Good Morning.
And if the people of the land should in any way hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him, then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech. (Leviticus 20:4-5)
Very soon after Cain had murdered his brother, God asked him of Abel’s whereabouts? Cain’s reply was, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Being as wicked as he was, he didn’t consider Abel’s welfare any of his business. However, we all know that we are, indeed, our brother’s keeper — were it not so, we would not be commanded to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We are to be aware of and concerned with the welfare of our neighbor and our community. It is my view that this is being addressed in the verse above.
Granted, the actions that are described above are extreme and detestable, and so we would think that it would be impossible to turn a blind eye to the sacrifice of children to Molech. Sadly however, Israel of old did just that and, even more sadly, we do the same thing today, in a manner of speaking, which is why evil has become so rampant. For many, it is natural to stay out of other people’s business and, in most cases, that is advisable. However, it is also possible that this attitude conditions us to ignore the more depraved activities committed by our fellow man. Why should we get involved because, after all, “What can one person do in the face of so many bent on evil? What can I do anyway because didn’t the Bible say these things would happen?”
Perhaps you’ve heard these excuses; maybe you have used them. The reality is, though, God tells His people that we are not to hide our eyes from the evil being committed in the land. It is insinuated in the text above that to ignore the evil committed against others is akin to Cain’s faulty attitude and lame excuse — “Am I my brother’s keeper?” I realize that there is only so much one person can do, or for that matter, only so much one congregation can do in the face of so much evil. Still, we don’t have to ignore it and pretend it doesn’t exist; we can speak up. Moreover, we can live in such a way that those who would commit such evil can see that there is another better way. The point is, like it or not, we are our brother’s keeper and, therefore, we should think and act in such a way that reflects that truth. With His help, we can and will overcome the evil with His goodness.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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