What is the meaning of Leviticus 18:21? You must not give any of your children God begins with a clear prohibition: “You must not give any of your children.” The wording leaves no loopholes—no child may be surrendered, not even one. Scripture consistently portrays children as gifts entrusted by the Lord (Psalm 127:3; Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Surrendering them to any purpose outside His will violates that trust. • The command is personal (“you”) and comprehensive (“any”), stressing parental responsibility. • Similar commands appear later: “Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:2-3). God repeats Himself so Israel grasps the seriousness. • Jesus echoes the heart of this protection when He welcomes children and warns against causing them to stumble (Matthew 18:5-6). to be sacrificed to Molech “Molech” was a pagan deity associated with fiery child sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35). Offering children on Molech’s altar combined murder with idolatry—two sins explicitly condemned in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3, 13). • Any worship outside the covenant God is idolatry (Exodus 20:3-5). • Sacrifice of the innocent is “hands that shed innocent blood,” which God hates (Proverbs 6:16-17). • The horror of Molech worship highlights the contrast between the living God, who gives life, and idols that demand death (Psalm 115:4-8). for you must not profane the name of your God To “profane” is to treat as common what is holy. When Israel mimicked pagan practices, they dragged God’s name through the mud before the watching nations (Ezekiel 20:39; Romans 2:24). • God’s people bear His name (Numbers 6:27). Their conduct reflects on His character. • By protecting life and rejecting idols, Israel would be a “kingdom of priests” pointing others to the true God (Exodus 19:5-6). • In Christ, believers likewise are urged: “Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17), lest the gospel be discredited. I am the LORD God seals the command with His covenant name—YHWH—reminding Israel of who speaks. • “I am the LORD” appears repeatedly in Leviticus to ground every statute in His unchanging authority (Leviticus 19:4, 36). • The phrase ties back to the Exodus: the God who delivered Israel has every right to direct their lives (Exodus 20:2). • The same Lord now calls believers to obedience grounded in gratitude for redemption (1 Peter 1:15-19). summary Leviticus 18:21 forbids Israel from handing over even a single child to Molech because doing so would desecrate God’s holy name. The verse protects innocent life, rejects idolatry, and reminds God’s people that every command rests on His covenant authority: “I am the LORD.” |
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