The worship of Baal and Asherah was a constant struggle for the Israelites throughout much of their history. Baal was a Canaanite god associated with fertility, storms, and agriculture. Asherah was a Canaanite goddess associated with fertility and motherhood. The worship of these pagan deities was attractive to the Israelites because they promised bountiful harvests, healthy livestock, and large families. However, the Bible clearly condemns the worship of false gods and calls the Israelites to worship Yahweh alone.
The struggle begins early in Israel’s history. After entering the Promised Land, the Israelites are instructed to destroy the altars and idols of the Canaanites (Exodus 34:13). However, they fail to drive out all the inhabitants of the land and begin to intermarry with them. During the time of the Judges, the people fall into worshipping the Baals and Asherahs of the Canaanites (Judges 2:11-13). God punishes them by allowing enemy nations to oppress them. When they cry out to the Lord, he sends judges to deliver them. But each time, as soon as the judge dies, they return to their idolatry. This cycle repeats throughout the book of Judges.
During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel in the northern kingdom of Israel, the worship of Baal reaches unprecedented heights. Under Jezebel’s influence, hundreds of prophets of Baal and Asherah are supported by the royal court (1 Kings 18:19). Elijah confronts the prophets on Mount Carmel and Yahweh proves his supremacy by sending fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal are slaughtered (1 Kings 18:20-40). Yet Jezebel continues to foster the worship of these false gods, putting a price on Elijah’s head (1 Kings 19:1-3).
In the southern kingdom of Judah, good kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah institute reforms to cleanse the land of idolatry and return the people to proper worship of Yahweh. They destroy the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and altars built to Baal and other gods (2 Chronicles 14:3, 17:6, 34:3-7). Yet the hearts of the people remain unchanged. After the righteous king dies, they quickly revert to their wicked ways.
The Israelites are strongly attracted to Baal worship because they believe he can bring agricultural fertility, bountiful harvests, and material prosperity. Baal mythology centers around his cycles of dying in the heat of summer and being reborn in the rains of fall. Ritual sex acts at Baal’s temples and shrines were thought to mimic Baal’s powers of fertility. But the Lord repeatedly warns his people that only He has power over nature, not the false Canaanite gods (Jeremiah 14:22).
The worship of Asherah, meanwhile, includes ritual prostitution and sensuality at Asherah poles and shrines set up throughout the land, including next to altars of Yahweh (1 Kings 14:23). The Israelites are drawn to worship her because of her association with fertility, fruitfulness, and motherhood. But again God condemns this worship, calling his people to trust him alone for fruitful wombs and material blessings.
Why does idolatry have such a strong pull on the Israelites? Their attraction to Baal and Asherah worship reveals hearts that do not fully trust Yahweh. Though they see his mighty works, they also hedge their bets by mixing allegiance to other gods. The festivals of Baal promise immediate gratification – orgies, feasts, prosperity. Worship of Yahweh requires patient faith and obedience. When Yahweh seems distant or slow to answer prayer, turning to pagan gods for quick results is tempting. But the prophets continually call God’s people back to trust in Him alone.
In periods of apostasy, the Israelites may claim to worship Yahweh while also worshipping Baal and Asherah. They try to merge these cults and cover all their bases. But God insists that he does not share glory with false gods. His people must choose between Yahweh or Baal, not both (1 Kings 18:21). He calls them to Serve Him only – to trust Him fully for all their needs.
The struggle against Baal and Asherah worship comes to a head during the divided monarchy (931-586 BC). Baal worship infiltrates both Israel and Judah from the very beginning of the split. Jeroboam, the first king of Israel, institutes calf idolatry at Dan and Bethel, leading the northern tribes into spiritual adultery (1 Kings 12:25-33). In Judah, righteous kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Josiah institute reforms to cleanse the land of idols. But the hearts of most people remain unchanged.
The prophets during this period rail against syncretistic worship of Yahweh and Baal. Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal and has them slaughtered (1 Kings 18). Elisha continues his reforms. Hosea likens Israel’s idolatry to an adulterous wife who chases after lovers instead of her husband. Jeremiah says the people burn offerings to Baal and follow after other gods as their forefathers taught them (Jeremiah 44:17). Micah promises that because of such idolatry, Jerusalem will be destroyed (Micah 3:12).
During the later years of divided monarchy, Manasseh king of Judah reinstitutes Asherah worship, even placing an Asherah pole in the temple of Yahweh (2 Kings 21:7). Josiah removes all the items of idolatry from the temple and reaffirms the covenant between Judah and Yahweh (2 Kings 23). Yet the hearts of the people remain far from God. The stage is set for judgment.
The Babylonian exile purges the land of idolatry for a time. But even after returning from exile, the Jews demonstrate a mixed response. Some, like Nehemiah, work to rebuild Jerusalem yet keep themselves pure from intermarriage with foreigners. Others, like the priest Eliashib, mix God’s worship with paganism again by intermarrying and bringing Tobiah the Ammonite into the rebuilt temple (Nehemiah 13:4-9). God promises through the prophet Zechariah to remove idolatry and false prophecy from the land permanently (Zechariah 13:2-6).
In the New Testament, Paul warns against idolatry and sexual immorality, calling them “partners in crime” (1 Corinthians 10:7-8). He teaches that idolatry leads to sensuality. James also warns those living in the early church not to mix God’s truth with worldly pollutions (James 1:27). Instead, God’s people must remain faithful to Him alone.
The long history of Baal and Asherah worship reveals an ongoing tension in the human heart. We are tempted to hedge our bets, worshiping both Yahweh and other pagan gods. We want control over our fertility and prosperity. We crave supernatural powers to manipulate the natural world to our own ends. These temptations remain strong for believers today. But Scripture calls us to fix our eyes fully on Yahweh, trusting Him alone for every need. He alone is worthy of our worship.