Today’s Scripture Reading (October
28, 2015): Deuteronomy 11
Hadad was
the storm God in Canaan. The story of Hadad is fragmentary, but the story that
we can discern is that Hadad was a God in conflict with the rest of gods of the
early pantheon. But one of Hadad’s primary enemies was Mot, the son of El and
the god of the underworld. (Maybe of some significance is that El is one of the
names that descendants of Abraham had for Yahweh, the God of Israel.) The war
between Mot, the son of El, and Hadad doesn’t end until Mot learns that El has
decided to side with Hadad. At this point Hadad the storm God, who is often
referred to by the name Ba’al, becomes known as Ba’al the king.
Hadad or
Ba’al the king was responsible for the life cycle in Canaan. The rains were
something that made Canaan different. At this point in her history, the rains
fell. The droughts of the past were unremembered. There was no need for
irrigation to make the land able to support life. The early rains came from
October until the end of December and the late rains came in March and April. And
as a result of these rains, the Land of Canaan sprang to life. All of this was
the work of Hadad.
So maybe it
isn’t surprising that when Israel entered into the Promised Land, they felt the
rains comes – this had never happened in the desert – and they watched the land
spring to life and they listened to all of the stories that this was because of
Hadad. He was the supreme God to whom even El gave his support. So Israel bowed
down and worshipped Hadad, and they called out to Ba’al the king.
It seems
that Moses in his final speech to the people of Israel was possibly afraid of
this outcome. Deuteronomy hits all of the notes that Israel seemed to miss. God
is one, not many. You will have no other Gods before the God of Israel. You
will not make idols of this God, for he is holy and supreme. And when you come
into the land that he is giving to you, know this – it is God, Yahweh, El,
Elohim of Israel that sends the rain, not Hadad or Ba’al the King. The stories
of Canaan are not true. You have experienced this God in the desert. Every
morning when you woke he was there and every night when he went to sleep he was
there. Give your worship only to him – he is the bringer of the rain and of
life.
Jesus
supported this teaching of Moses as he taught his own disciples -
Consider how the wild flowers grow.
They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these. If that is how God
clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown
into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!
And do not set your heart on what you
will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father
knows that you need them. But
seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well – Luke 12:27-31.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy
12
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