Molech 2.0

"They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech.  Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do! It never even entered My mind to command them to do such a thing! So Judah is certainly liable for punishment." (Jeremiah 32:35)

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Althea spoke of the modern-day equivalents of child sacrifice. Though we may not see individuals placing their children onto bonfires, and we may not see individuals taking knives to slay their children, this twenty-first century offers forms of sacrifice that are more subtle, but no less dangerous.

Our pastor noted that modern-day Baal worship is marked by a love for money and a desire for the trappings of prosperity. For decades, if not longer, many cultures have been sold the lie that it is appropriate to neglect the supervision of the young. As parents have left children to fend for themselves, children have been exposed to all sorts of evils. As parents have failed to express love to their children, those children have fallen for cheap substitutes of “love” in gangs and in illicit relationships.

Today, what do our hearts look like? Are our hearts devoted to God alone? Have we given ourselves over to the worship of Baal? Have we left our children to be consumed for the appeasement of Molech? If we find ourselves in a position of having personally  left the next generation to care for themselves, then let us repent and do our best to make amends. Perhaps it is not too late for us to have a godly impact on the next generation.

God, You know our hearts. Forgive us for chasing income at the expense of our children and the children in our communities. Forgive us for not trusting You to provide for us as You see fit. Forgive us for buying into the lie that our identity is grounded in our bank account, our wardrobe, or our personal connections. We believe that You are all that we really need, and that You will be faithful to meet our needs. Give us grace to live in light of what we believe.