The names of Baalim

When I was younger, the Old Testament was often described to me as scripture describing a mostly wrathful and vengeful God. It always seemed inconsistent that God would change from one part of the Bible to another. It wasn't until I was older that I learned something of where the Bible came from. This lead to a better understanding of how the agendas of others have sometimes modified the reality of an unchanging God's revelation to His people.

Fortunately, there remain significant portions of the Old Testament that are filled with truth that can be discerned with sincere reading. I've had the opportunity to teach the Old Testament twice, and each time I have found the same God revealing himself as in other recorded scriptures. I especially love reading "the Prophets" who spoke with such beautiful imagery. When reading prophets like Isaiah, Hosea, and Ezekial, persistent study pays of in discerning deep meanings in the metaphorical and poetic ways of expressions they use.

This has happened enough times that it gives me hope that much treasure lies within the wisdom of the Old Testament that is waiting to be discerned. One such discovery I made over 2 years ago while reading Hosea Chapter 2. I recently re-read this portion of scripture and felt that I needed to describe my reaction to it.

Hosea uses graphic imagery in Chapter 2 to describe Israel's past apostasy from the Lord, their eventual loss of His guidance and protection, and His final remembrance of them and their return to him in the last day to build Zion. It is a beautiful, poetic piece even as I read it through the translations. At times like this, I wish I could read and understand in the original Hebrew because I believe it would be even more meaningful and heart-wrenching.

Naturally, as I read Hosea 2, I consider my own apostasy from the Lord and my continual struggle to go "after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink." (vs. 5). It is easy to get distracted from the guidance of the Holy Ghost and turn earning a living for my family into pursuit of the pleasure, pride, and power of providing.

Hosea describes how the Lord will "destroy her vines and her fig trees" (vs. 12) and allow a lot of misery for Israel's repeated worship of false gods and their forgetting of the Lord. However, starting at verse 14, the "door of hope" is opened even in their "valley of trouble" (Achor in Hebrew means trouble and the word rather than the place name should probably have been used here -- even though Hosea might have intended the play on words).

And then the promise of redemption is given and verse 16 delivers what I consider to be one of the most beautiful passages of scripture with rich meaning and powerful imagery:

And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.

Both of the words Ishi and Baali can be translated from the Hebrew to refer to the male spouse. But, Ishi connotes the more intimate "my husband" while Baali connotes the more authoritarian, "my master". Here the Lord through His prophet Hosea is describing the sought for intimate relationship with us as covenant people even if we (perhaps unknowingly) seek for a less enobling master-servant relationship.

Reflecting on this passage and cross-referencing it with an understanding of how God wants to lift us to His presence to enjoy immortality and eternal life, I am awed again by the condescension of God. Perhaps more importantly, however, the next verse offers a hint as to how this intimate relationship may actually come about:

For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

If the interpretation of "Baalim" as "my master" is considered in this verse, then could it be that the "names of Baalim" are all the master-servant relationships we erect in our lives. Perhaps we mis-understand them as mirrors of a mis-guided relationship with God. If God Himself does not demand this kind of master-servant structure, why do we insist on these kinds of relationships with others?

Think about the authoritarian and coercive systems that have been established throughout history, including the ones that exist in our present day. Their root justification is to deliver to us "civilization", or secular Zion, in one way or another.

It is interesting to me that these verses are given at the beginning of the section of Chapter 2 that promises the gathering of Israel and true establishment of Zion. It is as if we are being told that when we truly find God and understand how he views us, we will be filled with love and affection for Him. This affection will spill out so that we value all of His children and wish to elimimate any "master-servant" relationships that we may have mistakenly created or supported in our previous "Baal worship".

Only after we have correctly identified these "names of Baalim" and then allowed the Lord to supplant them in our hearts with more correct "Ishi-sytle" relationships, will we be able to enjoy the establishment of Zion.

Once we get our minds correctly aligned to worship the true God as manifest by the relationships we establish with others, Zion can emerge. The resulting promises are wonderful:

• Verse 18 talks about violence and conflict coming to an end.
• Verse 19 promises justice, and kindness, and tender mercies.
• Verses 20 and 21 talk about more direct interaction with the voice of God.
• Verse 22 talks about prosperity in the scarce resources of the earth and having our physical needs met.
  
• Verse 22 discusses the entire earth being brought into the fold of God.

I've pondered on this passage several times now over the past several years. Each time, "I stand all amazed at the Love Jesus offers me" and by extension offers the entire world. Truly He provides the light of understanding as we keep our eye "single to the Glory of God"