Some years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel. It’s a valuable experience to walk in the Holy Land and see the places where much of the Biblical story unfolded. Our trip included a visit to the archeological remains of the ancient city of Megiddo. This city was a strategically crucial site along the most important route of trade and travel in the ancient Middle East. The route connected Egypt with Asia Minor and the great empires of Mesopotamia. Starting in Egypt, the road extended northward along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and was thus called the “Way of the Sea.” During Roman Times, this became known by its Latin name – the Via Maris. However, northward progress was blocked by the coastal Carmel mountain range. Travelers were forced eastward through a narrow pass into the Jezreel Valley. The city of Megiddo guarded this narrow pass. Ancient kings eagerly desired to control Megiddo which would in turn allow them to seize command any trade or transport along the Via Maris. Unsurprisingly, the city of Megiddo was heavily fortified again attack and several major battles took place here.
Among the historical treasures at Megiddo was one object that I found particularly fascinating. There is a massive circular stone altar which dates to the time of the Canaanites prior to the Israelite conquest. The altar is a tangible reminder of the kind of worship which was practiced by the Canaanite people. The Bible often refers to the Canaanite worship of Baal. The word Baal means “Lord” and could be a generic term for any local diety. However, the scriptures more frequently use the term Baal more specifically to refer to the chief god in the Canaanite pantheon. Baal governed the heavens and was thus sovereign over the weather. He controlled the sunshine, rainfall, and storms. Since agricultural productivity in the Levant depends upon rainfall, Baal came to be strongly associated with fertility. The female goddess Asherah – also frequently mentioned in the Bible – was thought to be the consort of Baal. This “power couple” would cause no end of trouble for the children of Israel.
Since Baal was the deity of fertility, the Canaanites would present him with sacrifices of animals and crops, hoping to obtain his favor. If Baal received proper worship, then he would bless the people with a richly abundant harvest of grain and wine. Moreover, the Canaanites hoped that this blessing of fertility would extend to their livestock – their cattle, sheep and goats – and even to their own families. Times of drought, famine and distress were interpreted as signs of Baal’s disfavor and therefore an impetus to intensify their worship.
In Canaanite thought, the sexual union of Baal and Asherah resulted in fertility, abundance and prosperity. Accordingly, the worship of Baal and Asherah often involved ritual sex with temple prostitutes. Such behaviors were thoroughly condemned by the Biblical prophets. Interestingly, the union of Baal and Asherah was reflected in many other Canaanite practices which involved mixing of two different kinds of things. By mingling things together, the Canaanites were mimicking the union of Baal and Asherah and thereby invoking the blessing of these pagan gods.
These practices are indirectly reflected in God’s strange prohibitions to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 22:9-11: “Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled. Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.” Modern Christians are puzzled by these commands, wondering why God would issue such bizarre instructions. Wearing clothes containing two different kinds of two materials might be bad fashion, but surely there is nothing intrinsically evil about it! Yet by understanding the cultural context, we are now able to grasp the wisdom of God’s word. These commands forbid the Israelites from emulating Canaanite practices which were tantamount to the worship of Baal and Asherah.
We also know that the worship of Baal involved the barbaric practice of child sacrifice. Through the words of the prophet Jeremiah, God condemns the kings of Judah and the people of Jerusalem for slaughtering their children on behalf of Baal. “They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal – something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.” (Jeremiah 19:5) The divine tone here is one of extreme exasperation, like a parent who finds their kid engaged in some stunning misbehavior: “How could you possibly think this is a good idea?“
While Baal claimed his own victims, child sacrifice was especially associated with the Canaanite god Moloch. Moloch was often portrayed with the body of a man but the head of a bull. Idols of Moloch included an opening at the base which served as an oven within which a sacrificial child would be consumed.
Of all the corrupt behaviors practiced by the Canaanites, the horror of child sacrifice is singled out for particularly strenuous condemnation. In the Torah, God expressly forbids the children of Israel from engaging in such shameful conduct. “You shall not give any of your children to devote them by fire to Moloch, and so profane the name of your God.” (Leviticus 18:21) God commanded that anyone in Israel who offered up their child for sacrifice would face the penalty of death. “Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him.” (Leviticus 20:2) Importantly, God pronounces severe consequences for the surrounding community if they “close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put to put him to death.”
God had called the people of Israel to bear his own image – to demonstrate to all the surrounding nations how the world can flourish when people live according to God’s wisdom and justice. Tragically, these strict prohibitions of child sacrifice were not enough to prevent the people of Israel from engaging in these disgraceful customs. The Bible records several prominent examples of the Israelites following the Canaanite practice of child sacrifice. For instance, 2 Kings 21 recounts the spectacularly wicked reign of Manasseh the king of Judah: “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites… He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists.”
But the despicable practice of child sacrifice was by no means limited to the king alone. The following passage from Jeremiah chapter 32 clearly indicates that this ghastly custom was widely observed: “The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done – they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem…They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind that they should do such a detestable thing.”
I wish I could say that this whole discussion is simply an interesting lesson in Biblical history. But the deeply disturbing conduct of the ancient Canaanites – behavior which ensnared the children of Israel – is highly relevant to our modern age. History has a habit of repeating itself. In January of 1973, the United States Supreme Court “discovered” that the Constitution grants women the right to have an abortion. Since that fateful day, abortion has enjoyed protected legal status in the US.
It has now been almost 50 years since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. During that time, it is estimated that over 62 million abortions have been performed in our nation. Some of these abortions have involved extreme circumstances. However, the vast majority are driven by convenience. The term “convenience” is not used lightly. I fully understand that every unwanted pregnancy, by definition, precipitates a real crisis. Many women are in anguish as they face the question about whether or not to keep their unborn child. Women who have been in this position often say that it was most difficult decision they’ve ever faced in life – in part due to the fact that there is often excruciating pressure from the baby’s father to terminate the pregnancy.
Nonetheless, the fact remains that nearly every woman who elects to have an abortion does so because she believes that even carrying the child to term (when the infant could be adopted by one of the thousands of couples who eagerly desire a child) would be an impediment to her prosperity. The ancient Canaanites slaughtered their children before Molech in the hopes that he would bless them with abundance and flourishing. Many in America embrace abortion on the same grounds, believing that it is necessary for bringing about the full empowerment of women and the flourishing of our society. The only real difference is that we in the modern world have the medical technology to more easily destroy the infant in the womb, rather than waiting for the child to be born.
The dark lies of the past remain with us and must be rejected by each new generation. Lila Rose, the president of Live Action, puts it well: “I am angry at the ugly lie that my empowerment as a women hinges on my ability to choose to kill my unborn son or daughter. I am sickened that we’re told to pay for progress with an innocent child’s bloodshed. I refuse to accept this atrocity…as advancement.”
