Providence: Redemption from the Valley of Gehenna

Good morning! Here is the second part of a lesson from Meeting God in Holy Places by F. LaGard Smith. It's hard for us to grasp the kind of people who sacrificed their children in a fire to the false god Molech. The place of sacrifice was the Valley of Gehenna--or the Valley of Hell--in Jerusalem, which became a continuously burning refuse heap that was turned into a more pleasant place when tourists began visiting the area.

When we picture the place where the disobedient to God end up, a place called hell, we remember that Jesus refers to it in the New Testament. You may be wondering how a loving God could permit anyone to be thrown into such a place of destruction. And you may wonder whether even those who sacrificed their children deserve such a harsh punishment. You may even be reminded that God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on an altar.

It seems clear that the testing of Abraham in the sacrifice of Isaac was used precisely because it was so indescribably horrible to God. In fact, God said, "nor did it enter my mind." It's hard to imagine parents so insensitive to the screams of their children that they ignored them. It was the ultimate test of Abraham's faith, which caused him to say to Isaac when he asked where the sacrifice was: "The Lord will provide." 

LaGard says: "What then does the story of Abraham and Isaac tell us about hell? Is it merely that those who misdirect their faith to pagan gods and literally offer their children as sacrifices are, unlike Abraham, deserving of hell? Is so, are those who sacrifice their children on the altars of divorce and dual careers and abortion any less deserving?" 

Ouch! That hurts, we respond. But he goes on to say: "Is there no mercy, no hope, for sinners all--including you and me--whatever the grievous sins we may have committed?" That is something to think about!

Now what comes to LaGard's mind, while standing in the Valley of Gehenna with all its dark history and scriptural associations with hell, are the words of Abraham, "The Lord will provide." And in our case, the Lord has provided us with a way of escape. But at great cost: the sacrifice of God's own Son. God listened as His Son cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" And the drums of heaven were beating very loudly because "the earth shook and the rocks split." So we know that even with all of our sinfulness, God provides for us!                                                             

What can we learn from the Valley of Gehenna? We can learn that, as LaGard says, "Hell is not centrally about torture and pain, fire and flames, but...lives wasted and destroyed. It's about the burning stench of eternal spiritual death that will render meaningless any life lived in open rebellion to God, that has refused to accept the mercy of God, and that has shown abject contempt for the only child sacrifice ever made necessary." In our daily lives, we can gratefully remember--as Abraham once did--that God provides!

To those who read this, I pray it will remind you, as it has me, how blessed and fortunate we are that God provides for us in every way. 

Blessings...Mimi