Same false gods different names.

throughout history, various cultures have worshiped false gods, often under different names. These deities, while diverse in form and function, share common themes. Let’s explore some of them:

Ashtoreth (Astarte): Revered by the Canaanites, Ashtoreth was associated with fertility and maternity. King Solomon’s downfall was partly due to his involvement in Ashtoreth worship.

Baal: The supreme god among the Canaanites, Baal was often depicted as a sun or storm god. Worship of Baal included cult prostitution and sometimes human sacrifice. The prophets of Baal famously clashed with Elijah at Mount Carmel.

Chemosh: The national god of the Moabites, Chemosh was also worshiped by the Ammonites. Rituals associated with Chemosh were cruel and may have involved human sacrifice.

Dagon: This Philistine god had the body of a fish and a human head and hands. Samson met his demise at the temple of Dagon, and the Philistines placed the Ark of the Covenant next to Dagon, resulting in its statue being toppled.

Egyptian Gods: Ancient Egypt had over 40 false gods, including Re (the creator sun god), Isis (goddess of magic), Osiris (lord of the afterlife), Thoth (god of wisdom and the moon), and Horus (god of the sun). Interestingly, the Hebrews were not tempted by these gods during their captivity .

What’s clear from Scripture is that these false gods represented spiritual forces and demonic beings. They craved worship, much like Satan’s desire to be elevated above God in heaven.

So, whether they go by different names or not, recognizing the one true and living God remains essential.

Are we supposed to avoid saying false gods’ names?

And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.” Exodus 23:13.

Israel was prone to be influenced by the world around them and often worshipped heathen gods. This was extremely offensive to God and resulted in severe punishments.

In Exodus 23, the LORD gave Israel the law of the sabbath and three festivals. During the Sabbath year, the people were not to work the land in the seventh year (verse 10, 11) This was for various reasons:

It was wise land management and allowed the land to replenish its nutrients.

But more importantly, it showed God’s providential care for Israel.
In another account of the Sabbath system (Leviticus 25: 20 the people asked what they would eat during the Sabbath year since they could not grow crops. God’s answer was that He would provide an abundant harvest during the sixth year, enough to supply food not only during the Sabbath year but the following year as well.

The Sabbath was also a day of rest during the week (verse 12). There were again at least two reasons:

Life needs time to rest and recover from its labors.
But the seventh day was also a day of remembering God and His blessings ( Exodus 16:23).

Exodus 23 goes on to list the three festivals Israel was to observe – the Passover, the Feast of Weeks (or Pentecost) and the Feast of Tabernacles. Each of these were special times of remembrance for the care God provided for Israel. The common thread in the Sabbath and festival laws was that they were to remind Israel of God’s care and blessings in every aspect of their lives.

Verse 13 may seem out of place. Why mention “other gods” in this context? The point is that other gods could not provide any blessings for Israel. This fact is being contrasted to the provisions of Jehovah, who had already done so much for them. So, verse 13 is not out of place at all. It is a lesson for all believers to consider.

What does it mean that we should not utter the name of any false god? For the word “mention,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance says it means, “to remember, recall, call to mind.” This does not seem to mean that the name of false gods should never pass our lips. In fact, the names of false gods are mentioned often in Scripture. It simply means they should not become objects of worship or occupy any time even considering them.

The Same Pagan ‘gods’ Are Fooling Millions Today… Just Under Different Names.

In ancient times, false religion took the form of pagan practices and idol worship. Abram, the revered patriarch from Ur, believed God and left his family of idol worshippers to journey westward to a land of promise. When he arrived there, the Amorite people were also steeped in idol worship.

Simply put, idol worship involves any religious practice that elevates a false god. Since the only true and living God is Yahweh—all other gods are, by definition, false. Men frequently craft idols of wood or stone or precious metals (Isaiah 44:10-20), but at times the gods are recognized as spirit beings who inhabit another realm altogether.

There is no record that the false gods ever spoke audibly in the manner that God did. (Indeed, except for Satan, Scripture implies that demons are only capable of audible communication through the medium of a possessed human being.) But they still convey their insatiable desire for sacrifice—often consisting of human sacrifice, including children.

In fact, the most detestable of the offenses recorded in scripture is the practice of making children “walk through the fire,” a euphemism for being burned alive (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). The pagan peoples of the land of Canaan (and all of the ancient world) believed such religious devotion would confer blessings of prosperity and fertility.

Tellingly, the false gods were quite willing to let pagan people worship a variety of similar deities. In fact, while they were envisioned as occasionally in competition or often provoked to jealousy and anger, the false gods were believed to frequently consort together—even bearing offspring.

What is clear from the entirety of God’s Word is that the false gods were representative of spiritual forces and demonic beings. They craved worship the same way Satan wants to be elevated above God in heaven (Isaiah 14:13-14). They also rejoice when an image-bearer of the living God is led astray and joins them in open rebellion against the Almighty.

Demonic spirits take sadistic joy in seeing people suffer and die and join them in everlasting damnation.

Almighty God was unequivocal about the dangers of false gods and split loyalties. The first of His Ten Commandments was: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Even then, His point was not that He should merely be first in a lineup of deities; He is the only true and living God. All other false gods lead inevitably to destruction.

Changing a Nation’s Gods.

The LORD revealed the tragedy of Judah’s rejection: “Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:11-13).

In modern times, few people may swear loyalty to false gods like Molech, Ashtoreth, and Baal, but demonic forces are still at work. Some—including Jonathan Cahn—have asserted that the same demons who were active in the ancient world are being welcomed with open arms to lord over our own culture today. Their methods have become more sophisticated, but their end goal is still the same: human suffering, death, and damnation.

The names they go by have changed as well. The spiritual forces of darkness are quite content to let people think they are devoted to personal autonomy, choice, and unfettered liberty. The demon gods realize that unbounded by the laws God has established for human flourishing, people will embrace the same lies that condemned ancient societies in the eyes of God. And they will be given over to destruction.

The Road to Perdition.

While Christians should not fear Satan and his demons, neither should we dismiss them as irrelevant. The demonic being assigned to Persia was able to detain God’s emissary from reaching the prophet Daniel for 3 weeks. Only when Michael, one of the highest-ranking angels, came to help was the messenger finally able to fulfill his mission (Daniel 10:11-13). Aside, the same demonic spirit seems to still hold great sway over modern-day Persia—Iran.

We may wonder about the persistent poverty (material and spiritual) of places like Haiti and Afghanistan. But past leaders consciously welcomed demonic forces to have authority in their territory—resulting in continuing desperation and despair for their beleaguered people. The consequence of rejecting light and embracing darkness is obvious.

Choose Wisely.

God will not be mocked. His righteous indignation burned against the sin of the Amorites as they followed false gods and reveled in wickedness. Still, He delayed His righteous judgment for four hundred years (Genesis 15:14). Then, and now, He is patient, not wishing for any to perish. But His patience will not last forever.

Someday soon, “every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Satan and his demonic hordes and every person whose name is not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15).

Do not wait!

Reject the false gods and their false religion. Call on the Name of Jesus Christ today and be saved.