IT’S ANOTHER weird section of scripture this week, which, as you know by now, means it’s important.
In the middle of rules pertaining to sacrifices, God gave this to Moses:
So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore.
Leviticus 17:7, ESV
What are goat demons? It’s significant that this warning comes shortly after God instructed Moses and Aaron on the atonement ritual that required a goat be sent into the wilderness for Azazel, who was named as one of the leaders of the Watchers who agreed to rebel against God on the summit of Mount Hermon.
But the Hebrew word se’irim doesn’t necessarily mean “demons.” That’s a choice made by English translators. If, as the early church believed (based on the Book of 1 Enoch), demons are the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim giants destroyed in the Flood, why would they be worshiped as goats? Answer: They probably weren’t.
English translators had to do the best they could with an imperfect understanding of the religious milieu that produced Moses and the Israelites. We discuss the se’irim and the shedim (translated “demons” in Deut. 32:17 and Psalm 106:37), who account for the three references to “demons” in the Old Testament. In fact, we now know, thanks to discoveries within the last fifty years, that the Hebrew word rephaim should be translated “demons” instead of “dead,” “departed,” or “shades.”
We also discuss the laws against sexual immorality in Leviticus 18, the Bible’s first mention of sacrificing children to Molech (or “the king”), and God’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
As promised during the show, here’s the teaser video for SkyWatchTV’s forthcoming program The Bible’s Greatest Mysteries:
Our book Giants, Gods & Dragons is available in Kindle and paperback! Get it as part of a great package with more than 27 hours of our video teachings at the SkyWatchTV Store or at Amazon.com.
The latest installment of Sharon’s Redwing Saga, King’s Gambit, is available now in paperback and Kindle! Visit Sharon’s author page at Amazon.com for more.
Derek’s novels The God Conspiracy and Iron Dragons are available in paperback and Kindle! See the official trailers and learn more at the website for Rose Avenue Fiction (www.roseavenuefiction.com).
Click here for the complete archive of our New Testament Bible studies to date, click here for the Old Testament studies to date, and click here for our studies of the Book of 1 Enoch to date. Or go to www.spreaker.com/show/gilbert-house-fellowship for all of the audio.
I have questions, or rather thoughts about some scriptures that I need to run by someone who is willing to go beyond the typical interpretation. I am enjoying the fresh look on scriptures that you and Sharon put out there. If you are willing to suggest some answers, I am willing to ask the questions and be corrected when needed. Thanks
Something to ponder: If the devil knocks at your door don’t let him in. So if Nancy and Joe knocked on my door, I would not invite them in…if I felt they were following doctrines of demons…just sayin’.
But I would pray for them, even though having eyes to see, they don’t see and ears to hear they don’t hear.
Vaccines: are there any single dose vaccines in existence for children now?
Hi Gilberts,
I so appreciate your Bible studies. A lot of wisdom is being shared. And as always, you keep our Lord centered stage as you navigate through these scriptures. Really fun.