Why did God have to warn his people about sacrificing their own children? (Deut. 12:31)
Why did God have to warn his people about sacrificing their own children? (12:31)--” 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
Deuteronomy 12:31
ESV - 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
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Asked June 15 2018
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Jack Gutknecht
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Danny Hickman
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psa 127:3-5)
Solomon wrote this Psalm (song). He was writing about God... (let me say that again) He wasn't trying to convince anyone of the joys of parenting, he was writing a song about how God builds a 'house.'
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. (vs 1)
We read vs 5 and as we usual, we become filled with pride in ourselves for what God has done!
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. (vs 5) This vs is a bit misleading if you soon forget vs 3; that our children are our heritage, and are from the builder of the 'house.' (the house is the family, the nation, etc).
To throw your children in the fire of sacrifice is to forfeit your future for a bowl of soup, because you're hungry today! It is to despise your inheritance!
Look at the difference in Jacob's offspring and Esau's. Esau sold them out! (Gn 25:32,33)
A people who doesn't see their children as their future doesn't know the value of their own future. It's emblematic of the depth of mankind's depravity.
We are said to be 'depraved' because human life didn't have its beginning in this shape. Sin REDUCED us! We were debased, brought low and into contempt!
How did we ever get this messed up? Sin!