What consequences does God outline for following Molech in Leviticus 20:5? Setting the scene “Then I will set My face against that man and against his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostitution with Molech.” (Leviticus 20:5) Consequence spelled out in verse 5 • God personally turns against the offender—“I will set My face against that man.” • The judgment reaches the offender’s household—“and against his family.” • Divine sentence of removal—“cut off from among their people.” • Everyone associated with the idolatry shares the fate—“both him and all who follow him in prostitution with Molech.” Why this penalty is so severe • Molech worship involves child sacrifice, a direct assault on the sanctity of life (Leviticus 18:21). • It desecrates God’s sanctuary and profanes His name (Leviticus 20:3). • Idolatry is spiritual adultery; God demands exclusive covenant loyalty (Exodus 20:3–5). Supporting passages that echo the warning • Deuteronomy 12:31—God abhors child sacrifice. • 2 Kings 23:10—King Josiah destroys Topheth to end Molech worship. • Jeremiah 32:35—Judah’s fall linked to offering sons and daughters to Molech. • Romans 1:24–25—Idolatry leads to God “giving them over” to their own corruption. Lessons for believers today • God’s holiness remains non-negotiable; He still “sets His face against” willful sin (James 4:4). • Sin rarely stays private; families and communities feel the fallout (Exodus 34:7). • True worship demands wholehearted devotion, rejecting every modern “Molech” that competes for our allegiance (1 John 5:21). |
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