Blood on our Hands

Blood on our Hands

2 Kings 24:1-4

[1] In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. [2] And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servants the prophets. [3] Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; [4] And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon.

Genesis 4:8-11

[8] And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. [9] And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? [10] And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. [11] And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

1. The PRINCIPLE – God holds us responsible for the blood of others.
   1. NATIONALLY – We can see from 2 kings 24 that while the blood was shed by or at the order of Manasseh, God held the nation as a whole responsible.  Manasseh as the head of the people did his evil in the power and authority of the nation. This corporate responsibility is frightening when I think of the millions of children that have been murdered in their mothers’ wombs. God does not overlook innocent blood!  
   2. INDIVIDUALLY – The passage in Genesis show that each individual is responsible for their actions. The clear teaching here is that Cain was responsible for the crime he committed. While we don’t know if the training he received from his parents may have been lacking in some points, we can be assured that the innate knowledge of his conscience told him it was wrong to kill.  He was the author of his crime and he was responsible. 
2. Our National RESPONSIBILITY – We can pray
   1. Victims of UNPUNISHED Murders – Ecclesiastes 8:11  Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. I have heard some truly terrifying statistics about the number of unsolved murders in this country. The problem is growing. We can again look to the 1973 supreme court decision which gave legal cover to the slaughter of millions of innocents. This was one of the steps in a long decline of the moral and spiritual condition of our country. Life has become cheap and disposable. When one believes that humans are nothing more than accidents of evolution it becomes easy to kill for any reason or no reason at all.  Another aspect is the laxity of the punishment handed out for this most heinous of crimes.  In the rare instance when the death penalty is imposed it has little meaning as it is not imposed speedily. The penalty twenty or thirty years in the future does nothing to deter crime today.  As the number of murders mount the possibility of solving them and bringing the criminals to justice diminishes.  Again we must say that God does not overlook innocent blood. 
   2. Victims of ABORTIONS – Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.The greatest crime in our nation’s history is that of the murder of more than sixty million babies by abortion. This is a holocaust of historic proportions. It is more than the dead from WWII. It is multiple times the number of our combat losses in all the wars and conflicts in the history of our nation. These are the most innocent of all. We were told the lie that the child in the womb is just a lump of cells without feelings. Ultra sounds technology gives vivid proof of the lie.  It is heart rending and infuriating to watch the process that is used to destroy the body and life of a child.  A child in the womb is a creation of God and is the responsibility of the mother and society in general to protect.
   3. Victims of DRUG ABUSERS who kill to get dope and Victims of DRUG DEALERS who sell drugs (poison) – Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!  We are experiencing an unprecedented epidemic of death due to illegal drug use.The number of drug death has reached over one hundred thousand a year and it’s growing. There are many factors that contribute to this plague, among them are the invasion of illegals, some of which are transporting drugs.  Also we must say that the number of addicts in our country has grown dramatically.  The root of all this problem is sin.  The spiritual conditions in the United States is at a low point in our history. So many are slaves to their carnal desires and thereby slaves to Satan.  Satan’s desire is to damn and destroy as many as he can.  As a society we have expelled God and His Word from the public square and from the schools. The popular culture is not only non-religious but is actively at war with God and anything godly. 
   4. Policemen who die because the public won’t support them and criminals are emboldened. – Romans 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. We have all seen too many reports of policemen killed in the line of duty in recent years. The police have a very difficult job. They should be supported in all ways we can. As Christians we are obligated to hold them up in prayer.  As citizens we must lend our voice in support demanding the courts and politicians do their part to carry out justice. When evil doers have no fear of punishment, there is no restraint on their actions. The police often pay the price by being in danger needlessly.  Their duty is hazardous enough under the best of circumstances. 
   5. Suicides by children who have no hope. The Bible can’t be taught in School. – The anchor of the soul is the certainty that God exists.  To believe that one is nothing more than a cosmic accident whose life has no meaning or purpose, that he upon his death his life will end in oblivion.  He will soon be forgotten, any accomplishments will be forgotten. It will be as if he had never been at all. When children are taught that they are just more intelligent animals, they soon begin to act as animals. Children need the hope and comfort that the love of God gives.  The hymn “Jesus loves me” has given the hope of God’s love to countless children over many years.  The despair and hopelessness of an existence without God leads many children to the terrible decision to take their own life. 
3. Our Individual RESPONSIBILITYEzekiel 33:7-9[7] So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. [8] When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. [9] Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
   1. Preachers who refuse to preach the TRUTH – So many preachers move with the current of popular opinion. This is the reason that sins such as homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion, divorce and fornication are not called out from the pulpit of many churches. One pastor of a famous megachurch is reported to have said that he didn’t preach on sin in order to not offend visitors. We should never seek to offend anyone, but if the truth hurts, so be it.  When we stand before the Lord we will give an account of all that we say and do.  
   2. Churches which refuse to hear and heed the TRUTH – Acts 17;11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. The pastor who stands in the pulpit has a great privilege, but with that great privilege comes a commensurate responsibility to preach truth.  But those that sit under his teaching have an equal responsibility that is to do as those of Berea. 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.We are told to try the spirits, how is this to be done? The measure of truth is the Word of God. The missing component in so many churches is the searching of the Scriptures. It is important for each to do their duty. If those in the pews are derelict in certifying the truth of the preaching, error will go unchecked.  It doesn’t matter if the error is intentional or not, it is error and does damage. 
   3. Churches who spend their time, money and effort on entertainment rather than evangelism – So many churches have become social clubs or political organizations rather than a light house of the Gospel sending out the light into a dark and dying world. The reasons for this are multiple. The most common are the fact that most of the people are members of the church but are not saved. 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Without the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit the natural man will seek and do what seems right to him and appeals to the flesh. Human logic dictates that we seek to draw a crowd by means of worldly inducements, such as entertainment or some sort of reward. 
   4. Christians who refuse to witness or Christians who live carelessly in front of sinners or Christians who refuse to invite folk to church. – Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. It is incumbent upon us to dedicate our lives to the furtherance of the work of God. This means that everything we do, all that we say and how we spend our time and money should be done with the glory of God as the object.