11. How has Satan blurred people’s view of Jehovah?

¹¹ Satan blurs people’s view of Jehovah. After the death of Jesus’ apostles, some who claimed to be Christians began to spread false teachings. (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thess. 2:3) These apostates started to blur the identity of the only true God. For example, they stopped using the divine name in their copies of the Bible and preferred such expressions as “Lord.” By removing God’s personal name and replacing it with “Lord,” they made it difficult for a Bible reader to see how Jehovah is different from the other “lords” mentioned in the Scriptures. (1 Cor. 8:5) They used the same term, “Lord,” for Jehovah and for Jesus, making it difficult to understand that Jehovah and his Son are different individuals with distinct positions. (John 17:3) This confusion contributed to the development of the doctrine of the Trinity​—a doctrine not taught in God’s Word. As a result, many see God as mysterious and believe that we cannot know him. What a lie!​—Acts 17:27.

9. In line with Hosea 2:16, 17, how did Satan blur the Israelites’ view of Jehovah?

⁹ Satan used a third tactic. He blurred the Israelites’ view of Jehovah. In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, Jehovah declared that the false prophets made His people forget His name “because of Baal.” (Jer. 23:27) God’s people apparently stopped using Jehovah’s name and substituted it with the name Baal, which means “Owner” or “Master.” This act would blur the line between Jehovah and Baal in the minds of the Israelites, making it easier for them to combine the rituals of Baal worship with worship of Jehovah.​—Read Hosea 2:16, 17 and footnote.