Hmmm... well I see no one had any answers for me here. Why is that?
Here is something I just found today which I thought was pretty interesting...
15. GAD - GOD, GUD
A prophecy for the end-time is given in Isa. 65:11 wherein our Mighty One warns of the apostasy of His people, "But you are those who forsake Yahúweh ... who prepare a table for Gad, and who furnish a drink offering for Meni." - Revised Authorised Version. All commentators agree that Gad is a pagan deity, and so is Meni. Gad is usually interpreted as the well-known Syrian or Canaanite deity of "Good Luck" or "Fortune", and Meni the deity of "Destiny". This Gad is written in the Hebrew as GD, but the Massoretes afterwards vowel - pointed it, adding an "a", to five us "Gad". However, we find other references in Scripture to a similar deity, if not the same one, also spelt GD in the Hebrew text but this time vowel - pointed to read "Gawd" or "God", in Jos. 11:17, 12:7, 13:5, where we find: "Baal-Gawd" or "Baal-God", according to the vowel - pointed Massoretic Hebrew text. This Baal - Gawd or Baal - God was obviously a place named after their diety.159
The astrologers identified Gad with Jupiter,159 the Sky-deity or the Sun-deity. Other sources of research also testify of "Gad" being the Sun-deity. Rev. Alexander Hislop wrote, "There is reason to believe that Gad refers to the Sun-god ... The name Gad ... is applicable to Nimrod, whose general character was that of a Sun-god ... Thus then, if Gad was the 'Sun divinity', Meni was very naturally regarded as 'The Lord Moon.' "160 Keil and Delitzsch, Commentaries on the Old Testament, comments on Isa. 65:11, "There can be no doubt, therefore, that Gad, the god of good fortune, ... is Baal (Bel) as the god of good fortune. ... this is the deified planet Jupiter ... Gad is Jupiter ... Mene is Dea Luna ... Rosenmuller very properly traces back the Scriptural rendering to this Egyptian view, according to which Gad is the sun-god, and Meni the lunar goddess as the power of fate."161 Isa. 65:11 tells us than that Yahúweh 's people have forsaken Him and in the end-time are found to be serving Gad, the Sun-deity of "Good Luck", and Meni, the Moon-deity of "Destiny".
As pointed out above, this Gad (GD with and "a" vowel - pointing) is probably the same deity as we read of in the book of Joshua, GD with a vowel-pointing of "aw" or "o", Massoretes cannot always be relied on, but we can rely on the Hebrew Scriptures before the vowel-pointing was done. It could well be that the GD of Isa. 65:11 is the same as the "Gawd" or "God" of the book of Joshua. But, let us not try to establish a fact on an assumption. Let us rather do some research on the word "God".
The word God (or god), like the Greek Theos (or theos) is used in our versions as a title, a generic name, usually. It translates the Hebrew The Mighty One (or The Mighty One), El (or el), and Eloah. However, in quite a few places it is used as a name whenever it is used as a substitute for the Tetragrammaton, the Name of our Father, e.g. Matthew 4:4 etc. If the word God is then used as a substitute for the Name, it must be accepted that the word God has become a name again. How and when did this title or name become adopted into our modern languages? Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, says, "GOD - the common Teutonic word for a personal object of religious worship ... applied to all those superhuman beings of the heathen mythologies. The word 'god' on the conversion of the Teutonic races to Christianity was adopted as the name of the one Supreme Being ...." Webster's Twentieth Century Dictionary, Unabridged, 1st edition, says, "The word is common to Teutonic tongues ... It was applied to heathen deities and later, when the Teutonic peoples were converted to Christianity, the word was elevated to the Christian sense." James Hastings, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 6, p. 302, reads, "After the conversion of the Teutons to Christianity the word came to be applied also to the Christian Deity ... Its etymology and its original meaning are obscure, and have been much debated." J.G.R. Forlong, Encyclopedia of Religions, on "God", says, "It is remarkable that philologists are unable to decide the origin of this familiar Teutonic word." Once again, we are strongly suspicious of the rulers of darkness or the Prince of Darkness, having succeeded, once again, in hiding yet another work of darkness. There is much confusion in the European languages between the words gud (good) and god. The Scandinavian languages, like the old Anglo-Saxon, called god gud and called gud (good) god. Calling good god and god gud is bad enough to confuse us. Even worse is that the Old Nether lands languages regarded god as an idol and gud as the correct deity! Jacob Grimm recorded162 this for us, as well as Julius Pokorny and Jan de Vries.163 This inconsistency of spelling confuses us, as it must have confused the people in those early centuries who were still completely or partially ignorant of the True Mighty One and His Name. Jacob Grimm asserts that this was done because of fear, "Such a fear may arise from two causes: a holy name must not be abused, or an unholy dreaded name, e.g., that of the devil, has to be softened down by modifying its form", and then gives examples.162 Other modifying its form", and then gives examples.162 Other scholars have explained that the names of national deities were either hid, or modified, in order to prevent their enemies getting hold of these names -enemies who might use it as a magic word against them. Another reason for this changing of spelling of idols' names was the ritual of abrenuntiatio, i.e. a solemn renouncing of the names of major deities, whenever a pagan became converted to Christianity. One of the three major idols of the Teutonic tribes was called Saxnot. It is well documented how this name was renounced and later on came back in a disguised form, Saxneat. We even found that some idols' name were spelt 17 different ways.
We found further evidence that "gott" or "god" was not only a title, but used as a name too, amongst the Teutonic tribes. Simrock discovered songs wherein "Gott" was used as a beiname for the deity Odin.164 In German, beiname means: surname (or epithet, or appellation). We further found "Goda" as a proper name of an idol.165 Moreover, the same author relates how Wodan, "the name of the highest god" , also called Wotan and Odan, was also called Godan.166 The Teutonic masculine deities each had its female consort or counterpart. Thus we read that this deity's female consort was frau Gode.167 It is commonly known that our Wednesday was named after Wodan or Wotan. In Westphalian we find this day being called Godenstag.168
If the Teutonic pagans called all their idols by the generic name "gott" or "god", shall we continue to call the One that we love by the same generic name/title/or name? Why do we not translate the title The Mighty One (or El or Eloah) with it proper meaning: Mighty One or Mighty? Also, in those places where "God" has become a substitute name for "Yahúweh ", shall we continue to invite the wrath of The Mighty One by doing this? He has commanded us that we should not destroy His Name (Deut. 12:3c and 4, KJV or RSV). he is sorely displeased with those who have forgotten His Name for Baal (Jer. 23:27), remembering that Baal really was the Sun-deity. "Therefore My people shall know My Name," Isa. 52:6. "Yahúweh 's voice cries to the city - wisdom shall see Your Name," Yahúweh 6:9. "For The Mighty One will save Zion ... and those who love His Name shall dwell in it," Ps. 69:35-36. Also read Isa. 56:6-7. If we love Him, we will love His Name. If we love His Name, we will not destroy it (Deut. 12:3c and 4), we will not forget it (Jer. 23:27), we will not substitute it with a title, a generic name, or a name, which had been used for a pagan deity (Exod. 23:13). Also, and even more applicable to this present study, we will stop substituting His Name with Baal (Jer. 23:27 and Hos. 2:16) - that great Sun-deity, also known as Bel, who was the primary deity of Babylon - whether "Baal" applies to the name of the Sun-deity, or whether "Baal" became a title. We are to stop substituting His Name with anything that pertains to a Sun-deity, or even only a title with an idolatrous origin, notwithstanding attempts to justify the "changed meaning of the word".
There is not a single text in all Scripture which prohibits us from calling Him by His Name. They called upon His Name right back in Gen. 12:8 and 13:4, and as "Abraham" again in Gen. 21:33. Abraham called the place in Moria "Yahúweh Yireh", Gen. 22:14. Isaac called upon the Name Yahúweh , Gen. 26:25. Jacob used the Name, Gen. 28:16. Leah used it, Gen. 29:33 and 35. Moses proclaimed the Name of Yahúweh , Deut. 32:3. David declared Yahúweh 's name, Ps. 22:22, and so did our Messiah, Heb. 2:12, John 17:6 and 17:26. Finally, Yahushúa promised to do it again, John 17:26b, which is that which is now happening!
http://www.iahushua.com/...htm#GAD%20-%20GOD,%20GUDMaybe we need to re-evaluate our thinking on the word/title God?
Me thinks anyways... Shalom
