seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Leviticus 20:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.
Way back when.... I was still stuck in the KJV of Bibles so I was learning as much as the children. All the thees and thous kept me from reading the Bible for myself. I just didn't understand it. I knew the Old Testament classic stories and the major characters but I had never read books like Leviticus or Dueteronomy. My oldest was a toddler and my second was a newborn. I was teaching Vacation Bible School in a little church in Kissimmee, Florida. The one morning that I was to lead the story and craft was on this day. We read the Bible Story which was written for little children and then we made a little picture frame of tongue depressors and glitter.
As it was written, it was very benign. To a child who was being abused by their parent, it was a promise that God was on their side.
This story stuck with me all those years but I couldn't find it in my NIV. I always skipped Leviticus because it was, to me, just a book of rules and laws. I didn't think I needed to dwell on the rules and laws because they were only for the Jews, Right? It didn't jump out at me while I was reading through 1 and 2 Kings. Molek seemed to be just another idol the other nations worshiped.
OK... this is rough. I got this commentary from studylight.org.
The worship of the horrific idol Molech was mentioned in Leviticus 18:21. Molech was worshipped by heating a metal statue representing the god until it was red hot, then by placing a living infant on the outstretched hands of the statue, while beating drums drowned out the screams of the child until it burned to death.
The penalty for Molech worship was death and if the sentence was not carried out by Israel, God declared He would set My face against that man and against his family. God will prosecute if the legal system of Israel failed to.
Sadly, even a man as great as Solomon at least sanctioned the worship of Molech and built a temple to this idol (1 Kings 11:7). King Ahaz of Judah gave his own son to Molech (2 Kings 16:3). One of the great crimes of the northern tribes of Israel was their worship of Molech, leading to the Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:17). King Manasseh of Judah gave his son to Molech (2 Kings 21:6). Up to the days of King Josiah of Judah, Molech worship continued, because he destroyed a place of worship to that idol (2 Kings 23:10).
The penalty for Molech worship was death and if the sentence was not carried out by Israel, God declared He would set My face against that man and against his family. God will prosecute if the legal system of Israel failed to.
Sadly, even a man as great as Solomon at least sanctioned the worship of Molech and built a temple to this idol (1 Kings 11:7). King Ahaz of Judah gave his own son to Molech (2 Kings 16:3). One of the great crimes of the northern tribes of Israel was their worship of Molech, leading to the Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:17). King Manasseh of Judah gave his son to Molech (2 Kings 21:6). Up to the days of King Josiah of Judah, Molech worship continued, because he destroyed a place of worship to that idol (2 Kings 23:10).
OK... I'm going to get just a tad preachy here..... The commentaries for Leviticus 20 are focused on other verses. The commentaries are focused on the punishment for occult and adultry while the chapter starts with this horrific event. How in the world can we live with ourselves for allowing this? Have you ever ever ever heard your preacher talk about this? I bet not. Is it really ok to ignore what people do to children?
I know what's going to happen to me. I'm going to catch myself dwelling on these verses for months.... it happened before and now that I know more.... it'll happen again. Maybe this time it won't be so severe. I live in a 55+ community now. The children I see around my community are grandchildren and they are adored. This story will invade my dreams and it'll get me in Walmart when I hear a child cry. I hope I don't bitchslap some poor unsuspecting mother who smacks her child.
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