Someone asks, “What king made his son walk through fire?” God, through Old Testament Scripture had commanded his people not to imitate the idolatry of the heathen, including not offering their children as sacrifices to the idol, Molech (Leviticus 18:21; 20:2-5). King Solomon, the third king of the united kingdom of Israel, introduced the idolatry of the Ammonite god, Molech, to satisfy one or more of his foreign wives. Solomon brought much idolatry into Israel to appease his 700 wives and 300 concubines or secondary wives (1 Kings 11:1-8).
The names Molech, Milcom and Moloch appear as variations of the same god of the children of Ammon. Molech appears in eight verses (Leviticus 18:21; 20:2-5; 1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35). Moloch appears twice (Amos 5:26; Acts 7:43). Milcom appears three times (1 Kings 11:5, 33; 2 Kings 23:13). The phrase “through the fire” appears 13 times in the Old Testament where it refers to sacrificing children in worship of Molech.
Scripture reveals that kings from both Israel and Judah (as well as priests and prophets) made their children walk through the fires of Molech.
Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. (Jeremiah 32:32-35)
Having one’s children to pass through the fires of Molech was to sacrifice one’s living children as burnt offerings to that idol god. “For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart” (Jeremiah 7:30-31). “That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them. …For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house” (Ezekiel 23:37, 39).
One king of Judah in particular who made his children pass through the fires of Molech was Ahaz.
Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. (2 Kings 16:2-3; see also 2 Chronicles28:1-3).
Though their names do not appear here, evidently two or more kings of the northern kingdom of Israel had before passed their children through the fires of Molech. Manasseh, another king of Judah also made his son pass through the fires of Molech (2 Kings 21:1, 6).
