07/14/2026 – Day 299 – “Baal Zevuv”/ “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle – is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.” 1 John 2: 15-17
“Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21 (last verse in book of 1 John)
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“He led me inside a cave about halfway up the side of a relatively small mountain. Inside the cave was a chamber that appeared to be a storage place for varied archaeological artifacts. He bent down, picked up of the objects, and carried it to the cave’s entrance where we examined it in the light. It was a strange metal figurine, a man wearing a long conical hat with his right arm raised as if to throw something.
“This is Baal.” he said, “an idol of Baal.”
“They sacrificed their children for that…” I said.
“Baal was Israel’s substitute god, their anti-god, the god of their turning away from God. For whenever they turned away, Baal was always there to meet them and fill in the gap. So Baal was the god of whatever it was they chose in place of God. And thus he appeared to them in many different forms and with many different names. Baal was the god of apostasy. To him they sacrificed their children, and because of him, in the end, they would be destroyed. One of the names by which he was known was Baal Zevuv.”
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“Zevuv means flies,” said the teacher. “So Baal Zevuv means Lord of the Flies. Baal Zevuv was later translated into Greek and became a name you might be more familiar with.”
“What name?”
“Beelzebub.”
“Beelzebub? Isn’t that the name of the devil?”
“It is.”
“Baal is the devil?”
“The devil has many masks. Baal is one of them. Baal is the substitute god, and the devil is Baal. So if one turns from God, the devil is always there to fill the gap. He’s the god of one’s turning away from God. Whatever one would choose in place of God, that’s the form in which he will appear. That’s why when a nation turns away from God, it moves not to neutral — but to the satanic. The Baal of Russia was communism. The Baal of Germany was Nazism. The manifestations were different, but the end was the same. The enemy destroys those who worship him. So it is with all who worship Baal. So beware of idols. Beware of serving other gods, even the gods of your desires. Guard your heart, that God be your only God. For in the end, every other is Baal Zevuv. And Baal Zevuv is Beelzebub.” “
The Mission: Is there anything you’re living for serving, putting first, above God? See it for what it is — Baal Zevuv. Free from it today like the devil.
1 Kings 18:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; James 4:7; 1 John 2: 15-17; 5:21
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Soli Deo Gloria!
Elijah at Mount Carmel
“Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him, But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.” 1 Kings 18:21
“Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7