Baal, Satan and Good Things

I’ve always wondered when reading the Old Testament how Baal worshippers could sacrifice their own children in their worship of Baal… unless somehow they got something out of it? Like for example they petitioned Baal for rain… sacrificed a child and then it rained.

Paul states (1 Cor. 10:20) that those sacrificing to idols are actually sacrificing to “Demons” or “Devils”.

A-Ha! Baal is really Satan or a minion of Satan.

That begs the question… can Satan do anything beneficial for mankind? If a Baal/Satan worshipper sacrificed a child could Baal/Satan reward that behavior by sending rain or whatever else was requested for the purpose of gaining followers?

During Jesus temptation in the wilderness (Mt. 2:8-9) the Devil offered to give Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world” if Jesus would fall down and worship him. Presumably Satan could deliver on that promise.

In the Book of Job we find that Satan has great supernatural powers… the power to manipulate the weather, the power to strike with disease, the power to send other people to pillage, etc.

This concept is something very important to realize about Satan… he may do a form of good for people… but at what price?

So before we start getting envious of people who seem to have great lives and seem to have everything going for them… conside this... they might have “sacrificed their babies to Baal” and in so doing… sold their souls to Satan.