Culture And Religion Essay

Throughout this class, I learned how to analyze cultures and compare them to what our culture is now. Going through the four different cultures, they have many similarities as well as differences. After forty years of wandering throughout Moab, the Israelites finally made it to their promise land. There were many battles to be fought to gain control over their land. They would regroup for more assaults on fortresses and cities. They established cities and made a land for themselves. But with the land came invaders and outside influences on the Israelites. During the land of Canaan, while the Hebrews were establishing a nation, they had to fight off the influences of the foreigner’s religion and culture. The Israelites transitioned from different …show more content…
God is why the Israelites grew as a nation and how they got to the promise land. During the time of battles and conquests, God’s word is what provided commands for Joshua and the people of Israel. Just like during the times of Moab, they would still do sacrifices, and eat Passover meals. The Israelites fought through fortresses, and fortified cities; they would have victories by obeying God and his commands. As stated before, Israel was faithful during the time of Joshua, but the things started to change when the Israelites scattered over Canaan. Their memory quickly faded of God’s work and the religion of cultures surrounding them started to influence them. Baal worship quickly came into the lives of the Israelites. Once they disobeyed God and married within other tribes, they picked up more from their culture. This happened when they became scattered across Canaan and for those who failed to destroy the idols to false gods. Baal worship included a dark side of worship which was religious prostitution, child sacrifices, etc. The believers of Baal thought that the reason for the produce of crops, and the growing of families was because of Baal and the goddess of Canaan. The priest would have sexual relations with a priestess so that Baal and the goddess of Canaan would have made the ground fertile. This perverted the sacrifices of God as well as took the glory from him and gave it to false idols. Years later, during the time of the Prophet Samuel, the people destroyed the idols, confessed their sins, and ran towards God. Because of their repentance, God gave them victory against the Philistines and other battles that happened. But the Israelites would then become corrupted by other tribes that came into the land of Canaan, so they went back to their old ways. This was a vicious cycle throughout years of them living in