On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. – 1 Kings 11:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 9, 2013): 1 Kings 11

John Milton in his epic “Paradise Lost” writes these words:

First Moloch, horrid King besmear'd with blood
Of human sacrifice, and parents tears,
Though, for the noyse of Drums and Timbrels loud,
Their children's cries unheard that passed through fire

The words sum up the worship of Molek. Molek has probably been known by many names – among them may have been Melqart of Tyre and Ba’al, but the common thread for Molek was this idea of child sacrifice. The children would be thrown onto the fire in front of or inside of the idol and the musicians would play loud so that the screams of the children could not be heard. And all of this became a reality in Israel because Solomon allowed his wives to keep their religions and their gods.

The place of desecration was a hill just east of the city of Jerusalem. And it was here that the worship places 

for these gods were built. It is part of the dark history of both Jerusalem and Israel. And because of these sacrifices, the hill was appropriately named the “Mount of Corruption.” It was a place that seemed to be beyond redemption.

We know the “Mount of Corruption” by another name – it is called the “Mount of Olives” named for the olive groves that once graced it surface. And at the bottom of the “Mount of Olives” is garden called “Gethsemane” and maybe proof that a God whose objective is to redeem can buy back anything. Far from being the site of horrible child sacrifices in its past, the “Mount of Olives” has become the requested burial ground for many people because of a prophecy found in Zechariah 14 that says that that when the Messiah comes, he will come first to the gentle slopes of the “Mount of Olives” – “Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem ...” (Zechariah 14:3-4).

Today more than 150,000 people are buried on the slopes of the Mountain that was once called the “Mount of Corruption.” They are buried there by choice, in hopes that they will be the first to witness the coming of the Messiah (for the Jew) or the return of Jesus (for the Christian.)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 1