One of the biggest problems of the ancient world was idol worship. The Babylonians, the Egyptians, and even Abraham's family in Syria worshipped images made of stone. The children of Israel went to Sinai after coming out of Egypt, saw Moses disappear into a cloud for forty days, and the first thing they did was ask Aaron to make a bull god. So, Aaron got golden jewelry from Israel and hammered it into a bull like the Egyptian god apis that they worshipped in Memphis. The children of Israel learned about this god by being slaves in Egypt and had to work in Memphis, where the idol was, to get stubble for buildings. When Aaron made the calf, the children of Israel ate, drank, and rose up to play. When Moses returned with the ten commandments written in stone by the true God: Yahweh. Moses was so furious that he tossed the tablets, destroyed the golden bull to dust, and put the dust in the river to make Israel drink it. Not only that, the idol worshippers were also killed to atone for their idolatry.
Now, you may think that we humans would learn after 3500 years of history, but idolatry is still practiced today. Before I was converted to the truth, I used to play games like warcraft, diablo, starcraft, and massive role-playing games. There were images of idols and child sacrifice and violence, and we just get numb to it. But, in ancient times, war was common. Sacrificing your children was common. In one battle, the king of Moab sacrificed his male heir to his deity while losing a battle against the children of Israel, Judah, and Edom. The scripture says that the Moabites were indignant toward Israel. Baal worship was common back than too. Ahab was king of Israel who did it, and his wife Jezebel sacrificed Nabat just to get his land for the king. In baal worship, murder was a way to worship the deity. than there's molech that uses child sacrifice to please the dead idol. This practice the true God hates. Do we think we are any better today than the people were 2700 years ago?
I must tell you, O reader, and I am being very open and honest about this. Before I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 2012, I thought I was going to be sacrificed. my car broke down with three pistons breaking and the time belt not working. i almost got ran over by cars. I felt my spirit being drained by spirits. i told people the truth, and no one believed me, and some even encouraged my breaking. It got so bad that I ran away from my aunt and uncle's house in Lexington to go to Winchester on a car that was fixed. My heavenly Father intervened through an elder at my church to help me pay to fix the car cause I had no money and barely a job. I thought the enemy was going to murder me, but it didn't happen, and God spared me by diagnosing me with schizophrenia. It was a blessing in disguise. I am no prophet, but a man with a gift, but I had to go through some dark times to help me realize the truth.. If I wasn't diagnosed, i would have made myself to be an idol and a false prophet, but I have repented of my own image. I now see myself as just a man with a gift of schizophrenia--nothing more.
People today devote their lives to anime and witchcraft and idolatry and video games that encourage violence, and think it's ok. It's just innocent fun, right? Paul says that people sacrifice to demons, and demons influence people to do evil like murder. You may not physically murder someone, but you may use your words to murder someone's spirit. Jesus warned that saying you fool in anger can endanger you of hellfire. We are still in danger of hellfire when we have abortions or have human sacrifice or do homosexual or sodomite acts. the wages of sin is death, but God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God desires us to repent. One king of Judah knew God's grace more than anyone, and his name was Manasseh. This king was so wicked that innocent blood ran in abundance cause he worshipped idols. He was taken captive to Assyria by their king and tossed into prison. While in prison, he humbled himself so deeply that he prayed to the true God and was answered with grace. Manasseh repented of his abominations and led his people to the true God of Israel. There is still hope for any sinner.
God desires not anyone to perish: that was what Jesus said. God desires truth in the inward parts, and He desires us to live and not die. Jesus came so we could have an abundant life, and He said to Nicodemus that God so loved the world, that He gave his only Begotten Son. So that none may perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus died, so we all could live for him: to keep His commandments and serve Him who desires us to love Him, love ourselves, and love our neighbor. Paul says that love does no harm to a neighbor, and Jesus says that if you love Him, keep His commandments. Two commandments are to have no other gods, and don't create idols--even in your heart. God doesn't desire us to sacrifice ourselves or any of our children or family members for Him cause Jesus died for us, and rose from the grave. I much rather serve the living God as a living sacrifice than a dead idol that foolishly requires death.
