Running through the Messy-anic movement is a myth that “Baal” means “Lord” and “Lord” - “Baal”. Accompanying this fiction is the notion that “Baal” always refers to one or more idols.

Unfortunately the predominance among these poorly informed preachers is to speak on matters they do not understand and have not objectively studied. This issue is no different - the Messy ministers are here peddling lies without a working knowledge of the function of language.

“Lord” doesn’t mean “Baal” any more than it means bookshelf or baseball. And “Baal”, like many Hebrew terms happens to be an ordinary reference aswell as a name for a specific entity.

Satan is a specific entity yet satan in Hebrew is most commonly used to reference any adversaries most prominently humans.

Shemash was a sungod but is also simply the word for the sun itself, idol or no. And it’s the ordinary word for helper or servant too.

Gad is an idol and gad is also the term to troops. Not to mention the name of one tribe of Israel.

Even Elohim which is a title of the Most High is also used in common reference to idols, to “angels”, “demons”, kings, priests, judges, warriors and much more.

El is a term for our Father in Heaven yet it is also one of the names of the Canaanite idols.

And on and on it goes.

Is it therefore pagan to use the Hebrew language appropriately simply because others have used it pervertedly in the past?

The one thing wrong in all this is for people unschooled in the subject of philology at least with suitable proficiency to open their mouths in repetition of false etymology.

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“Lord” is a modern English contraction of the Middle English “Loverd” which is an evolution of the Old English “Hlafweard”. Literally meaning “Loaf Ward” or “Keeper of the Bread”.

“Lord” being used in English “translations” for “Adonai” and for “Baal” and as a replacement by tradition of YHWH, is a scribal custom peculiar to British culture.

“Lord” is an extremely poor translation of any of these words actually. Infact it’s unrelated in any way.

“Baal” has the connotation of a Master of slaves or an Owner or Possessor of people. The one in charge. The ruler and authority.

“Lord” is a distinctly British title of the specific governmental and economic system of feudalism. It is medieval. It is European. It is other than biblical in place or time.

To say “Lord” means “Baal”, we might aswell say that “Baal” means President or CEO or Frontman for the band.

Why not have people believe “Baal” means “Head-Coach” or perhaps Chief Engineer?

“Baal” might aswell mean General or Conductor if it can be contorted to mean “Lord”.

Let’s just simplify it for everyone and tell them it means “Boss” or “The Big Man”.

It’s taking what became the general term for a “person in charge” in England half a millennia ago and transposing it in place and time backwards into the Biblical narrative and the land of Israel in the Levant - Thousands of years and thousands of miles away from when and where it came to be.

We would not do this with anything else, so why with this?!

Yes we must be cautious with issues that can have multiple interpretations such as “Baal”. It can be an idol or a term for an owner or leader or master. It is even a term at times for the Almighty Elohim Himself - though very rarely used.

We need be careful in our calling out words and names and not speak callously. But we must also be most cautious speaking about the meanings of words and names especially cross culturally.

If you heard from your teacher that “Lord” means “Baal” and “Baal” means “Lord” then before all things you better not repeat that because you haven’t verified the verbiage!

You owe it to yourself and your audience to shut up and study. If you think it’s not true, try to prove it is true. And if you think it is true, then attempt to disprove it.

The truth will out when objectively tested.

But don’t go repeating things you have not researched as thoroughly as can be, especially when it’s a matter outside your area of expertise.

#QuestionEverything
#GetBiblical

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