Does God accept human sacrifice?

[Francine]

There was a famine that ran for three straight years. King David made his inquiries, and the LORD answered, "It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites."

So the king called the Gibeonites in and asked them what he could do to make them whole again. They didn't want any gold or silver from Saul's estate. Instead they said, "The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul."

So the king took the two sons of Rizpah and the five sons of Michal, which they bore unto Saul, and delivered them to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill before the LORD and were put to death in the beginning of the barley harvest.

And after David took the bones of the hanged men and buried them with the bones of Saul and Jonathan, God was intreated for the land.

 

[Sunstone]

Human sacrifice -- yet another bad idea.

 

[Willamena]

Human sacrifice -- yet another bad idea.

Unless, of course, the "victim" is a willing participant in life.

 

[Sunstone]

Merely because someone consents to be sacrificed does not make sacrifice a good idea.

 

[Willamena]

I agree! That's why I specified "a willing participant in life."

 

[Todd]

There was a famine that ran for three straight years. King David made his inquiries, and the LORD answered, "It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites."

So the king called the Gibeonites in and asked them what he could do to make them whole again. They didn't want any gold or silver from Saul's estate. Instead they said, "The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul."

So the king took the two sons of Rizpah and the five sons of Michal, which they bore unto Saul, and delivered them to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill before the LORD and were put to death in the beginning of the barley harvest.

And after David took the bones of the hanged men and buried them with the bones of Saul and Jonathan, God was intreated for the land.

First off, God did not command this. The Gibeonites asked this of David and David allowed it. It's a lot different from thinking God accepts or asks for human sacrifice.

In the following verse, it mentions human sacrifice as a sin.

Hosea
13: 2 Now they sin more and more;
they make idols for themselves from their silver,
cleverly fashioned images,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of these people,
"They offer human sacrifice
and kiss [a] the calf-idols."

The only time I can recall that there is even something close to God commanding Human Sacrifice is when he told Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac. Although he was just testing Abraham's faith, and told him not to sacrifice him at the last second.

 

[Francine]

First off, God did not command this. The Gibeonites asked this of David and David allowed it. It's a lot different from thinking God accepts or asks for human sacrifice.

Then why was God "intreated for the land" after the deed was done?

 

[roli]

No, God never has accepted human sacrifice and where his son is concerned ,well, that is another topic.
But with that said, the law demands the death of the one who sins, but the mercy and love of God for mankind was displayed at the cross and so the answer to that questions really rests in the cross.

Regardless of how men view God or compile certain scripture and make conclusions concerning things that took place in the Old testament and God, he has never taken pleasure in the death of any people.


Eze 33:11Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Eze 18:32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.
Eze 18:23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, and live?

2Pe 3:9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 

[ironangel]

I would like to contribute, if your kindness allows me. I would also like to express my faith. Thanks to all.

 

[Willamena]

I would like to contribute, if your kindness allows me. I would also like to express my faith. Thanks to all.

Thanks. And what does your faith tell you?

 

[ironangel]

First of all, for me God is the owner of life & He has the right to take it back again.

Deu 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, And there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; And there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

But although he has the right to take it back again, he is also righteous & exercise justice to all.

Psa 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

The law that covered the land of Israel that time was "an eye for an eye" so it is but rightful to pay what has been indebted for. God gave that commandment to the Israelites, if they would not heed to the law they would be breaking the law. But when Jesus came, he abolished this law...

Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Does it mean that God allowed human sacrifice? I think not, what is sacrifice anyway? Some definitions are:

Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning "to make sacred", from Old French, from Latin sacrificium: sacer, sacred; sacred + facere, to make) is commonly known as the practice of offering food, or the lives of animals or people to the gods, as an act of propitiation or worship.
Sacrifice forfeit: the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.

Well one difinition is act of worship & the other as a penalty for a mistake or fault. But that's human definition. Like Todd has said... God did not asked this but the Gibeonites & was it lawful? For the King that time it was acceptable that's why King David allowed it. Never in the bible that God permitted human sacrifice, he allowed only animal sacrifice.

We must understand that God is strict when it comes to sacrifice offerings, he has lots of guidelines & requirements (The book of Leviticus bears record). He doesn,t accept sacrifice offerings from wicked persons.

Pro 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

 

[Valjean]

If God can give or take life, or manipulate the course of human history with a twitch of His little finger, why does He need us to do His dirty work?

 

[doppelganger]

If God can give or take life, or manipulate the course of human history with a twitch of His little finger, why does He need us to do His dirty work?

"Plausible denial." He learned something from watching the Nixon administration.

 

[Scuba Pete]

The only sacrifice that God accepts is a living sacrifice. The biggest problem with them is that they keep crawling off of the alter.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV

As for God wanting a HUMAN sacrifice, that is to kill another human, I don't buy it. In fact, I don't buy the killing of the animals as a sacrifice either. This is not what God wanted and Jesus told us that:

Matthew 9:10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." NIV

 

[Don Penguinoini]

No loving lord accept the killing of any of his creatures, ANY.

 

[roli]

The only sacrifice that God accepts is a living sacrifice. The biggest problem with them is that they keep crawling off of the alter.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV

As for God wanting a HUMAN sacrifice, that is to kill another human, I don't buy it. In fact, I don't buy the killing of the animals as a sacrifice either. This is not what God wanted and Jesus told us that:

Matthew 9:10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." NIV

Excellent point !!!

 

[ironangel]

If God can give or take life, or manipulate the course of human history with a twitch of His little finger,....

I didn't say He manipulates the course of human history with a twitch of His finger, it is your own conclusion.

why does He need us to do His dirty work?

Who do you refer as "us" here? please specify, the devil uses his subjects to do his evil work. To those who recognize the devil as their father & their God, they are the ones who do his dirty works. Are you doing dirty works? (just curious)

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

So that answers your question, if you do dirty works your father is the devil. Is the devil god too? yes, he is god to his subjects.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

[McBell]

No, God never has accepted human sacrifice

Hate to say, but you are flat out wrong:

Judges 11:29 -39 (KJV)
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man...
​

 

[Francine]

"Plausible denial." He learned something from watching the Nixon administration.

That statement is inoperable. This is the operable statement.

 

[ironangel]

Hate to say, but you are flat out wrong:

Judges 11:29 -39 (KJV)​

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.​

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,​

Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.​

So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.​

And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.​

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.​

And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.​

And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.​

And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.​

And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.​

And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man...​

I beg to disagree mestemia but roli is right, God never accepted human sacrifice. God did not require Jephthah to sacrifice her daughter, but rather Jephthah made a vow unto the Lord...

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,​

Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.​

You will not find anything there that God actually commanded Jephthah to offer her daughter as a human sacrifice. To make you understand a little about making vows, here's an insight concerning vows...


Ecc 5:2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
Ecc 5:3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.
Ecc 5:4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.
Ecc 5:5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
Ecc 5:6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

And what God has to say against human sacrifice, is it actually to Him you offer human sacrifice?

Jer 7:31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

See, it does not even came into His heart to command such thing (human sacrifice).