Page 108 - Pentateuch

8. Child Sacrifice was practiced in Israel at a place called _____________________________

9. Briefly describe a modern judgment of God.

Let’s get Personal…

If we do not recognize the outline of this section, we can become confused quickly. In certain places, we
find odd laws stuck back-to-back. Some commentaries do nothing more than list verses together under the
label of “miscellaneous laws.” By doing this, we can miss the writer’s intention. He puts odd laws together
for the specific purpose of explaining them from a different angle than in earlier books or in different
settings. Some laws have more than one application. In one place, the law has to do with adultery. In
another place, the same action might involve theft or lying. Recognizing the setting can help us avoid
misinterpretation or confusion. We should expect a purpose to lie behind the order of the verses and work
to discover that purpose.

As we also think about the “ban” in ancient Israel, it is valuable to reflect on more current events. We
wonder if God is still working as he did in the days of Moses. Does he still judge nations? Is he involved in
the destruction of people groups? Can he even use his judgment to bring people to himself as they heed his
warning signs?

Many ancient peoples have disappeared from the face of the earth. Only the ruins of their cities remain.
Artworks give us glimpses into
their daily life. We do not have
God’s view of these cultures. He is
still giving us revelations to
understand today’s world. But we
might be able to compare the
history uncovered in the stones of
ancient cultures with the theology
of the ban in the Pentateuch.
Consider the following example
from a Peruvian society from
around A.D. 100 to 800, a society
that does not exist today.

For prisoners of the
Fig. 77: Peruvian prisoners bound by rope. A.D. 1 - 500 Moche, Huaca Cao Viejo’s
elaborate art was likely
among the last sights they saw. Naked, bleeding, and bound with nooses, they were led
into the ceremonial plaza. Perhaps they heard the Pacific surf rolling onto the beach in the
distance; perhaps all they heard was the pounding of their own hearts. Once inside, they
witnessed one of history’s most gruesome sacrificial rites. A Moche priest adorned in gold
slit their throats one by one. Those in line who didn’t turn away or faint saw a priestess

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