What God Thinks of Abortion

With the recent rightful overturning of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, the debate over abortion has only escalated. Everyone from the President to local lawmakers, to your brother-in-law or neighbor down the street currently expresses an opinion regarding this dreadful practice. What matters though is not what any governor might think, how any president may view it, what any of those in Congress may say about it, or even how a judge might rule concerning it, but how the God of the universe views abortion. And He doesn't leave us guessing as to His perspective on it. He lays it out clearly in His Word (contrary to an article that I read over the weekend wrongfully claiming that the Bible basically says nothing about abortion).

Part of the debate concerning abortion centers around whether or not a fetus can be described as a person. Is it just a glob of cells or is s/he a living human being? The answer to this question often will determine one's view on abortion. All of the evidence that we are provided with in Scripture would lead us to conclude that the fetus is nothing less than an actual human being created by God with a purpose that He has designed for him or her. In Psalm 139:13 for instance, David acknowledged that he was knit together in his mother's womb. The “me” in that verse shows us that David understood himself to be a distinct person from that very moment. God declared to Jeremiah that He had a purpose for the prophet before He formed him in the womb (Jeremiah 1:9). Speaking of the sparing between Jacob and Esau while in Rebekah’s womb, the author says that “the CHILDREN struggled together within her” (Genesis 25:22). “Children” (literally “sons”) is plural of the same term used to speak of a child which has been born as seen with us being told that Eve “gave birth to a SON and named him Seth” (4:25). Those two warring brothers are presented as being persons in conflict, not merely cells bumping into each other. The unborn infant John the Baptist who jumped for joy at the coming of Mary in light of the news that she was bearing the Lord is referred to as being a "baby" (Luke 1:41) just as Jesus is described as being after His birth (2:12, 16). This indicates that no distinction is made between the child in the womb and one outside the womb. Both are identified as being a “baby.” These show us that, according to God, the location and stage of develop of a child doesn’t make a difference. And I think what takes the cake in this whole argument is that according to the Old Testament law, if a pregnant woman is hit and it harms the unborn baby inside her, the situation is treated like it was the harm of a person (Exodus 21:22-25). The same law of retaliation ("life for a life," "eye for an eye," "tooth for a tooth," etc.) applies to the baby injured or killed who was inside the womb when his or her mother has been hit as it does to those outside the womb. God seems quite clear that a fetus is certainly much more than a "glob of cells." 

With this being the case, when it comes to abortion, God clearly sees it as a violation of the sixth commandment, "thou shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13); the intentional, deliberate taking of a human life. In each of the Ten Commandments, we find that every negative has a positive side to it. So, if the expressed negative here is not to take a life, the implied positive part of the command would be to preserve life. And since an unborn infant is a human life, this command calls for the preservation and protection of that life rather than its premature death by abortion. As God's law reveals a lot about Himself to us, this specific command shows us the value that God places on each individual human life.

As I pointed out in my newsletter article last month, all human life is so valuable and precious to God that He instituted the death penalty for those who take it. "And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image" (Genesis 9:5-6). God didn't say that man's blood should be required if he sheds the blood of any animal but if his sheds the blood of another man. In fact, He even requires a reckoning from "every beast" that would kill a man. As His specific creation and a bearer of His image, God values the life of man so much that any man who takes another man's life actually forfeits his own. To God, it is no small thing to take the life of any human being, regardless of the person’s size, location, or ability. He or she is an image bearer of His and therefore has such value and worth that it is a grievous crime to murder them. A crime so horrendous that it deserves the most severe punishment possible.

And God has a special place in His heart for those who are vulnerable and defenseless. This is seen in regards to His continual care of widows and orphans; those who could not care for themselves in ancient times and were left often without any earthly support and protection (Exodus 22:21-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 68:5; 146:9; Jeremiah 49:11). He also commanded His people to look after such and chastised them for neglecting them (Psalm 82:3; Ezekiel 22:7; Zechariah 7:10; James 1:27). Surely the unborn also fit the category of being vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.

For further evidence of what God thinks about abortion, we only need to read His commentary on an ancient similar practice of the pagans. They would literally sacrifice their children in the fire to their false god known as Molech (Leviticus 18:21). We are told that this is an "abominable thing that the LORD hates" (Deuteronomy 12:31). When you come down to it, abortion is basically the sacrifice of a child to the god of "choice" or "self." Isn't that exactly what those who justify the murder of tiny babies in the womb claim to be the reason why it should be permitted? That a woman has a "choice" of what to do with what (in this case "who) is in her body. That she is in charge of this living separate organism that is being housed inside of her and therefore she has the right to decide whether to carry him or her full term. It is all about her ("self") and what she wants depending on the circumstances that she faces. That trumps any rights that the child could be said to have. It really is not that much different when you think about it.

 

            In addition to that, Proverbs 6:17 points out that “hands that shed innocent blood” are part of “six things which the LORD hates, even seven which are an abomination to Him” (v. 16). You can’t get much more innocent than a precious little child in his or her mother’s womb who hasn’t had the opportunity yet to commit any crime. With abortion, it is as if the unborn child is receiving the death penalty for things that he or she did not do. So, what then does God think about abortion? In connection to the ancient practice of infant sacrifice and being the shedding of innocent blood, we can conclude that God views such a practice as being an abomination to Him.

While politicians, courts, and others may debate the issue of abortion, God is clear where He stands. And with Him being the Judge of the universe, His view is the only one that actually matters. Unless the President and these lawmakers and government leaders repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation that He offers, they will face this Judge and have to answer for the blood on their hands. Oh, may they heed the call of the gospel and experience the change that only Jesus can bring in their lives before they have to meet this Judge and give an account! And may those mothers who have aborted their precious little babies find forgiveness in the One who graciously died for every sin of those who come to Him in repentance and place their faith alone in Him.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Lee