Innocent Blood

There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spread strife among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

Psalms 83 

This is not a political post. Big government vs. small government. Big spending vs. reduced spending. Levels of national debt, immigration policy, constitutional amendments, etc. Those are political views. I won’t write about political views in my devotional blog. I prefer to share and teach God’s Word which will guide us in all our views of life and godliness, accordingly. God’s Word stands on its own.  

This post is an expression of my belief that God has created all human beings at conception in His image. Psalms 139 reinforces this view of the preciousness of each life from conception: 

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.  

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. 

Human sacrifice was a common theme in the Aztec culture. In the Aztec “Legend of the Five Suns”, all the gods sacrificed themselves so that mankind could live. Some years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a body of Franciscans confronted the remaining Aztec priesthood and demanded, under threat of death, that they desist from this traditional practice. The Aztec priests defended themselves as follows: 

Life is because of the gods; with their sacrifice they gave us life. … They produce our sustenance … which nourishes life. 

What the Aztec priests were referring to was a central Mesoamerican belief: that a great, continuing sacrifice of the gods sustains the Universe. A strong sense of indebtedness was connected with this worldview. Indeed, nextlahualli (debt-payment) was a commonly used metaphor for human sacrifice, and, as Bernardino de Sahagún reported, it was said that the victim was someone who “gave his service”. 

We know, of course, that the beliefs the Aztecs held, that required and justified human sacrifices, was an ignorant and terribly misguided view of their gods. It was barbaric, foolish and ultimately evil to the core. So, how can so many in our society today justify human sacrifice? Is it not now still barbaric, foolish and ultimately evil to the core? 

Today, let’s pray together through Psalms 83. Ultimately, we pray that the enemies of God become lovers of God, by His grace and His saving power. Psalms 83 guides us in this evangelistic prayer. But also, this Psalms guides us to pray that the evil pursuits of those who shed innocent blood would be thwarted and stopped from further bloodshed. In plain words, with humble boldness, we ask You Lord to intervene and stop the bloodshed of legalized abortion in America. Prayerfully, consider Psalms 83. Let us pray this prayer: 

O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people. And conspire together against Your treasured ones. 

They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.’ For they have conspired together with one mind; against You they make a covenant.  

Fill their faces with dishonor, that they may seek Your name, O Lord…That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.

Let us join together and pray this prayer for the goodness of God to prevail. Amen!

For further reading on a biblical view of abortion, click below.

https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B140606/~