In J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbit there is a tale told of five feuding people groups who merge their armies to fight a bigger threat. I have always thought of it as an allegory of the Allies going against Hitler; but the principle works both ways. I’m sure you have seen the “Queers for Palestine” and the ads for the Muslim mayoral candidate in New York who is an avowed communist. None of those things go together – as someone else has said “Queers for Palestine” is like “Chickens for KFC” it makes no sense – unless they are combining against something.
The talking heads suggest that they are uniting against conservatives, but I think it’s more likely they are uniting against Jesus and His followers. We have nothing to fear, we are following the Captain of Heaven’s army, but I for one want to do something! So, staying Biblical I will use this as motivation to stand firm in faith (Eph 6:10), in love (1 John 4:7), in fervent prayer (v 8) and in voting wisely (Joshua 24:15)! (Okay, “Choose you this day” is a bit if a stretch for voting; but Democracy wasn’t a thing when the canon was closed!)
For centuries, the name Molech has echoed through Scripture and history as a symbol of terror and corrupted worship. The Bible presents Molech not as myth, but as a very real deity venerated by the Canaanites and later imitated by some Israelites who fell into apostasy. His worship represents one of the darkest chapters in Israel’s spiritual history—a chilling example of what happens when God’s people abandon His truth for the practices of surrounding nations.
In the Old Testament, God explicitly forbade Israel from participating in Molech worship. “Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 18:21). Yet despite these commands, several kings of Judah defied God and reintroduced these abominations. King Ahaz “burned his son as an offering” (2 Kings 16:3), and later, King Manasseh “sacrificed his own son in the fire” (2 Kings 21:6). These horrific acts took place in the Valley of Ben Hinnom—known as Topheth—just outside Jerusalem’s walls.
The prophet Jeremiah condemned this valley as a place of judgment:
“They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing” (Jeremiah 32:35). Because of this, the valley became a symbol of divine wrath and eternal punishment. In later Jewish and Christian thought, Gehenna (derived from Geh Hinnom) became synonymous with hell itself.
Outside the Bible, ancient sources provide eerie confirmation of such practices. Greek historians like Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC) and Plutarch described Phoenician and Carthaginian rituals in which children were offered to a god they equated with Cronus—a deity closely identified with the Canaanite Molech. According to their accounts, a bronze statue—human-shaped but crowned with a bull’s head—was heated from below until its metal glowed red, and the victims were placed into its blazing arms while drums beat to muffle their screams.
Archaeological excavations at Carthage, Rabat, and other Phoenician colonies have uncovered Tophet cemeteries containing urns filled with the cremated remains of infants and animals. While scholars debate whether all such offerings were true sacrifices or vows made during times of distress, the evidence unmistakably points to widespread ritual burning of children—a horrifying practice that mirrors the biblical description of Molech worship in the Canaanite world.
In Israel, the prophets condemned these acts as both moral and spiritual rebellion. They represented a complete inversion of God’s commands—offering life, the most sacred gift, to a false god of death. King Josiah, in his reforms, finally desecrated Topheth to put an end to these practices (2 Kings 23:10), symbolically reclaiming the land from darkness.
Molech’s image—part history, part warning—embodies the tragic pattern of idolatry: humanity’s attempt to appease false gods through destruction. The fires of Molech may have burned out long ago, but his legacy endures as a lesson written in both Scripture and stone. He stands as a symbol of what happens when devotion divorces itself from truth—when man worships power, fear, or self in the place of the living God.
Today, Molech’s name is remembered not as one of honor, but as a haunting reminder of how far people can fall when they reject the Creator. His story calls believers to remain steadfast in the worship of the one true God, whose commands protect life and whose fire purifies rather than destroys.
NOTE FROM PASTOR SCOTT – I had a blog about “social issues” ready to go for today. In it I referenced this particular demon; and this morning this article posted to my feed. Thought it was too good not to share!
This version was written after I was already an adult; but these verses go back to my childhood. The song may seem juvenile or even vapid, but in a very down to earth way they contain deep truth. If we don’t have a reservoir of joy, peace and love deep in our hearts – then we actually need to let go of our very adult concerns and turn our eyes upon Jesus!
Sing with me!
I’ve got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
I’ve got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart to stay
I’ve got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
I’ve got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart to stay
I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart to stay
CHORUS
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart
And I’m so happy, so very happy
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart
I’ve got the love of Jesus down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
I’ve got the love of Jesus down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart to stay
Joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy jo-o-o-oy
Joy jo-o-o-o-oy
I’ve got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
Down in my heart –Where?
I’ve got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart –Where?
We are saved (Justified and Sanctified) by Grace through Faith; but as we’ve been discussing a lot on Sunday mornings, we still live, day-to-day, in the world, whose god is Satan, while wearing our flesh that reminds us of who we were. So we need to consciously remind our flesh Whose we are! Take a minute and review (sing through) this passage and song you may remember from your childhood – it is equally, if not more, needed for us as adults!
“There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)
O be careful little eyes what you see O be careful little eyes what you see For the Father up above Is looking down in love So, be careful little eyes what you see (cf. Psalm 101:3-4)
O be careful little ears what you hear O be careful little ears what you hear For the Father up above Is looking down in love So, be careful little ears what you hear (cf. Isaiah 33:15)
O be careful little tongue what you say O be careful little tongue what you say For the Father up above Is looking down in love So, be careful little tongue what you say (cf. Ephesians 4:29; 5:4; 12)
O be careful little hands what you do O be careful little hands what you do For the Father up above Is looking down in love So, be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little feet where you go O be careful little feet where you go For the Father up above Is looking down in love So, be careful little feet where you go(cf. Proverbs 4:27)
O be careful little heart whom you trust O be careful little heart whom you trust For the Father up above Is looking down in love So, be careful little heart whom you trust (cf. Proverbs 4:23)
O be careful little mind what you think O be careful little mind what you think For the Father up above Is looking down in love So, be careful little mind what you think So, be careful little mind what you think (cf. Philippians 4:8)
We are in the middle of a relatively small capital campaign to replace three roof-top HVAC units. We are committed to waiting for all of the funds to come in and to trusting God that they will come in soon. The process has made me remember other campaigns and other discussions, sometimes on church boards and sometimes in congregational meetings about whether or not God wants us to step out in faith or whether or not He wants us to wait in faith. I remember one protracted argument in a church plant in CO where we just about formed up into two “camps.” One camp said, definitively, that faith was “waiting on the Lord” (Isaiah 40:31), while the other camp said that trusting the Lord meant following Him, even into debt if He so led (Esther 4:16). It got a little uncomfortable, and we ended up moving here, before God solved it by allowing that plant to merge with a financially solvent church (i.e. a church with a paid for building). But even if you take the financial piece out of the question, the question still remains, when do we step out in faith as in Joshua 3?
It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” (Joshua 3:13, emphasis added)
And when do we wait in faith as in Exodus 14?
But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. (Exodus 14:13 Emphasis added)
I’m not sure I can give a single answer that suits all situations, but one answer that a study of Scripture suggests is that if I’m prompted to do something for another person, such as an act of compassion, an act of love, or a rendering of assistance, I would submit no waiting is necessary (1 John 3:13-22). Whereas, if I want to do something that benefits myself alone, it might be entirely appropriate to wait (Matthew 6:33). Ironically, sometimes only slowing down and waiting on God will allow us to have time to discern the difference between the two!
Grace Notes 