“Israel stayed at Sheetim, and there the people began whoring with the women of Moav. These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, where the people ate and bowed down to their gods. With Israel thus joined to Ba‘al-P‘or, the anger of Adonai blazed up against Israel.”-Numbers 25:1-3
Right off the bat from verse one, we’re told the people of Israel began whoring with the women of Moab.
This means it’s highly likely the Israelites were located at the same encampment of the three hilltops that Balak escorted Balaam to in order to get him to curse Israel.
Specifically, we’re told the Israelites were located in an area called SHITTIM which would literally translate to “Acacia tree“.
Now of course the Israelites had no idea that King Balak was working behind the scenes to get Israel cursed.
However, after he failed to curse Israel due to the Lord’s protective intervention, there is a tradition that tells us Balaam suggested an alternative means to defeat Israel since they weren’t able to curse them.
What was this alternative means?
Apparently, Balaam suggested to King Balak to send the people of Moab, especially the hot women, to the Israelites with the ultimate goal of getting them to worship their pagan gods and thus achieve the ultimate objective of weakening their allegiance to HASHEM.
Well, everything seemed to go according to plan.
Sure enough, the Israelite men were seduced by the sexy allure of the Moabites and then we’re told in verse 2 that they ate and bowed down to the pagan gods of the Moabites.
What exactly was going on here?
Well, what they were doing was holding a festival to BAAL here.
However, during this era in the Trans-Jordan region, BAAL was called CHEMOSH.
Now exactly what kind of shenanigans we on at these heathen festivals?
I can give the answer in two words: RELIGIOUS PROSTITUTION.
Although it’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this, the simple truth is that religious prostitution was VERY COMMON and central to the worship among the mystery religions of the time.
This CHEMOSH or BA’AL OF PEOR as he is referred to here was just one of the many fertility gods who the people worshipped via sacred sex acts.
And by the way, the pagan god of ISHTAR, which is “Easter” in Anglo-Saxon, was also another one of these fertility gods.
This was full-blown idolatry folks which is actually the true Biblical meaning of fornication.
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