Cultures around the world have been killing children longer than there has been recorded history, including the Aztecs, the Incas, the Mayans, the Carthaginians (who worshipped Moloch), the Phoenicians, non-Muslim Arabians, Ugandans, South Africans, and more.
Why? What could motivate loving parents to toss their children into fires and volcanoes? I believe the devil is behind it. He hates God, and to hurt God, he attacks the most vulnerable and innocent—children. Consequently, through one deception or another, our enemy has been convincing people to kill children for centuries. Is your city having a plague? Kill more children. Is an army going to attack at dawn? Sacrifice your children to your pagan gods. Bargain with your idols—maybe if you bring death to your children, the “gods” of wood and stone that you worship will stop sending death to your family. It’s a bargain, right? A trade-off. Have earthquakes been destroying your village? Throw some children into the crevasse. Appease the gods of the earth by giving them the thing that you love most. Are you pregnant and the baby is going to mess up your plans for college or a career? Make a deal with your fate, make a bargain. Terminate your child so you can have a great career. It’s just another trade-off right?
When the Hebrew people began to outnumber the Egyptians (400 years after Joseph), the Pharaoh told the mid-wives to kill all the male children. The mid-wives refused, and God blessed them with families of their own. The Pharaoh then commanded the Egyptians to kill all the male children born to the Hebrews. The Bible does not say how many Hebrew boys were killed, but the rule was serious enough that Jochebed, the mother of Moses, kept him hidden for three months, then put him in a basket at the riverbank, hoping (I believe) that the Pharaoh’s daughter would have mercy on the child. God greatly blessed Moses and through him, his mother, Jochebed. God rewarded her faith and obedience.
Years later, Herod was so afraid of Jesus, whom he considered a rival king, that he told his soldiers to slaughter every male child two years of age and under. Satan continues to attack children around the globe, through whatever means. I believe, as do many Christians, that the evil of abortion is the modern world’s equivalent of child sacrifice. People in our culture cannot stomach the idea of killing babies. But if you back the timeline up two or three months, many find it quick and painless. After all, they have not seen or held their child yet, so they have less sense of loss. On top of that, people who get abortions have already begun to think of the child as a problem, an inconvenience, and they want that problem to go away. An abortion seems like an easy way to solve a huge problem. Moms and dads and abortionists see it as a trade-off, a “victimless crime.” Mom “terminates” a pregnancy today and “gets on with her life,” and then later she will have a baby at a time that better fits her plans.
God does not see it that way. It is NOT a trade-off, and it is certainly not a “victimless crime.” The child is a victim, and so are the parents. The loss is huge and painful and leaves scars that will trouble the parents for years to come. And what does God say about those who kill their children, sacrificing them to idols?
“I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from the nation, because he has given his child to Moloch. He shall surely be put to death. [Sacrificing children] never came into My mind, that they should do this abomination!” Leviticus 20:3,2; Jeremiah 32:35.
God pronounces a penalty of death to those who kill their own children. He takes this sin seriously!
But what about those who do not choose abortion? God will bless them. They probably got pregnant out of wedlock. Their actions were immoral and wrong, a sin as serious as adultery. But God will bless them for NOT choosing abortion—for not murdering their child. Consider the story of the Hebrew mid-wives.
“So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He gave them families and children of their own.”
Exodus 1: 18-21.
The Hebrew mid-wives obeyed God, honored children, and God gave them children of their own. Isn’t that a perfect reward for their obedience?
How are you obeying God today? What are you doing right? Think about an area where you consistently obey God. He will bless you in that area. Just as the mid-wives took care of the babies and were blessed with babies of their own, when you are obedient, God will bless you in that very area, in that same realm. If you are faithful about schoolwork, God will make you a successful student. If you are a good friend to others, God will reward you with more friends. If you honor God with your money, He may bless you with money.
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