Psalm 106:37-38

Psalm 106:37-38

They shed innocent blood

“They sacrificed to demons, not God, gods they had never known …..” is a correct letter-for-letter translation of the first part of Deuteronomy 32:17 where the phrase “false gods” is repeated. It should be made clear here that there are elohim, or other lesser gods, who are spiritual beings that inhabit the heavenly realms. Many of these are loyal and true to our God and there are many Scriptures that concur with this view. However, there are also evil powers or false gods who are opposed to the will of Yahweh. These are not just angels, the Hebrew Scriptures use a different word for angels, malakim, which means messengers or watchers. The evil elohim, or false gods, are of course in the Satan’s employ and are created beings, possessed with free will, who have huge influence over the affairs of men. 

The verses before us today show us just how far these “false gods” are prepared to go in their rebellion against the Lord God, but also how fickle and gullible human beings can be. The innocent blood of young children is sacrificed to these false gods who are characterised by the idols of Canaan. Today unborn children are still sacrificed, and innocent blood is shed on the altar of expediency. 

The very land on which we live is desecrated by such sacrifices. “Do not pollute that land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.” Numbers 35:33-34. May God forgive us!

 

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