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
