Jeremiah 32:35
“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 fire to Molech; which I didn’t command them. It didn’t even come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.””
What does Jeremiah 32:35 mean?
God is expressing His deep grief and shock at what His people have done. They've built altars to false gods and sacrificed their own children in fire, practices so contrary to His character that He says such evil never even entered His mind. This tells us something profound: God's nature is fundamentally opposed to cruelty and the destruction of the innocent, especially children. The valley mentioned was an actual place outside Jerusalem where these horrific rituals happened. God isn't saying He didn't foresee it, but rather that such wickedness is so foreign to who He is that it represents a complete rejection of everything He stands for. He's heartbroken that His own people have turned to these practices and led others into sin through their example. This verse can speak to anyone grieving what people do in the name of religion, or struggling with how humans twist faith into something harmful. God wants us to know He grieves these things too, and that His true character is one of protection and love, never cruelty disguised as devotion.