israel through the idolatry and adultery of later generations. But the truth remains. Baal is no match for our God! And there are still Baal-Fighters in the land!
US, THE BAAL-FIGHTERS
Isaiah 46:1, 13 NLT
Bel [Baal] and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight. 13 For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel.
What a promise! The Lord is ready to set things right, here and now! His mercy triumphs over judgment. He’s just looking for someone to build an altar. Someone to be a living sacrifice. Someone to be in communion with Him as His Bride. Someone who lives from the New Covenant. Someone who echos the better word His blood is speaking!
We all are building something — idols or altars — places of worship. What are you building in your heart? What are you building through your life?
It’s time to tear down the idols of Baal and build altars to the LORD! It’s time for His revival fire to fall! It’s time to take communion and plead the blood, announcing our land is in covenant with God!
No more flies in the bowl!
Fill us with your glory, Lord!