I recently read a book written by Jonathan Cahn called “The Paradigm”. Previously I had been reading 1Kings and 2Kings in the Bible, specifically the account of Ahab, his wife Jezebel, and their sons Ahaziah and Joram recorded in 1Kings 16:29 through 2Kings 10. In all biblical history, that royal family did more to accelerate the destruction of ancient Israel by their apostasy than any other leaders before them. They desecrated the long held beliefs that the nation of Israel had come into being by the power of their monotheistic God alone, for God had promised to Moses…”Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants” (Exodus 33:1 NIV). God’s oath came with the following instructions and cautions which are recorded in Exodus 34:

10 Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you. 11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. 17 “Do not make any idols.

During the reign of the house of Ahab, the kingdom of Israel, was permitted to worship Baal and Asherah, foreign gods, for whom places of worship and shrines were then established; despite such practices being specifically prohibited by God’s commandments (i.e. apostasy). Before you read The Paradigm, here is some historical background that might be helpful.

Jezebel was a princess of the ruling family of the Phoenicians, a coastal nation north of ancient land of Israel, the area of present day Lebanon. It’s likely Ahab wished to make an alliance with the Phoenicians by the marriage But Jezebel most likely worshipped Baal and Asherah from and early age. Ahab married Jezebel, and …”He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.” (1 Kings 16:32-33)

The worship of Baal, and it’s horrific practice of the sacrifice of children on Baal’s altars, led to a willful disregard for the sanctity of human life as created in the image of God. Today abortion is considered many an equal practice and therefore abhorrent to God.

Asherah, worshipped as the goddess of fertility by Phoenicians and many other middle eastern nations, with its’ exhibition of of sensual and erotic idols and acts, clearly led to moral decay an eventual disregard for the sancitity of marriage. Similarly the unchecked progression of pornography so blatantly portrayed in movies, videos, TV has done the same for our nation.

The Paradigm, a followup to The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn written a few years earlier, draws the parallels between ancient Israel and the United States of America, which had itself evolved by the providence of God to become the greatest nation on earth. However the past 50 years have demonstrated a similar path of decay in our value system, especially to those conservative Christians who have taken note of such things and are anxious of where it might lead for future generations. For abortion (i.e. child killing) has become sanctioned, marriage has become gender neutral (no longer between one man and one woman), and sexual perversion (pornography protected by free speech) has led to everyone doing whatever they want and people including children becoming confused about their own God created sexuality.

We have wandered far afield of the foundational values that brought this nation into becoming the greatest nation to ever exist. Cahn is indeed on to something, and personally I am hopeful it’s not too late for those who call themselves Christians to join in the battle against principalities, powers and demons. We must become involved everywhere we live, in our churches, places of work, wherever we find ourselves! It’s not too late to CHANGE AND TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! For God has promised:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.(2 Chronicles 7:14)

AMEN!