YHWH vs. The Queen of Heaven

(I originally wrote and posted this to my previous blog on 03/02/2007.)

Reading: YirmeYahu (Jeremiah) 43-45

After asking YirmeYahu to petition YHWH on their behalf, the remnant of Yehudah, upon not liking the answer they received (stay in Yehudah and live), decide to call YirmeYahu a liar and defiantly refuse to listen and obey and decide instead to trust in Pharoah and Egypt (man and the world) rather than trusting in the word of YHWH, so they will be given over to death.

Sadly, it appears that the women were instrumental in the idolatry of Yehudah, especially in worshipping the "queen of heaven", and they make it clear that their husbands were right there with them:

Jer 44:19 "And when we burned incense to the sovereigness of the heavens and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to idolize her, and pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?"

Women have a tremendous influence over their husbands when it comes to spiritual matters, whether for good or ill, and we need to be mindful of that.

1Pe 3:1 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that if any are disobedient to the Word, they, without a word, might be won by the behaviour of their wives,
1Pe 3:2 having seen your blameless behaviour in fear.

Husbands also have a responsibility to keep their wives from going astray spiritually:

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for it,
Eph 5:26 in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.

May we trust in YHWH and His instructions rather than in what the world says.