Who is Baal?

In the Bible, Israel keeps running away from God and turning to worship Baal instead.  They would sacrifice to Baal so that Baal would not bring earthquakes, droughts and other means  of destruction upon them.  They feared Baal so much that they even sacrificed their Children to him.

Baal had many names and one of them was Baal Zevuv.  The name Baal means "Lord" and Zevuv means "Flies".  So Baal Zevuv is "Lord of the Flies".  The Greek translation of the name is the more well known name for Baal Zevuv.  Beelzebub!

Beelzebub is a name for Satan himself. The leaders of the law, in Mark 3:2, accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.  The Devil has many mask and Baal is just one of them.

The Baal of Germany was Nazism.  The Baal of Russia was communism.  Both Nazism and Communism killed millions of people as a sacrifice to their God, the government.  Baal can be a government, but it can be anything which we put before God.

Who is your Baal?  Baal Money?  Baal Job?  Baal Fashion?  Baal Popularity? Anything outside of Jesus Christ which you are putting first in your service to God is your Baal.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  James 4:7