Contemplative Bible Reading

Leviticus 17:7 (Christian Standard Bible)

7 They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat-demons that they have prostituted themselves with. This will be a permanent statute for them throughout their generations.

And now we have the goat-demons. It appears that God’s people had been offering sacrifices to these goat-demons. The people had done this enough and with such fervor that God mentioned this practice specifically and prohibited it.

Other translations use the phrase goat-idols or goat-gods instead of goat-demon. My Google research points me to the Wikipedia article on Pan (god). This was a combination of thing with human hind legs standing up with a head with goat horns and beard and such. It was something like a fertility god that went about causing mischief and lots of things that were just plain wrong.

It appears that God’s people were just going along with local customs of fertility gods. What’s the harm in that? Sort of like the Easter bunny? Well, maybe not like the Easter bunny. I don’t know that we sacrifice livestock to the Easter bunny.

Do we have other gods? Some say, “Yes.” I usually say, “No.” Sure, Super Bowl Sunday is almost a religious observance to some folks. We set aside special food, drink, and guests for that day. We don’t, however, attribute supernatural powers to that day.

“We will have a bad economic year if we don’t observe Super Bowl Sunday.”

I’ve never heard anyone say that. Perhaps I have turned a deaf ear to such.

Regardless, what’s the harm in sacrificing livestock or a few hours to a local custom. Well, it appears that there was great harm in it. Let’s be mindful.