Wrath of Idols
4 min read
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 27 Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
— 2 Kings 3:26-27
The Moabites were the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Lot was living in the city of Sodom right before God destroyed it. Because of Abraham’s intercession before God, Lot and his family were allowed to leave the city.
The story goes that Abraham and Lot came to Canaan together. But when the land could not support the assets of both men, Abraham gave lot the choice of where to establish his roots, and he chose the plains of Sodom because they were rich and fertile. He could have chosen to reconcile with Abraham and live under his household, but he wanted to make a name for himself.
He did. Not a good name, but he made a name for himself.
And now, here were his descendants rebelling against the descendants of Israel. They worshipped the god Chemosh. And under dire circumstances, Chemosh demanded the sacrifice of his minions—or so they thought.
Idolatry of all kinds is an abomination. Idolatry of all kinds causes us to sacrifice our children to the idol because they lead us and the children away from the only true God.
And even though the idols of this world, in all their forms, amount to nothing, the world fights furiously against the kingdom of God to protect its right to idolatry.
Better is one day as a slave in the kingdom of God than a thousand years as a prince outside of God’s kingdom.
The fury against the kingdom of God is great today. Our children are being sacrificed on the city walls for the freedom to desecrate the image of God in humanity. Maybe they ought to have that freedom. But where will it end?
Father, we are a society that has turned its back against You. But there are those who call Your name who seem to trust in laws and politics more than they trust in You. Forgive both sides for its idolatry. Bring us to our senses, Lord. In Jesus’s name. Amen.