Failure To Act Is Complicit

Failure to act is complicit.  The Israelites, nor any of the alien residing in Israel, were to give their children to Molech (Leviticus 20:2).  Offering their children to Molech was child sacrifice and the punishment for anyone who did this was death by stoning (v.2).  We see again that this sin both defiled God’s sanctuary and profaned God’s holy name (v.3).  The sins that we commit do affect others, but ultimately it is against God.  However, this particular sin also goes on to state, “if the people of the country look the other way when that man gives any of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will turn against that man and his family, and cut off rom their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech” (v.4-5).  There was a stiff penalty for looking the other way.  Failure to act was just as bad and made them complicit with this terrible sin.  Children are of the most vulnerable in our society and we have a role to protect them.  It is not enough for us to acknowledge something as being wrong, but we must respond appropriately.