Leviticus 20:1-5

PUNISHMENT FOR UNHOLINESS 20:1-27
MOLECH WORSHIP 20:1-5
TEXT 20:1-5

1

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2

Moreover, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

3

I also will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.

4

And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and put him not to death;

5

then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that play the harlot after him to play the harlot with Molech, from among their people.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 20:1-5

448.

How could the strangers be held responsible in the same way as the children of Israel?

449.

Who are the people of the land in Leviticus 20:2?

450.

Just what is involved in being cut off from among the people?

451.

In what way does the worship of Molech defile the sanctuary and profane the holy name of God?

452.

Why would the people of the land be tempted to hide their eyes and not put such a one to death?

453.

Why include the family of the violator in his punishment?

454.

Was sex a part of the worship of Molech? Discuss.

PARAPHRASE 20:1-5

The Lord gave Moses these further instructions for the people of Israel: Anyonewhether an Israelite or a foreigner living among youwho sacrifices his child as a burnt offering to Molech shall without fail be stoned by his peers. And I Myself will turn against that man and cut him off from all his people, because he has given his child to Molech, thus making My Tabernacle unfit for Me to live in, and insulting My holy name. And if the people of the land pretend they do not know what the man has done, and refuse to put him to death, then I Myself will set My face against that man and his family and cut him off, along with all others who turn to other gods than Me.

COMMENT 20:1-5

Leviticus 20:1-5 God is indeed interested in the reformation of those who sin. However in the cases before us all attempts at reformation have failed and the instruction of others by the death penalty is the only alternative. We must add that the reputation of God is at stake; the honor of His name must be upheld. He can have no competitors!

We have considered in detail the worship of Molech in Leviticus 18:21. The entire community of Israel as well as those who sojourned among them are here called to share in the punishment of this idolator. Ginsburg gives a most instructive description of the action of stoning:

Stoning was the first and the severest mode of capital punishment among the Hebrews, the three others being burning, beheading, and strangling. The Jewish canonists have tabulated the following eighteen cases in which death by stoning was inflicted: (1) of a man who has commerce with his own mother (chap. Leviticus 20:11); (2) or with his father's wife (chap. Leviticus 20:12); (3) or with his daughter-in-law (chap. Leviticus 20:12); (4) or with a betrothed maiden (Deuteronomy 22:23-24); (5) or with a male (chap. Leviticus 20:13); (6) or with a beast (chap. Leviticus 20:15); (7) of a woman who was guilty of lying with a beast (chap. Leviticus 20:16); (8) the blasphemer (chap. Leviticus 24:10-16); (9) the worshipper of idols (Deuteronomy 17:2-5); (10) the one who gives his seed to Molech (chap. Leviticus 20:2); (11) the necromancer; (12) the wizard (chap. Leviticus 20:27); (13) the false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:6); (14) the enticer to idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:11); (15) the witch (chap. Leviticus 20:17); (16) the profaner of the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36); (17) he that curses his parent (chap. Leviticus 20:9); and (18) the rebellious son (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). As the Mosaic legislation only directs that the lapidation is to take place without the precincts of the city (chap. Leviticus 24:14; Numbers 15:36), and that the witnesses upon whose evidence the criminal has been sentenced to death are to throw the first stone (Deuteronomy 17:7), the administrators of the law during the second Temple decreed the following mode of carrying out the sentence. On his way from the court of justice to the place of execution a herald preceded the criminal, exclaiming, So-and-so is being led out to be stoned for this and this crime, and so-and-so are the witnesses; if any one has to say anything that might save him, let him come forward and say it. Within ten yards of the place of execution he was publicly admonished to confess his sins, within four yards he was stripped naked except a slight covering about his loins. After his hands had been bound, he was led upon a scaffolding about twice the height of a man. Here wine mingled with myrrh was mercifully given to him to dull the pain of execution, and from here one of the witnesses pushed him down with great violence so that he fell upon his back. If the fall did not kill him, the other witnesses dashed a great stone on his breast, and if this did not kill him, all the people that stood by covered him with stones. The corpse was then nailed to the cross, and afterwards burnt. Hereupon the relatives visited both the judges and the witnesses to show that they bore no hatred towards them, and that the sentence was just. Not unfrequently, however, the excited multitude resorted to lapidation when they wished to inflict summary justice. This description will explain why the Jews said to Christ that the woman had to be stoned, and why He replied to her accusers that he who is without sin should cast the first stone (John 8:5; John 8:7); why the Jews wanted to stone Christ when they thought He was blaspheming (John 10:31), and why they offered Him wine mingled with myrrh before his crucifixion (Matthew 27:34; Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:23).

How is it that God speaks of cutting off the idolator when sentence has already been passed upon him and he is to be (or has been) stoned? We believe Leviticus 20:3 is discussing an undetected offender, whereas the evidence was not sufficient to convict him. God knows he is guilty and will not allow him to appear in the tabernacle and defile His sanctuary or treat lightly the holy name of God.

It is tragically true that some who are blood guilty of lasciviousness or licentiousness often appear before God in His assembly. The very people who offered their children to Molech afterward came to the sanctuary to worship God. Cf. Jeremiah 7:9-10; Ezekiel 23:37-39. Then and now God will not ignore this affrontery to Him.

Since it would be impossible to participate in this type of idolatry without involving the whole family, the whole family will share the punishment.

FACT QUESTIONS 20:1-5

462.

In what way was the death penalty reformatory?

463.

In what sense is God's reputation in the balance?

464.

List nine of the eighteen offenses that carried the death penalty.

465.

Describe in your own words the death march and the act of stoning.

466.

Explain Leviticus 20:3.

467.

We have some today who are like these idolators. In what way?