His wife cringed in compliance as Talak chose which child to take to Molech.  A hard decision.  Perhaps Molech would be satisfied with Chela.  She was smallest.  More pliable.  Less spirited.  Had a disfigured arm.  Slower to comprehend her father’s reason for taking her.  But would Molech approve?  Perhaps Molech would take Chela and still demand another.  Talak’s brother had had to give three children to the fire before his life became any better.

The neighbors agreed that Talak needed to appease the gods.  So Talak took Chela.  They understood.  So they dropped their eyes and turned away.  Some realizing they would chose to do the same thing in like circumstances.

And God turned his face from them.  Their civilizations were trampled by vicious horsemen from afar.

20 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. ³ I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. ⁴ If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, ⁵ I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.  (Leviticus 20:1-5 NIV)

copied NIV scripture from Biblegateway.com

Story of Talak I wrote for post called “Molech”   Feb. 12, ’19