How Did the Christian World Compromise with Paganism Part 1 Background?
The why and the how of pagan intrusion are all bound up together. Therefore before we cover the intrusion of paganism one should look at God's perspective on paganism. Why does God hate pagan traditions? If we understand God's perspective, we will see the truth objectively. GOD MADE IT DRAMATICALLY CLEAR what He thought of paganism.
Deuteronomy 12:30-32 NKJV 30 "take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them,... and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do...' 31 "You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
God says to His people that the cute traditions are a trap -along with these attractive traditions come evils. These evils will ensnare you. Do not think that you are strong enough to avoid the poison pill inside otherwise fun pagan customs? Do not add any of these traditions to your worship.
32 "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
God says be careful -their customs are dangerous. Do not add them to your customs and worship-period! They hurt society. They kill children as human sacrifices and many kids are also sold into a life of prostitution slavery at the pagan temples. Pagan religions have no morality just superstitious fear. Most of all, it drives peoples hearts away from the true God. What kind of influences are found in pagan temples?
1 Corinthians 10:20-22 NKJV 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
God is jealous for His people because He loves us. Demonic influence will be detrimental to any society and God knows it, even when people cannot or do not want to perceive it.
TESTING AND PROGRESSIVE REVELATIONS
God gives a very meaningful warning to His people regarding new revelations and prophets.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 NKJV 1 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, …
A Bible novice might say this is a man we should follow. However God qualifies that statement, note the qualifier:
of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods' -which you have not known-'and let us serve them,' 3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
A progressive revelation approach can be used to state that newer revelations should cancel older revelations from God. This cannot be true. Truth is truth. If Moses gave a true law or principle it cannot be contradicted. If it was true in the past it is true now. New truth must fit with the older doctrines. Newer truth can expand our understanding but never contradict the old. Clearly new doctrines which lead us away from the true God toward other deities are wrong! God will test believers. God even tested Abraham see Genesis 22.
HOW DID ISRAEL FAIL A CRUCIAL TEST ?
Jeroboam failed a crucial test. He and his advisors believed that if people of the northern ten tribes were allowed to continue in the pure worship of Jehovah Israel might reunite. Fear of them going back to the Davidic dynasty would threaten his power.
1 Kings 12:27-28 NKJV 27 "If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah."
Jeroboam should have had faith in God who gave him the ten tribe throne that if He remained faithful, He and his dynasty would last. But he had no such faith and failed this test.
28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"
Jeroboam put forward a counterfeit religion for worldly political reasons. He said it was his new gods that were the real saving Gods of Israel but used pagan, and or made up holy days.
1 Kings 12:30-32 MKJV 30 And this thing became a sin, for the people...31 And he made a house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not the sons of Levi.
Note that He removed the teachers that knew the Bible, therefore truth would be easy to trample while pushing a counterfeit worship.
32 And Jeroboam ordered a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah. ...And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
Jeroboam created without God, his own holy days. These counterfeit days and system made it nearly impossible for the northern ten tribes to ever comeback to the true God, and they never did return. God removed his protection and they fell.
2 Kings 17:7-9 MKJV 7 And it happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, ...and had feared other gods, 8 and walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD cast out...and of the kings of Israel, which the nations had made. 9 And the sons of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God. And they built high places …
A counterfeit has to start secretly in altering of Holy Days. Jeroboam and advisers did not want the people to know why they altered God's religion. They did it for worldly political power. They all failed the test. All of us must fear altering God's true worship, we must have faith that God is always right. It is not always easy to understand all decisions from the ancient past but remember God cannot ever be wrong.
1Ki 14:16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.... 1Ki 15:30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
Further the counterfeit religion became a gateway to pure paganism.
1Ki 16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel ….and went and served Baal,...
We must strive to love God with all our hearts and avoid worldly short term gains. Instead we must accept God's system for long term eternal rewards from God. Jude warns New Covenant believers near end of the first century of similar secret plots.
Jude 1:3-4 MKJV 3...all haste to write to you about the common salvation, beloved, I had need to write to you to exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered...4 For certain men crept in secretly, .., ungodly ones perverting the grace of our God for unbridled lust, and denying the only Master, God, even our Lord Jesus Christ.
