Baal is said to be a Canaanite word that is translated as Lord. In the Yoruba language there is a title known as Baalẹ held by men which means father of the land as it is derived from baba ilẹ – baba is Yoruba for father while ilẹ is land/ground/earth. As baalẹ is linguistically equivalent to baal it is reasonable to accept that lord means father of the land.
The baalẹ is the head of a Yoruba community where there is no Oba (king) but is not the king as he has no crown and is thus of a lower rank. Similarly, within the British monarchy from which is the English language, lords serve in the House of Lords as members of parliament. These lords are not of the same rank as a British king or queen. Is it therefore not an error to refer to the Everlasting Father or Lord of Lords, as if we deny HIS throne and that HE sits on a throne? Consider also that HIS throne has no earthly comparison as Heaven is HIS throne. Also, has any earthly throne ever been associated with the titles lord and baalẹ?
Furthermore, since Melchizedek, priest of God Most High, refers to HIM as Possessor of Heaven and Earth, and Lord and Baalẹ are titles restricted to the earth alone, would it not be a grave error to associate a lower title with HIM?
With all these in mind it should be safe to expunge the word Lord from all Biblical publications. It is worth noting that its widespread use is a legacy of the British monarchy, the Church of England, and the publishers of the King James Version of the Bible – including the Old and New Testaments. This particular Amorite legacy is terrible for luring people to forget the name of God Most High, that is, YAHWEH, and instead use Lord in stark contrast to the lexicon of the original texts. Consider also the way Lord has been used all over the New Testament.
Jeremiah 23:26-27. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart? who think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name for Baal.
Thankfully, baalẹ is not used in Yoruba translations –from English – of the Bible. Rather, other words like Oluwa which can mean Our Benefactor are used. I want to believe that Biblical texts of other languages do not feature words equivalent to Lord or Baalẹ/Baal and that more apt titles are used.
If this was just a case of paranoid over semantics, why is it then written that the Ancient of Days will give us pure language at the appointed time?
Zephaniah 3:9. For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of Yahweh, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.
