Thinking on this passage this morning and I like to ask if God spoke to you today to tear down altar of Baal would you do it by protest, or would you take a bulldozer and plow it down. We are living in far different times then Gideon. We must remember that when telling of this story. If you take a look at Acts 17 and look how did Paul deal with idols in his day. Then how did Jesus deal with Satan himself. He cast devils out and he allowed Satan to tempt him, and he allowed Satan to think for a few days he had defeat him, but arose from the grave. Several things to understand about the worship of Baal is the sacrifice of children, and the cutting and beating of the human flesh that went on at these altars. Several reason to destroy such a place, has not Coronavirus taught us that sometimes destruction is not of value to get rid of germs. Yet we have to ask, only a little soap and water is necessary to help tear down the deadly virus, and yet it still air born and travels into communities to steal those alive. Yet the worship of a idol whose religion causes you to beat yourself and cut yourself seems like not only an occult, but a bit silly and it is taken very serious by these people, in so much that to tear down that idol caused a stir of people to want to kill Gideon. Gideon was afraid enough about tearing down the idols of Baal that he did it at night only because he was probably more afraid of the God he served.

Unless you are military, or own land that idol is on, I suggest you protest it in todays world, but remember what Paul did in Acts when finds himself surrounded on Mars hill in Athens surround by many idols except for one idol marked to the unknown God. He begins to preach. And preach he does,it does not lead any to Christ day, but he would lead some to Christ as he stay in Athens. The people wanted to hear Paul out.

Culture does God obey human culture or does he go against it. That is maybe hard to define, but we must understand that Israel was under a barbaric tribe at the time called the Midianites who did not believe in God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When we examine Old Testament, how does Jesus work in the inter cities. Missionaries teach and love people that some would consider not lovable. All people are lovable, not all people are likable. What I mean is some would not walk into rich society if they paid them too. And others would not walk into areas of homelessness. While others want to stay in their middle class neighborhoods and be define as good people, only to find that their neighbor down the street is a pimp and drughead that has made his way into the middle class neighborhood not by his own means always but the means of others that he uses for a living. If he good at business he makes it into the wealthy neighborhoods as well. What is my point, would you go into your own neighborhood and tear down your neighbors fence, without asking. In our world Gideon would of been locked up, in his day in age he was consider a hero. Consider a bigger hero to his people when he told the Midanites let Baal plead for his life himself, because he tore down his altars. Baal is a statue and could do nothing for himself.

We must get beyond the images of God that man forms and worship God by who He is according to scripture and according to His Spirit says he is. We can not fear going and speaking about are faith to people not of our faith, for God wants to save them too. For God is not just a God of Jewish or Gentile nation, but a God of the universe. A God who created us all. Let us realize in faith if we believe God is able to tear down the enemies idols through His word, then we best use it.

Dear Heavenly Father, as enemy builds may you knock those walls and idols down and may you be glorified Lord, in Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Acts 17:19-31 KJV
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.