God makes it plain in the Old Testament exactly how He feels about human sacrifice, specifically sacrificing one’s children as a part of pagan idol worship. It is “an abomination;” it “shall not be found among you;” it “defiles you;” it “pollutes the land;” it “did not even enter into [God’s] mind” to command such a thing” (Deut 12:31; 18:10; Ezek 20:31; Psa 106: 37,38; Jer 32:35).
And I suppose most of us think we are past that—we would never participate in something so heinous; we would never be caught up in worshipping an idol to the point that our children no longer mattered to us. Think again.
How many people have sacrificed their children to their careers? And don’t automatically jump to working mothers. God holds fathers accountable as the spiritual leaders of their families, especially in raising their children (Eph 6:4). Too many fathers delegate everything to the mother, expecting her to somehow communicate to his children that he loves them, even when he spends practically no time at all with them, when he regularly misses piano recitals, school programs, or ball games; when he has never drunk an imaginary cup of tea at a tea party; when he has never read a bedtime story; when he has never dried a tear or given a hug, changed a diaper or given a bath, helped with a science project or played catch. Career-minded, status-conscious, money-grubbing parents need to give thought to what they are sacrificing. When you chose to have children, you chose to sacrifice yourselves, not them.
And maybe this is the place for the blood being shed in the name of my body, my rights, and my choice. Abortion is nothing more than human sacrifice so I don’t have to bear the responsibility of my actions. I, me, and mine are the biggest idols we have today, and precious souls are bearing the brunt of that pagan ritual to the idol of self.
And we also have those who sacrifice their children on the altar of their own feelings and opinions. The sermon hurt my feelings, the elders told me I had to change my lifestyle, this brother or that sister came and told me I needed to repent of my sins, so I won’t go back to that church ever again. And guess what? Your children miss growing up among godly people, attending Bible classes that would have helped you teach them about God, and at least hearing the gospel every Sunday, whether anything you did at home ever cemented it into their minds or not. You may not have sacrificed them to Molech, the heathen god most often associated with child sacrifice, but you actually did worse—you sacrificed them to the maker of those “abominations”—Satan Himself. He is the one who will swoop in and claim those young souls, who have now learned from you that God isn’t all that important after all.
Child sacrifice is alive and well in the world today, and too many of us are guilty, too.
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you, Ezek 20:30-31.
Dene Ward
And I suppose most of us think we are past that—we would never participate in something so heinous; we would never be caught up in worshipping an idol to the point that our children no longer mattered to us. Think again.
How many people have sacrificed their children to their careers? And don’t automatically jump to working mothers. God holds fathers accountable as the spiritual leaders of their families, especially in raising their children (Eph 6:4). Too many fathers delegate everything to the mother, expecting her to somehow communicate to his children that he loves them, even when he spends practically no time at all with them, when he regularly misses piano recitals, school programs, or ball games; when he has never drunk an imaginary cup of tea at a tea party; when he has never read a bedtime story; when he has never dried a tear or given a hug, changed a diaper or given a bath, helped with a science project or played catch. Career-minded, status-conscious, money-grubbing parents need to give thought to what they are sacrificing. When you chose to have children, you chose to sacrifice yourselves, not them.
And maybe this is the place for the blood being shed in the name of my body, my rights, and my choice. Abortion is nothing more than human sacrifice so I don’t have to bear the responsibility of my actions. I, me, and mine are the biggest idols we have today, and precious souls are bearing the brunt of that pagan ritual to the idol of self.
And we also have those who sacrifice their children on the altar of their own feelings and opinions. The sermon hurt my feelings, the elders told me I had to change my lifestyle, this brother or that sister came and told me I needed to repent of my sins, so I won’t go back to that church ever again. And guess what? Your children miss growing up among godly people, attending Bible classes that would have helped you teach them about God, and at least hearing the gospel every Sunday, whether anything you did at home ever cemented it into their minds or not. You may not have sacrificed them to Molech, the heathen god most often associated with child sacrifice, but you actually did worse—you sacrificed them to the maker of those “abominations”—Satan Himself. He is the one who will swoop in and claim those young souls, who have now learned from you that God isn’t all that important after all.
Child sacrifice is alive and well in the world today, and too many of us are guilty, too.
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you, Ezek 20:30-31.
Dene Ward
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