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WORDS from the WORD by Charles L. Feinberg, Th.D., Ph.D., Director, Tolbot Theological Semin
M o l e c h
M olech is the Hebrew word for king (melech) with the vowels of the word bosheth (shame), showing contempt for a heathen god. It was a deity worshiped by the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:7), known also as Mil- com (1 Kings 11:5, 33; 2 Kings 23: 13) and Malcam (Jer. 49:1,3; per haps Amos 1:15; Zeph. 1:5; 2 Sam. 12:30; 1 Chr. 20:2, sometimes trans lated “ their king” ). Once only it oc curs as Moloch in Acts 7:43. The con cept and ritual were related to that of Baal (Jer. 32:35) who was worshiped with human sacrifices at Tyre as Melcarth, king of the city. The practice of Molech worship is seen early in the history of Israel. The Mosaic law condemned to death- anyone participating in this worship. See Leviticus 18:21; 20:1-5; Deuter onomy 12:31; 18:10-13. In his old age Solomon was led astray into this idolatry by his Ammonite wives. Later, children were offered to Mo lech in the Valley of Hinnom at Topheth (Psa. 106:38; Jer. 7:31; 19:4, 5; Ezek. 16:21; 23:37, 39; see also Isa. 30:33). Ahaz burned some of his chil dren there (2 Chr. 28:3) and Manas- seh offered his son there (2 Kings 21:6). The northern kingdom was also guilty in this regard (2 Kings 17:17). Josiah, the godly reforming king, demolished the altars built to Molech and other idols by Solomon (2 Kings 23:10, 13). The c h i l d r e n offered were pre sumably the first-born. The phrase “ to pass through the fire” means to offer or dedicate by fire. The exact nature of the rites of this worship is not known. The offering by fire was literal and personal, and the im plication from Jeremiah 49:3 is that the priesthood was both numerous and important. Some rabbis have ad
vanced the t h e o r y that passing through the fire was only a ceremoni al purification by walking between two fires, but this is contrary to all the evidence, especially the prohibi tions. It has been suggested that the victims were not binned alive but killed as sacrifices first, then pre sented as burnt offerings. In spite of Josiah’s efforts to ex tirpate the godless practice, it con tinued until the destruction of Jeru salem in 586 B.C. as is clear from the prophets of the time who denounced it. Consult the evidence in Amos 1:15; 5:25; and Micah 6:6, 7 (sup posed to be in the spirit of a Molech wnrshiper). We do not hear of it after the exile; Psalm 106:37, 38 is only a retrospective reference. According to a rabbinical source the god Molech was a hollow bronze figure wdth an ox’s head and extend ed human arms. The image was heat ed with fire from within, then little ones were thrown into its arms to be slowly burned. In order to prevent their parents from hearing their dy ing screams, the cries of the children were drowned by the beating of drums by the sacrificing priest. Heathen practices kept making their bid for faith and practice in Israel throughout biblical history. When Israel acceded to the idolatrous pressure from without, their disobe dience was denounced and visited of God. The prophets of God allowed no quarter for inhuman and idolatrous practices and rites such as those which were an integral part of Molech worship. Thank God, the moral and spiritual level of the Old Testament faith was always far be- vond that of their heathen neighbors. Thus the light was kept burning until the Light Himself came. END.
Glory not in wealth nor in friends, but in God who giveth all things and desireth to give thee Himself above all- — Thomas a Kempis
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