Leviticus 20:3-5 New International Version (NIV) 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.
The Old Testament reveals much about the holiness and character of God. Books like Kings 1 and 2 tell us about the rulers of Judah and Israel, and each one is characterized as being good or evil. What distinguishing characteristic raised God’s ire more than any other? The answer is violating the First Commandment of “You shall have no other gods before me.”
The evil kings built temples to worship false gods like Baal-Molek. (Baal in Hebrew is a reference to any false god, while Molek is the Canaanite god. It may also be spelled as Moloch or Molech.) Historians have determined that in some locations bronze Molek statues existed. The god’s hands could be heated with fire to be made very hot. Parents would give their children up for human sacrifice. When a boy or girl was placed on the hot hands to burn them alive, priests would pound drums loudly to drown out the child’s screams. At the same time, the parents would engage in bisexual orgies to appease Molek in hope that he would deliver economic prosperity by causing it to rain and make the ground fertile for crops.
You’ve likely heard the January 22, 2019, news from New York State. Abortion has been liberalized even further. It may be allowed from conception to birth. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it into law. Here is his tweet announcement:
“Today I signed the #ReproductiveHealthAct — codifying Roe v. Wade into state law and protecting women’s reproductive rights no matter what the federal government does. This is a victory for all New Yorkers.”
How do the abortions allowed by this New York law compare to the ancients sacrificing children? If you’ve read about the abortion procedure, you probably recognize that burning children alive to Molek required less time and consequently less pain than what an aborted baby experiences. I see little difference in what Canaanites did thousands of years ago and what New Yorkers are doing today.
The Scriptures contain many verses capturing God’s rage against child sacrifice. He gave us a directive, too. We aren’t to stand by and allow it. This is a major challenge for Christians in America today. We have accountability, too.