"Look Out That No One Takes You Captive"! - THREE TACTICS SATAN USED TO TAKE THE ISRAELITES CAPTIVE

 The first tactic Satan used was that of appealing to a normal desire to see the land watered by rain. There was very little rain in the Promised Land from late April through September each year.  Life and prosperity depended on the rain that usually started around October.  Satan deceived the Israelites into believing that to prosper, they had to adopt the practices of their pagan neighbors. Those neighbors believe that certain rituals were needed to get their gods to act and bring the needed rain. Those who  lacked faith in Jehovah believed that this was the only way to avoid a prolonged drought, so they performed pagan rituals in honor of the false god Baal.

Satan used a second tactic on the Israelites. He appealed to immoral desires.  The pagan nations worshipped their gods by engaging in immoral acts.  This perverted form of worship included both female and male temple prostitution.  Homosexuality and other forms of sexual immorality not only were tolerated but became normal!  (Deuteronomy 23:17, 18; 1 Kings 14:24)  The pagans believed that these rituals encouraged their gods to make the land fertile.  Many Israelites were attracted by the pagan's sexually immoral rituals and allowed themselves to be lured into serving false gods.  In reality, they were taken captive by Satan.

Satan used a third tactic.  He blurred the Israelites view of Jehovah.  In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, Jehovah declared that the false prophets made His people forget his name "because of Baal." (Jeremiah 23:27)  God's people apparently stopped using Jehovah's name and substituted with the name Baal, which means "Owner" or "Master."  This act would blur the line between Jehovah and Baal in the minds of the Israelites, making it easier for them to combine the rituals of Baal worship with worship of Jehovah. -Read HOSEA 2:16, 17. 

Next time: "Look Out That No One Takes You Captive"! - SATAN'S TACTICS TODAY

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