Passing through Unto Molech?

[Xmansmommy]

Not really a question per se, but I do have some thoughts on the children of Israel offering up their children as burnt offerings unto Molech. As I have begun reading the OT and seeing the wickedness of the children of Israel (and rejoicing in learning of those which were obedient to God, Josiah and others) I have been utterly amazed at some of the things they did in disobedience. Not that I could possibly put myself in their shoes and think I may have done differently, but I have a very difficult time imagining how they could possibly sacrifice their children to Molech. As I've read and pondered this very sickening rebellion I have cried as I've imagined how those children felt to be passed through the fire. I simply can't fathom this atrocity. What were they thinking? What did they gain from worshipping and sacrificing to this false god? What motivated them to disobey the true God, Jehovah and worship Molech, or Baal or any other god for that matter? Oops, I did say I didn't really have a question didn't I? :whack:

[Thomas2003]

Hi,

Generally, child sacrafice was not part of Molech worship. Molech means king, the ritual included passing a child before the fires of Molech, which was an alter or an insigia of the executive.

Religion was a department of state in pagan antiquity, parents would offer their children to Molech, which meant they would pledge their child in service to the king in exchange for a favor from Baal. It was like insurance. The child may be conscripted into the army or any other state purpose the king may wish from time to time.

Molech worship is alive and well and is practiced every day in America. Generally every American child is passed before Molech in enumeration into social security, for example. The parent pledges that childs future labor to the state in exchange for social security benefits and tax deductions in the present.

It's the same thing. God demanded that He owned the future of His children - thus it is prohibited to worship Molech. Circumcision was instituted as God's seal on owning the future in the life of His covenant people, this continues today in Baptism. In Baptism we are sealed unto the resurrection, so it is a declaration of the future.

In other words when the state begins predicting and molding the future to state purposes the people are worshipping the state and the god it represents when they go along with it. In Scripture the civil magistrate is a minister of Justice, as such is not a forward looking agency. When the state declares it has jurisdiction over the future, it is claiming to be God.

If your children have social security numbers and you are taking tax deductions on them, then you understand the exact same pressures that the ancient Israelites experienced.

What were they thinking? The same thing most Christians Americans are thinking - this isn't worship, this has to do with taxes, this is a "secular" thing and has nothing to do with religion.

Cordially,


Thomas

Oh, here is a great link with a small article on the subject Molech Worship and Baptism (http://www.chalcedon.edu/report/2003mar/rushdoonyr.shtml)

[Red Rooster]

Hello Thomas,

Thanks for the interesting article from Chalcedon. This take on Molech worship is new to me. Child sacrifice was frequently associated with the worship of the Ammonite god Molech (Lev. 18:21, 20:2-5, 2 Kings23:10, Jer. 32:35). From the commentaries I reviewed it appears that the child was either burned to death or passed between two fires as a dedication, as you pointed out. It does seem however that child sacrifice was more common than the article claims. Dt. 12:31, 2 Chr.28:3, Ps.106:37-38, Is.57:5, and Jer19:5 all specifically mention the actual burning of the child. The penalty for child sacrifice was death (Lev. 20:2-5). Nonetheless, Solomon built a high place for Molech worship on the Mount of Olives (I Kings 11:7) and both Ahaz (2Chr. 28:3) and Manasseh (2Kings 21:6) sacrificed their own children in fire. Child sacrifice would eventually become widespread enough to be the culminating reason for the exile of the Northern Kingdom in 722(2 Kings 17:6,17)

Red Rooster

[Thomas2003]

Molech Worship & Child Sacrifice


[QUOTE]Red Rooster:

Hello Thomas,

Thanks for the interesting article from Chalcedon. This take on Molech worship is new to me. Child sacrifice was frequently associated with the worship of the Ammonite god Molech (Lev. 18:21, 20:2-5, 2 Kings23:10, Jer. 32:35). From the commentaries I reviewed it appears that the child was either burned to death or passed between two fires as a dedication, as you pointed out. It does seem however that child sacrifice was more common than the article claims. Dt. 12:31, 2 Chr.28:3, Ps.106:37-38, Is.57:5, and Jer19:5 all specifically mention the actual burning of the child. The penalty for child sacrifice was death (Lev. 20:2-5). Nonetheless, Solomon built a high place for Molech worship on the Mount of Olives (I Kings 11:7) and both Ahaz (2Chr. 28:3) and Manasseh (2Kings 21:6) sacrificed their own children in fire. Child sacrifice would eventually become widespread enough to be the culminating reason for the exile of the Northern Kingdom in 722(2 Kings 17:6,17)

Red Rooster


Hi,

My understanding is that "passed through the fire" was not always the death of the child, it was more of a branding, a seal of ownership was placed on the child. Of course sacrifice did occur, probably a lot. I figured that the first born would probably be sacrificed.

The point is that the life of the child, whether killed or established for service, was determined to be the states. That is the application the author is making in comparison to today.

For example, we are told to avoid debt, "owe no man anything" because "the borrower is servant of the lender" - we cannot mortgage our future it belongs to God. Likewise, we cannot mortgage the future of our children - they belong to God.

Hence the prohibition of Molech worship and the sign of the Beast in Revelation 13 are the same thing. It is statism, as Christians we have another King, one after the order of Melchisedek. (King of Righteousness) notice a form of Molech Furthermore, our God is a consuming fire. (Deuteronomy 4:24,Hebrews 12:28-29) The Scriptural parallel is obvious - Baal worship was a counterfeit of God's Sovereignty.

Obviously not all could be or were sacrificed as without new life any society will die off. Consider, however, our modern society - do we not have child sacrifice today that is offered in the name of "convenience" in abortion?

Such a concept cannot exist until the concept of the state as Sovereign becomes normative. This concept is Molech worship - it is erecting the "high places of Baal."

Ephesians 6:12___For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

[Red Rooster]

Thomas,

I think you are correct. I did a word study on "pass through" and it can mean pass over (as in a dedication) or place in (as in burn). Apparently both took place. I could not agree with you more on your correlation to ancient child sacrifice and abortion. The answer remains the same - worship of the one, true God. Thanks again for the added perspective.

His Peace,

Rooster