But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
– 2 Kings 16:3
So this verse is talking about King Ahaz who continued this spiritual decline among God’s people. But verse three here says he took things to a whole other level. He even burned his son as an offering. He sacrificed his son according to the despicable practices of the nations.
And we read that and we think, “I can’t fathom that, someone sacrificing, burning their son as an offering. How evil and wicked is that?” And I want to be careful, this is not a one-to-one correlation. At the same time, let’s realize we live… So for those who live in my country, the United States, we live in a country where over one million children this year will have their lives taken from them in the womb of their mothers, will have their lives sacrificed on the altar of, well, so many different things.
2 Kings 16:3 reminds us of the millions of children being aborted every year.
Regardless, these children’s lives will be sacrificed. Those one million children join approximately 72 million other children in other countries around the world whose lives will be taken in the womb this year alone. This is rampant evil and wickedness. And there’s so much we could talk about here that contributes to this, that we need to talk about, and that we need to address. First and foremost, as God’s people whom God has called to do justice for children in the womb and the moms who carry them and the dads in the picture, to work and labor in so many different ways from so many different directions to love children in the womb and the moms who carry them and the dads in those pictures.
2 Kings 16:3 challenges us to work on behalf of vulnerable unborn children.
And so I just want to lead us to pray. God have mercy on us for the evil and wickedness that we’ve become accustomed to in our world and that even some professing Christians advocate for. Lord, have mercy on us, have mercy, we pray on these children, on their moms and dads, and God, please help us as your people to work for them, to work for all of their good and to work to save lives and to support moms and dads and to share your love in this fallen evil world full of wickedness where so many children are so vulnerable and so many children whose lives are being taken every day.
Prayer for Vulnerable Children and Their Parents
God, have mercy. And help us as your church, leaders in your church. As people in your church. To lead the way in caring for vulnerable children and their moms and dads so that abortion becomes unthinkable in our countries. God, we pray for that. Help us to live and work toward that end. To do foster care and to adopt and to come alongside birth parents. And God, we pray you to help us to do all you’re calling us to do in this time and this place in which we’re living today. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
