For the earth will be filled with the knowledge
of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14 NIV)
Turn away from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it! (Psalm 34:14 GW)
After a few weeks of intense work to finish the plans on the arts camp, I have been trying to rest and catch up other areas of my life. Laundry room? Done. Basic housekeeping? Done. Blog posts? In process. Bible Recap? Making progress. The other morning I was trying to catch up the Bible reading and I was in 2 Kings. Along with 1 King and 1 & 2 Chronicles, these books tell a history of the nations of Israel and Judah after they came into the Promised Land and God gave them kings. Unfortunately, after King David and King Solomon, the kings descended into sin, idolatry, and, in some cases, downright evil. There were a few exceptions to this gloomy “rule,” but the general trajectory was downhill.
The passage I was reading was when the kings and armies of Judah (the Southern Kingdom of God’s people, descended from Jacob), Israel (the Northern Kingdom of God’s people descended from Jacob), and Edom (the children of Jacob’s brother Esau) united against the king and army of Moab. The battle went badly against Moab until the very last sentences, “Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.” (2 Kings 3:27 NIV) Evidently, the battle tide turned in favor of Moab after their king sacrificed his son and successor.
EWWWW! I thought. What the…??? I know that many peoples in the Ancient Middle East practiced human sacrifice but how did that result in the “fury against Israel [being] great” so that the other armies “withdrew and returned to their own land”? I did a search for information on this and came to an article* that explained that among the Canaanite peoples there was a tradition of child sacrifice in order to alleviate a military siege. Evidently the seldom-used practice was believed to force their god(s) to turn back the sieging armies. I’m not so sure, though, that that practice worked not because the god(s) intervened, but because the sieging armies were so disgusted by the sight of the child sacrifice.
I think most humans have (and should have!) a conditioned reflex against child sacrifice. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the child soldiers, youth suicide bombers, sex trafficking, slavery, and abortions in our world, not everyone does. It was easy, in my mind, to then assume that these biblical armies left because they were traumatized by this event. I would have been. But, the article closes with another assertion:
“This consideration might mitigate our moral condemnation of this “degenerate heathen.” Mesha’s sacrifice of his firstborn, seen in this new light, was virtually guaranteed to save the lives of the entire population—men, women and children—of the city under siege. In these circumstances, Mesha’s conduct may be seen as an act of altruism sanctioned—indeed, commended—by venerable religious tradition.”
This sounds like the argument for dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War 2: Kill 300,000 Japanese (or so) in order to save 1 million Allied and Japanese lives. One sacrifice here to save a larger group there. This happens in war. One platoon might be sent on an especially dangerous mission to protect the larger company or battalion. Whether the sacrifice is made to placate a god or gods, or because leaders believe it is the best option, especially when viewed in the context of the whole story, it’s a hard thing to accept.
But why was there “fury” against Israel if the Moabite king committed the murder? Another article** claims that the death of the heir apparent goaded the Moabite troops to fight even harder, eventually forcing the Israelites (and their aligned armies) to retreat.
As always, being several thousand years and several thousand miles removed from a situation makes it more difficult to understand. God didn’t make mistakes about what he put in the Bible, so there must be a reason for these verses and this story. Biblical scholarship and general archeology support the likelihood of this event happening. So, what do these difficult and complex passages have to do with our lives today? At minimum, it is a reminder to pray for peace in our world, to pray against child sacrifice in its many forms, to pray that militaries and governments aren’t led by arrogance and thirst for power. I believe that challenging passages remind us to call on God for wisdom and discernment – to seek the deep Truths God wants to reveal. May we continue to pray for those caught in the turmoil of war and conflict.
God of Thunder and Peace,
Blessed be you, O Lord our God, who is our fortress, tower, and steadfast lovingkindness. We come before you seeking understanding and wisdom. Help us to discern the lessons hidden within these stories and to see beyond the surface to the deeper truths you wish to reveal. Guide us as we reflect on the sacrifices made, both ancient and modern, and grant us compassion for those caught in the turmoil of war and conflict. We pray in the name of Jesus that you will cut off the demonic spirits that are stirring up war in our world. Dry up the people and physical and financial resources that are supporting armed conflict in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and Israel, Sudan, the Congo, Taiwan and in other areas. Scatter, confuse, embarrass, and frustrate the enemies of your Children in all countries so that peace may resound. We pray for those who have lost their lives to child sacrifice in its many forms, and we pray for healing and restoration for children who have been groomed for sex trafficking or as slaves, soldiers, or suicide bombers. In the midst of truly difficult stories in the Bible and in our day, may we find peace in knowing that your ways are just and your mercy endures forever. Bless, prosper, and favor all those whose God is the Lord, we pray in Jesus’s name, AMEN.
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:8-10 AMP)
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength,
Who trains my hands for war
And my fingers for battle;
My [steadfast] lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my rescuer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.
Lord, what is man that You take notice of him?
Or the son of man that You think of him?
Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a shadow that passes away.
Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
Flash lightning and scatter my enemies;
Send out Your arrows and confuse and embarrass and frustrate them.
Stretch out Your hand from above;
Set me free and rescue me from great waters,
Out of the hands of [hostile] foreigners [who surround us]
Whose mouths speak deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
Who gives salvation to kings,
Who sets David His servant free from the evil sword.
Set me free and rescue me from the hand of [hostile] foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
Let our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
And our daughters like corner pillars fashioned for a palace;
Let our barns be full, supplying every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
Let our cattle bear
Without mishap and without loss,
And let there be no outcry in our streets!
How blessed and favored are the people in such circumstance;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the Lord! (Psalm 144 AMP)
*https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/why-king-mesha-of-moab-sacrificed-his-oldest-son/#:~:text=In%20the%20Biblical%20account%20we,translated%20“indignation”%20is%20ketsef.
**https://www.evidenceunseen.com/bible-difficulties-2/ot-difficulties/1-samuel-2-chronicles/2-king-327-did-god-have-anger-at-israel-for-this-moabite-human-sacrifice/