" Ritual Murder " ? where did they get the idea of ritual murder.
Ezekiel chapter 20 is a history of Israel's ( Not God's ) rebellion. They polluted ' themselves ' -> Ezekiel 20:31-33
Israel's first born sons were given in service to God as Levites to serve at the temple. -> Numbers 8:14-16; Numbers 8:17-19 .
They were Not set on fire but a sacrifical life. The Levites were chosen to preserve Scripture.
Leviticus 27:28-30 is talking about what a 'man' devotes to God in verse 28
At Leviticus 27:29 is talking about a condemned person ( capital punishment ) can Not be redeemed but executed.
The answer to Micah 6:7 is found at Micah 6:8. One's course of life, his ways, glorify God - Psalm 50:23 - Not burning people in sacrifice - Jeremiah 32:33-35
Was it God, or was it was the ' fallen-away Israelites ' who disobeyed God did such horrific things. - 2 Chronicles 28:1-3
You are just plain wrong. We have a lot of info on this subject - which is why I included Christian articles, Jewish teachings, and books on the subject - as well as the actual verses.
Leviticus 27:29 is NOT talking about criminals.
How you think you can turn someone DEVOTED - a sacrifice - into a criminal - is beyond me.
Leviticus 27: 28, 29 Notwithstanding
NO devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath,
BOTH OF "MAN" and beast, and of the field of his possession,
shall be sold or redeemed:
every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.
29 -
None devoted, which shall be devoted of men
shall be redeemed; BUT SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH.
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You appear to have misread Numbers. It specifically says the Levites are now taken INSTEAD of the FIRSTBORN of Israel.
Num 8:16 For they
are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel;
instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
Num 8:17
For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine,
both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
Num 8:18
And I have taken the Levites for ( tachath - instead of) all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
Tachath is also used as "instead of" in the Abraham and Isaac story - where the ram is provided INSTEAD OF the son sacrifice.
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It is VERY obvious that they sacrificed the firstborn.
The Bible itself - aside from these obvious verses - tells us they sacrificed their firstborn over and over.
11:30 And Jephthah
vowed a vow unto the Lord,…….11:31 Then it shall be , that
WHOMSOEVER cometh out 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. 32-33.
He wasn't going to offer an animal - but a human sacrifice.
Isaac isn't surprised to be told by God to sacrifice his son.
Gen 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only
son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and
offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
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