Leviticus 20:5
“then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him, to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.”
What does Leviticus 20:5 mean?
When God says he'll "set his face against" someone in Scripture, it means turning away from them, withdrawing his protection and favor. In this passage, Moses is warning the Israelites about the serious consequences of worshiping Molech (a foreign god associated with child sacrifice and sexual rituals), making clear that such practices would separate them from God's covenant community. The mention of family reflects the ancient understanding that a person's choices rippled outward to affect those connected to them, and also that families often participated together in religious practices. This isn't primarily about individual punishment but about the boundary God was establishing: crossing into that kind of spiritual rebellion and destructive behavior meant stepping outside the covenant relationship that defined Israel as God's people.