Sacrificed His Children

2 Chronicles 27:4-28:3 – He built towns in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas. Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years. Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God. The other events in Jotham’s reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals. He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

Leviticus 18:21 – “‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 20:25-26 – So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’

Deuteronomy 18:9 – When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.

Jeremiah 7:31 – They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

Application:

• ·         Whatever blatantly violates God’s revealed will desecrates His name because it fails to honor His holiness.
• ·         God will go to any lengths to get His people to acknowledge Him.
• ·         The people are not to resort to magical or spiritistic arts for their information, guidance or revelation.
• ·         “Nor did it enter my mind” stresses how terribly evil sacrificing children to pagan gods is to God.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV