WHY DOES GOD CONDEMN PAGANISM AND MOLECH'S INFLUENCE?
The modern world embraces a death culture from abortion to euthanasia, not knowing that these things have a distant past. ONE OF THE ODDEST things revealed in Bible history is the magnetic attraction of idolatry and false gods like Molech, a death god. Whenever Israel lost their strong, Godly leadership they would slip back into paganism, rejecting the real deity why?
Jeremiah 2:10-13, “‘And see if there has been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit. 12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,’ says the LORD. 13 ‘For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns-broken cisterns…’” (NKJV)
Why does the real God warn about His people turning away from Him for false gods? God knows how damaging false gods are to mankind, period. Human nature, when left alone, tends to be attracted toward evil paganism. Why is Molech one of the worst of them?
Molech was depicted as a human body with a bull’s head. His statue was usually made of bronze with arms outstretched and a belly that opened to serve as a furnace. The horrible thing about this idol was its use in infant or child sacrifices. Families allowed children to “pass through the fire”, meaning to be burned alive to Molech to secure favor and prosperity while the sound of drums drowned out the screams of the infants.
Leviticus 18:21, “And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.”
This taking of life is a direct offense to God who is the Father of all life and God issues stern warnings about engaging in such evil practices.
THE REAL LIFE-CREATING GOD LOVES LIFE AND HATES MOLECH
The Living God loves life and protects life. When He orders lives to be destroyed, it is not without reason. The Canaanites not only practiced child sacrifice; they also engaged in temple child prostitution and adult sacrifices among other evils. All these practices contributed to a culture of death while God led the Israelites into a culture that respected life.
Leviticus 20:2-3, “Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off…because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name.’”
God so hates the murder of children that He made the evil sacrifices to Molech a capital crime. Dangerous evil leaders in Israel practiced this awful crime.
1 Kings 11:5-7, “For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.”
PAGAN SUPERSTITIOUS FEARS DOMINATED THE ANCIENT WORLD
Even the wise Solomon fell to this magnetically evil practice late in his life. Superstitious pagan societies –– having cut themselves off from the true God –– feared nature and weather. Things like losing wars, lack of fertility, bad crops turned them to appeasing wrathful, false gods for help. What was behind those idols of bulls and predators?
1 Corinthians 10:19-20, “What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.”
Demons love scaring people into slaughtering their own babies for their supposed “safety” and “rewards.” Satan heavily favors a death culture both then and now. Also they loved paganism because it had no moral codes like the Ten Commandments and included a lot of prostitution, suggestive dancing, and revelry.
2 Chronicles 33:1-3, “Manasseh…did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heavenand served them.”
Verse 6, “Also he caused his sons to pass through the firein the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD.”
The valley of Hinnom is where statues of Molech were used to burn babies alive. This evil leadership was a great curse upon Israel and Judah anciently. Note Jeremiah 32:35.
GODLY LEADERSHIP IS A GREAT BLESSING TO A NATION
Israel prospered under good leadership and followed the true God but like magnetism –– whenever the strong, good influence was removed they fell back into idolatry with all its excesses.
Judges 2:18-19, “And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge…19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.”
Good leaders were a clear blessing to God's people from God, which they often did not appreciate. Good kings like Josiah were a blessing to the people and note his actions:
2 Kings 23:10, “And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech.”
MODERN SECULAR CULTURE IS NOW ALSO A CULTURE OF DEATH
The same demons that inspired the ancient cultures of death are now pushing modern versions of a death culture on the west. They push and love abortion of the unborn, sterilization of teens, and euthanization of the elderly. They love it, as is seen by the extreme fight for abortion. Note what Paul said:
Romans 1:21-23, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping…”
Molech was a bull like figure and his worship led to an undermining of marriage. It is quite clear that marriage produces the best birth rate for a nation. Unfortunately, much of the modern world undermines marriage with easy divorce and discourage people from having children. Instead, many countries are now encouraging things like assisted suicide even among the young; abortion, even late term abortions; sterilization of teens; euthanasia of the elderly. Sacrificing children or infants in exchange for pagan favors is antithetical to God’s nature, and He condemns the practice in the strongest terms.
ISSUES: ARE MOST PEOPLE AWARE OF WHY THE BIRTHRATE CRISIS IS UPON US?
