Human sacrifices, as offerings, are explicitly forbidden in the Bible, reflecting the sanctity of human life and the abhorrence of such practices in the worship of the God of Israel. The prohibition against human sacrifice is rooted in the understanding that life is a sacred gift from God, and the taking of innocent life is a grave sin.

Old Testament Prohibitions

The Old Testament contains clear prohibitions against human sacrifice. In Leviticus 18:21, the Israelites are commanded, "You must 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." This command underscores the seriousness of the offense, associating it with the profanation of God's holy name.

Deuteronomy 12:31 further emphasizes this prohibition: "You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods." Here, the practice is linked to the idolatrous customs of surrounding nations, which the Israelites are to avoid.

Historical Context and Instances

Despite these clear prohibitions, there are instances in the historical narratives of the Old Testament where human sacrifice is mentioned, often as a reflection of the apostasy and moral decline of the people. In 2 Kings 16:3, King Ahaz of Judah is described as engaging in such practices: "He walked in the way of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites."

Similarly, 2 Kings 21:6 recounts the actions of Manasseh, who "sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger." These accounts serve as a stark warning against the influence of pagan practices and the severe consequences of turning away from God's commandments.

Prophetic Condemnation

The prophets of Israel also spoke vehemently against human sacrifice. Jeremiah 7:31 records God's condemnation through the prophet: "They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter My mind." This passage highlights the utter foreignness of such practices to God's will and character.

Ezekiel 16:20-21 further illustrates the divine disapproval: "You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols." The language here is intensely personal, reflecting God's deep sorrow and anger over the betrayal of His covenant people.

Theological Implications

The prohibition of human sacrifice is deeply tied to the theological understanding of God as the Creator and sustainer of life. Human life is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and thus holds intrinsic value and dignity. The offering of human life as a sacrifice is a violation of this divine image and an affront to God's sovereignty.

Moreover, the sacrificial system established by God in the Old Testament was designed to point to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who offered Himself once for all (Hebrews 10:10). The substitutionary atonement of Christ fulfills the sacrificial requirements, rendering any human sacrifice not only unnecessary but blasphemous.

In summary, the biblical witness is clear and consistent in its denunciation of human sacrifice. It stands as a testament to the value God places on human life and His desire for His people to worship Him in spirit and truth, free from the corrupting influences of pagan practices.Leviticus 18:21
And you shall not let any of your seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
Nave's Topical Index

Leviticus 20:2-5
Again, you shall say to the children of Israel, Whoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that gives any of his seed to Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
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Deuteronomy 12:31
You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Nave's Topical Index

Whether a Suitable Cause Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies which ...
... This was denoted in the offerings and sacrifices, by the ... Thy hand." Wherefore in
offering up sacrifices man made ... And since, for the human mind to be directed ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether a suitable cause can.htm

Some Gospel Truths Opened, According to the Scriptures; Or, the ...
... godly conversation, and his ability to preach the gospel, not by human art, but ... another,
as the blood of bulls, and lambs, and goats: Also sacrifices of divers ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/some gospel truths opened according.htm

Balak's Inquiries Relative to the Service of God, and Balaam's ...
... If common offerings, and the usual number of victims ... The sacrifices of old derived
all their value from ... Human victims, the most costly, and therefore supposed ...
/.../sermon xviii balaks inquiries relative.htm

Balaam
... Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of ... be coaxed and flattered
round by sacrifices to do ... Oh, if all this is not poor human nature, drawn ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon xiv balaam.htm

Leviticus
... guilt offering, the priests' share of the sacrifices, the period ... share of the meal
and peace offerings, x.12 ... for the detection of leprosy in the human body, xiii ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/leviticus.htm

The Danger of Deviating from Divine Institutions.
... of God"a mere matter of human invention ... their gratitude, and smell a sweet savor
in their sacrifices. ... mostly taken from among men, the offerings were adapted ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxviii the danger of.htm

And yet it is Perhaps Straining Too Far for those who do Believe ...
... of living animals and the polluted offerings on their ... and dwelt among us in His human
nature, all ... was the customary round of their sacrifices throughout the ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xviii and yet it.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... and gifts made to them"Sacrifices, the expiation ... to have been mostly ex-voto offerings
placed somewhere ... and more especially those splendid human-headed bulls ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

Jeremiah and Deuteronomy. (Chs. vii, viii. 8, xi. )
... at the Exodus concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices ... the abolition of animal
sacrifices, Jeremiah, by his ... the substitute for them"the human sacrifice, the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/3 jeremiah and deuteronomy chs.htm

The Spiritual Life
... is able from natural freedom to shun these same evils because of their being contrary
to human laws. ... "Sacrifices," "meat offerings," "incense," "new moons ...
/.../swedenborg/spiritual life and the word of god/part firstthe spiritual life.htm

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