Offering Our Children To Idols

by Dan Richardson

Before Israel entered Canaan, God warned of the abominable practice of offering their children to the idol Molech. This involved causing them to pass through the fire - to become a human sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21; cf. Jeremiah 32:35). The very thought that parents could do this to their children shocks us.

But scripture points out that there is something far worse than physical death. “And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, (even) the lake of fire. And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15).

While we are too “cultured” to conceive of offering our children in such a way that would sacrifice their physical life, many today think very little about offering their children to “gods” that will effect them spiritually and eternally.

Many parents offer their children to the god of materialism when they rear them in an atmosphere where money is shown to be the most important thing in life. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-34; cf. I Timothy 6:9-10). They come to view life merely as an opportunity to lay up treasures on earth, with little or no time for God.

Also, children are sacrificed to the god of pleasure. This begins as children grow up observing, and eventually adopting, their parent's infatuation for sports, hobbies, etc. The problem isn't in justifying the need for some recreation in our lives (which is healthy), but in allowing recreational pursuits to consume us. The Bible warns of those who are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (II Timothy 3:4). Many parents influence their children toward the pleasure “god” with a fanatical zeal, leaving scarce little time for spiritual training. It isn't surprising that, while these children are trained to possess great knowledge/skill in athletics, etc., they know little about God and the Bible. The precedent is set to allow ball games, golf, fishing, hunting, or whatever to come first and God second (if at all). But God will not take second place in our lives (Matthew 6:33). Consequently, many children become offerings to the “god” of fun and frolic.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Again, “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). The time parents have with their children is too short and their opportunities to train them too limited to allow their children to become sacrifices to the world. The abominations of Molech are not that far removed from us today.