Sanctity Of Life Day
In Jeremiah 19 the Israelite people had strayed far from God. Through the prophet Jeremiah God sent warning after warning that the people needed to turn back to worship Him — the one true God. Finally God’s patience runs out and Jeremiah brings this prophetic word against Israel: (3) “‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. (4) For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. (5) They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. (6) So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. (7) “‘In this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies…” Jeremiah 19:3-7 NIV
Chilling words from a God ready to pour out judgement and vengeance on the very people whom he had repeatedly rescued and upheld. The Hebrew people were not only not worshipping God, but they instead were worshipping Baal — the pagan god of the Canaanites and an actual demon of Satan. Part of the ritual of worship to Baal was the sacrificing of children, and according to verses 4 and 5 — they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent…they have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings…
God is certainly angry with the people for their idolatry — but it was the WAY they worshipped Baal that revolted him. In verse 5 God reveals “nor did it enter my mind” to command you not to do something so vile as killing your own children. When you read the book of Leviticus and understand all of the things that God forbade the people of Israel — you realize that they were surrounded by people of hideous practices. Yet God essentially tells them here — you have committed atrocities that are beyond comprehension.
And so, God brought judgement on His people as the Babylonian Empire crushed Jerusalem and burned it to the ground. The people were carted off into captivity and were enslaved for 70 years. God’s righteous judgement poured out on his people over the vileness of their sin.
On this Sanctity of Life Day, may we remember that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. America — He who has an ear to ear… let him hear.
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