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YHWH vs. the gods

S

Sissy

Guest
There are several stories in scripture that tell of YHWH exhibiting His superiority over other gods.
Thought it might be informative for us to list them.
I'll start with one of my favorite stories.
Add any others you like.


YHWH vs. Dagon

YHWH is a bit upset with the two priestly sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas.

A first round of battle with the Philistines takes place and Israel gets their butts kicked.
So Hophni and Phinehas bring the Ark of the Covenant out to the battle camp.
Israel gets their butts kicked again and the Philistines take the Ark from them, leaving Hophni and Phinehas dead.
1 Samuel 4 ESV​
(11) And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.​



"Na na na na na! We are victorious because our god is greater!"

The Philistines take the Ark back to Ashdod (a city near the Mediterranean Sea) and place the Ark inside the house/temple where their god Dagon is.

1627726638704.png
DAGON​




The next morning they find Dagon fallen over flat on his face in front of the Ark.

"Ahhhh, no biggie. Probably just a freak accident. Just prop Dagon back up and all will be just fine."

So they prop him back up.

Morning comes again, and Dagon has once again fallen in front of the Ark.
But this time it was clearly no accident because while the stump of his body was laying in front of the Ark, his head and hands had been broken off and were laying over on the threshold of the temple.
1 Samuel 5 ESV​
(4) But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.​



(5) This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.​


hehe! Verse 5 could be a funny skit.
Two Philistines taking a walk and get close to the threshold of the temple.
"Ooooooo, hold on" (as they stop and then sidestep around that area!


But it ain't over yet ......

Deciding to get the Ark away from the temple of Dagon they take it to another Philistine city, Gath.
Things don't go well there either.
1 Samuel 5 ESV​
(9) But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.​


So they send the Ark to yet another Philistine city, Ekron.
And again things don't go well.

So they gather the priests and the diviners to ask what they must do.
"Place it on a cart along with a guilt offering of tumors and mice made of gold and tie two wild milk cows (two that have never been yoked) to the cart and send it on it's way. If it returns to the Israelites then we will know these curses came upon us from their god. But if they go another way then we will know it was all just a coincidence."

So they pack the Ark on the cow pulled cart along with a box of golden tumors and mice and they follow some distance behind to watch where it goes.
The cows make a bee-line to the Israelites, never turning to the right or left along the way, and bellowing "mooooo" the whole way.
1 Samuel 6 ESV​
(12) And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.​


Well, Philistines, now you know.
 
I got one....

Your episode could be called The (Philistine) Empire Strikes Back!

In this part of the anthology though we rewind the clock to see what led up to that moment above. The Israelites and Philistines were terrible neighbors. Hatfields and McCoy’s. Always at each other and more often than not the Philistines and their Dagon god seemed to get the upper hand on Yahweh and the Israelites.

But then (Judges 13) a savior was born. A champion named Samson and folks are familiar with all his exploits. Sure, he liked hookers, but he was a savior nonetheless all culminating one day in the temple of Dagon where he brought down the house and killed more Philistines in that one final sacrifice of his life than he did all his prior living days.

But... Dagon and the Philistines ruled over Yahweh and the Israelites 40 years prior to the capture of the ark.

And leading up to that fateful day there was another miraculous birth. Yahweh came to the boy Samuel and spoke to him.

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Offensive to many I’m sure but it’s hard to ignore unless you you really refuse to look at it, among other examples.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 
Sissy said:
There are several stories in scripture that tell of YHWH exhibiting His superiority over other gods.
Thought it might be informative for us to list them.
I'll start with one of my favorite stories.
Add any others you like.


YHWH vs. Dagon

YHWH is a bit upset with the two priestly sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas.

A first round of battle with the Philistines takes place and Israel gets their butts kicked.
So Hophni and Phinehas bring the Ark of the Covenant out to the battle camp.
Israel gets their butts kicked again and the Philistines take the Ark from them, leaving Hophni and Phinehas dead.
1 Samuel 4 ESV​
(11) And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.​



"Na na na na na! We are victorious because our god is greater!"

The Philistines take the Ark back to Ashdod (a city near the Mediterranean Sea) and place the Ark inside the house/temple where their god Dagon is.





The next morning they find Dagon fallen over flat on his face in front of the Ark.

"Ahhhh, no biggie. Probably just a freak accident. Just prop Dagon back up and all will be just fine."

So they prop him back up.

Morning comes again, and Dagon has once again fallen in front of the Ark.
But this time it was clearly no accident because while the stump of his body was laying in front of the Ark, his head and hands had been broken off and were laying over on the threshold of the temple.
1 Samuel 5 ESV​
(4) But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.​



(5) This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.​


hehe! Verse 5 could be a funny skit.
Two Philistines taking a walk and get close to the threshold of the temple.
"Ooooooo, hold on" (as they stop and then sidestep around that area!


But it ain't over yet ......

Deciding to get the Ark away from the temple of Dagon they take it to another Philistine city, Gath.
Things don't go well there either.
1 Samuel 5 ESV​
(9) But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.​


So they send the Ark to yet another Philistine city, Ekron.
And again things don't go well.

So they gather the priests and the diviners to ask what they must do.
"Place it on a cart along with a guilt offering of tumors and mice made of gold and tie two wild milk cows (two that have never been yoked) to the cart and send it on it's way. If it returns to the Israelites then we will know these curses came upon us from their god. But if they go another way then we will know it was all just a coincidence."

So they pack the Ark on the cow pulled cart along with a box of golden tumors and mice and they follow some distance behind to watch where it goes.
The cows make a bee-line to the Israelites, never turning to the right or left along the way, and bellowing "mooooo" the whole way.
1 Samuel 6 ESV​
(12) And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.​


Well, Philistines, now you know.
Click to expand...
@Sissy I love this story. It is fascinating and shows another example of God's power. Two unmilked cows? Tumors and mice? My mom just finished the OT again, starting on the NT Monday, but she didn't recall the story until I described it again. Thank you for this and I wonder about any other "gods" in the Bible.
 

God or Baal on Mount Carmel​

1 Kings 18:19-40..(KJV)

Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

**********

Rem, what angered GOD was the people placing Babies in a metal statue of their GoD Baal and burning/roasting them alive.



Enjoy

Blade
 
YHWH vs. Baal


King Ahab, the wicked king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, was all into the worship of Baal.
There were many prophets of Baal in the Kingdom, but there was only 1 prophet of YHWH, Elijah.

1 Kings 18 ESV​
(22) Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.​



So the prophet of YHWH, Elijah, speaks to the people and tells them to stop following Baal and only follow YHWH who is superior.

He challenges the prophets of Baal to a standoff to prove which god was superior.
They confidently accepted the challenge.

THE CHALLENGE
Two bulls.
One slain and placed upon firewood atop an altar of stones for Baal, and one on an altar for YHWH.
The Baal prophets would call on Baal and the YHWH prophet would call on YHWH, and whichever one answered with fire to consume the offering upon their altar would be the winner.


"Go ahead and go first", Elijah told the Baal prophets.

(keys up the theme to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly)

From morning till high noon they called upon Baal.
They called and called and called.
Not a peep.

"Maybe he's asleep or reliving himself. You should call louder", Elijah told them.

So they kept calling even louder until the evening.
(crickets)

"Now stand back and let me show you who's in charge here", Elijah said.

But first Elijah tells some people to dig a trench around the altar and drench the bull and the firewood with lots of water.
They did so.

"Now do it again", Elijah told them.

So they poured even more water on it all.

"Now do it a third time."

So they poured so much water that not only did it soak the bull and the wood but also completely filled the trench.

"OK, YHWH, show them who's boss."

The fire of YHWH fell on the offering.
Not only did it completely consume the bull (and the dust from it), but also completely consumed the wood (and the dust from it), and completely consumed the rocks (and the dust from it), and completely consumed all the water in the trench.


o_O was the people's response.
"Holy moly, YHWH really is the superior god!"

Elijah points to the prophets of Baal and tells the people, "Now lets kill those idiots".
And the prophets of Baal were slaughtered.

Things just don't end well for prophets of other gods.
 
Yeah, I see that....I was going to post the Ten Judgments that Moses brought to the Pharoh from GOD but it is a little long.

Blessing my sister


Blade
 
Mr E said:
God. -And King above all gods. That says it all.
Click to expand...
Isa 44:6..(KJV).."Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
 
If Yahweh is “the superior God” then it cannot be true that Yahweh is an idol.

An idol isn’t the only true God. Yahweh is.
 
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