Child Sacrifice

In San Diego, this past weekend, an 8-year-old boy was rescued by a lady who prevented the boy's father from successfully sacrificing him, while the child's mother and sisters watched. 

Here's a link to the article:  http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Father-Sacrifice-Son-Mount-Hope-Cemeter...

The Bible tells us that God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. What a horrible concept. 

Now, of course, we know that God was only testing Abraham and, eventually, kept him from continuing through with the sacrifice of his son. But what about Isaac? Do you think he trusted his dad after such an event?

From his perspective, it would seem that his dad went nuts. Imagine sitting at the dinner table later that night. Sarah, Isaac's mom, asks Isaac if he had fun hiking with his father. Isaac, who from this point on probably becomes a total Emo kid, mumbles the classic kid response: "it was cool, I guess." At which point, Abraham, in order to change the subject, asks his wife to kindly pass the fatted calf. 

We are not given an actual insight into the emotions and mindset of Abraham and Isaac during this event. We do know Abraham trusted God. Some scholars believe that Abraham believed God would not actually have him go through with it, or, at very least, would resurrect him right after the event.

Regardless, child sacrifice is atrocious. Thankfully, we have a God who detests the practice as well.*  That is one of the many things that set apart the God of Abraham from the other gods of his day. Those who worshipped Molech, for example, practiced child sacrifice. They would toss their newborn children onto a heated stone bowl that was part of a grotesque statue of the their god, Molech.

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When Yahweh stopped Abraham from following through with the sacrifice, such an event was unheard of in the pagan world. None of their gods would have ever been merciful in such a way as to stop a child sacrifice. 

The greatness of our God is so wondrous, He even gave up His only Son as a sacrifice for us. No god is like our God. 

As for the man in San Diego who tried to sacrifice his child due to a command his dead grandmother gave him, ... hmmm, nothing more needs be said. I am just thankful God had a person nearby who was able to intervene and save that child.   

It's a crazy world.

*"There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead." - Deuteronomy 18:10-12.