Sacrificing humans

In Sonlight, we are currently reading Incas, Aztecs and Mayans by John Holzmann.  Yesterday, we were reading how the Aztecs would make human sacrifices to satisfy the Sun god.  The information was just mind-blowing.  After they finished their greatest temple they sacrificed between 20,000-50,000 people in celebration.  My kids asked how many people that was and the only analogy I could come up with was when we go to the Brewer Stadium it usually has about 50,000 people in it.  Their eyes just widened.  The other mind-blowing thing is that people would do this willingly.  They thought they needed to die to satisfy this god.

As I was reading this to my children, I was reminded of a post written a couple years back called God above all gods, which discusses our God, Yahweh, asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar.  I was able to ask my kids what happened?  "God provided a sacrifice and Abraham didn't end up doing it!"  Exactly!  So often when this story is told the focus is put on Abraham and his courage.  I personally think  this emphasis loses the AMAZING, distinguishing BEAUTY of God's love.  If you study history, you will see that human sacrifice to satisfy "god" has been common in cultures, and that people willingly engage in that practice!  God, of course knew this and in the beautiful story of salvation, He made it absolutely clear that He is the One who provides the path of salvation because of His great love for us.

Jeremiah 32:25

They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom

 to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek,

 though I never commanded

—nor did it enter my mind—

that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.

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As we are reading about this in the Incans, Aztecs and Mayans, the book is quick to point out that demonic forces were behind this culture and how it worked and operated.  We stand amazed how a culture could be so "blind" to allow such atrocities to occur.  We think we have somehow become "enlightened" above religion.  However, demonic forces still operate in our world today and even to a greater degree.  All demons care about is the blood of human life, they could care less how the humans ease their consciousness about it.  As I read about in Love you More and have begun reading in A Heart for Freedom gendercide of females especially all around the world is commonplace practice.  According to A Heart for Freedom, China's one birth policy has taken 400 million innocent lives.  It is easy for us to still judge what is happening across the ocean while ignoring the fact that in our own culture we allow the exact same thing to happen in the name of "woman's rights."  Let us learn from history.  As we look back and can judge other cultures for their ignorance in the name of religion let us not kid ourselves, the exact same thing is still happening but it is cloaked under a different ideology.

And last but not least let us not lose focus of the beauty of Yahweh, who is the giver of life, and that through the understanding of the power of His love, Jesus Christ has the power to bring incredible change and healing to all human lives.

In Christ,