Satan Reconstructed

Part 4, Beelzebub

In Mark 3 Jesus performs an exorcism. Observing this, the Jewish leaders level an accusation, claiming that Jesus is able to cast out demons because he is in league with the Prince of Demons:

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

Scholars believe the roots of the name Beelzebub (or Beelzebul) come from 2 Kings 1. Ahaziah, king of Israel, is injured in a fall. Rather than turning to the Lord, Ahaziah sends his messengers to secure the favor of a different god:

So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

2 Kings (1.2-3, 6, 16) is the only time the Philistine deity Baal-Zebub is mentioned in the Old Testament. Baal means “lord” and zebub means “flies.” So Baal-Zebub is the “Lord of the Flies.” And by association, so is Beelzebub.

This third name for Satan, Beelzebub, highlights another aspect of spiritual warfare. Specifically, the sin of Ahaziah was idolatry. Seeking healing, he turned to the Lord of the Flies rather than the God of Israel. And this is the same choice we face in our own lives. Who do we turn to? Who do we seek? Who do we trust? Who do we depend on? God or the Lord of the Flies?

Biblically, idolatry is the sin that sits beneath all our sin. Everything confused, broken, disordered, or sick in the world, and within ourselves, is due to our turning, collectively and individually, toward the Lord of the Flies. We recapitulate the sin of Ahaziah over and over again.

Here’s how William Cavanaugh describes idolatry:

Idolatry is not primarily considered to be a metaphysical error, a question of ontology. The key question is not what people believe but how they behave. What constitutes idolatry is usually not the mistaken attribution of certain qualities to material objects, but the attitude of loyalty that people adopt toward created realities...Idolatry is primarily a way of life, not a metaphysical worldview...

Basically, idolatry isn’t about worshiping the sun or a tree or a carved statue, mistakenly attributing certain qualities (like godness or divinity) to a material object. Idolatry is, rather, an attitude of loyalty toward created realities. Idolatry is about allegiances.

This is true, but I think these loyalties and allegiances flow out of something deeper, as I suggest above. The issue is a matter of trust. Who is your savior? I’m loyal and pledge allegiance because I think you’ll come to my aid when I’m in need. Otherwise, why bother? The issue of idolatry really concerns our fundamental dependency. The ground upon which we stand. That ground can be my talent, my attractiveness, my success, my bank account, my social media followers, my nation. Even my religion.

The point here, in pondering the history of the name Beelzebub, is to draw our attention to these deep questions about primary values, loyalties/allegiances toward material realities, and fundamental dependencies. Simply put, spiritual warfare is, at root, about our way of life, implicating the whole of my life and the entirety of my choices. And at every nexus a decision.

God or the Lord of the Flies?