2003-10-30 - Adrammelech

2 Kings 17:31 And the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of the Sepharvaim.

I suppose the above verse is a strange one to start a devotional on, but I like to keep it interesting. I honestly would never have thought of Adrammelech if I did not stumble upon it. The above verse is one I would have never thought of. However, every verse has meaning in it. It is God's Holy Word.

Adrammelech was apparently an idol who was worshiped by having people sacrifice their children to him/it. The Babylonian Talmud says that the idol was worshiped as a mule. Kimchi says that he was worshiped as a peacock. No one really knows the truth, and who gives a rip?

The Learned Selden (1584-1654) (De Dils Syris 1:6), has identified Adrammelech with Moloch. Moloch was the god, or idol, that people thought required them to sacrifice their children to him/it. Some others think that Adrammelech was thought of as the god of Saturn. Others think that Adrammelech was the god of the sun. The etymology of the word would seem to say that Adrammelech was the god of the sun. Anyway, that's the background, and that is not where we are headed today.

These idiots in the above verse sacrificed their children to an idol. Can you imagine that? My question is what are your idols? I have thought about it some and I am convinced that, if we are honest, we all have them. I have asked myself what my "big" idol might be. What would I least want to give up? I am not going to tell you what it is, but we all have something that tugs at our hearts. It may not be an idol, but it might be. It is not unwise to ponder and think if something in our lives has taken a greater role than our Lord Jesus Christ. It happens so easily.

I am sure that none of us are going to sacrifice our kids to Moloch. However, are we guilty of putting something else in our lives ahead of the true God? Only you know, but it is a fair question. It is something I have been thinking about, and I encourage you to think about it also.

"Every one of us is, from his mother's womb, expert in inventing idols." -- John Calvin

"Satan doesn't care what we worship, as long as we don't worship God." -- D. L. Moody

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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