Through the Bible -Genesis 41-46
Good morning,
I received an e-mail from my pastor from our church in Illinois regarding this Sunday and thought I'd share part of it with you:
This Sunday is "National Right to Life Sunday." This is an annual time of prayer and remembrance from Churches across the nation on behalf of unborn babies. This year the National Right to Life organization is also sponsoring a petition drive to try to stop passage of the "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA).
FOCA is the proposed federal law that will essentially nullify all existing federal and state limitations on abortion. President Obama has pledged to sign the bill as soon as it is passed. Among other things, this bill will do away with the national ban on partial-birth abortion that the Supreme Court upheld in Gonzales v. Carhart. To read further about FOCA, the Court's decisions and this bill, go to www.nrlc.org
This morning my devotional reading brought me to Psalm 106. Psalms 105 and 106 give us a sort of summary of the ups and downs of Israel and Judah's walk with God. I was struck by the following verses in regards to abortion:
Ps 106:36 They worshiped their idols,
which led to their downfall.
37 They even sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters.
By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,
they polluted the land with murder. NLT
which led to their downfall.
37 They even sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters.
By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,
they polluted the land with murder. NLT
Read the verses again to grasp the magnitude of them.
We need to feel the horror of the words above: sacrifice, demons, innocent blood, and polluted. Abortion involves all these things. We need to see and understand the facts about abortion, what it does, how it is done, and who is being impacted by the 40 million plus abortions that have been performed in our country.
In a sermon on this passage and topic, John Piper noted that there are at least four parallels with this passage and abortion.
One is sacrifice. Sacrifice means you give up something ordinarilly considered valuable to gain something better. But what could be better than a baby? Certainly not the opportunity to make a better income.
Second, the words used to describe the sacrifice are "sons and daughters". It is not choice, it is not even "fetus", they were sons and daughters, they are family. What is being sacrificed is family, always family.
Third, the verses refer to "innocent blood". The babies have done nothing wrong. Piper notes that it's the ordinary legal statement that is used in court. "Did I do anything to deserve the punishment other people are about to execute on me?". They don't deserve this mistreatment.
Fourth, it is to demons. Satan is a murderer, liar, and great deceiver. All of these things are done for his tribute, knowingly or unknowingly.
Piper notes that "A few years ago, a group of Catholics and Protestants produced a document called "That They Might Have Life." In it, they said this about abortion:
The blindness of so many to this moral atrocity has many sources but is finally to be traced to the seductive ways of evil advanced by Satan. Jesus says, "He was as murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44)."
Our nation in some respects has come to new heights of racial equality by it's choice of a black man as president. It is about to come to a new low in regards to it's policies to the unborn in the FOCA (above).
The psalm ends with a cry of the nation, which could as well be a cry from the unborn.
Ps 106:47 Save us, O Lord our God!
Gather us back from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you.
Gather us back from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you.
48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
who lives from everlasting to everlasting!
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord!
Consider these verses from Ephesians in light of the abortion issue:
Eph 5:11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. NLT
Pray for our nation. Take a stand for what you believe in, offer help to the helpless.
John Piper's message can be read or listened to at: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByTopic/47/2582_Abortion_The_Innocent_Blood_of_Our_Sons_and_Daughters/
Ps 106:34-48
34 Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land,as the Lord had commanded them.35 Instead, they mingled among the pagansand adopted their evil customs.36 They worshiped their idols,which led to their downfall.37 They even sacrificed their sonsand their daughters to the demons.38 They shed innocent blood,the blood of their sons and daughters.By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,they polluted the land with murder.39 They defiled themselves by their evil deeds,and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord's sight.
40 That is why the Lord's anger burned against his people,and he abhorred his own special possession.41 He handed them over to pagan nations,and they were ruled by those who hated them.42 Their enemies crushed themand brought them under their cruel power.43 Again and again he rescued them,but they chose to rebel against him,and they were finally destroyed by their sin.44 Even so, he pitied them in their distressand listened to their cries.45 He remembered his covenant with themand relented because of his unfailing love.46 He even caused their captorsto treat them with kindness.
47 Save us, O Lord our God!Gather us back from among the nations,so we can thank your holy nameand rejoice and praise you.
48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,who lives from everlasting to everlasting!Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord!
40 That is why the Lord's anger burned against his people,and he abhorred his own special possession.41 He handed them over to pagan nations,and they were ruled by those who hated them.42 Their enemies crushed themand brought them under their cruel power.43 Again and again he rescued them,but they chose to rebel against him,and they were finally destroyed by their sin.44 Even so, he pitied them in their distressand listened to their cries.45 He remembered his covenant with themand relented because of his unfailing love.46 He even caused their captorsto treat them with kindness.
47 Save us, O Lord our God!Gather us back from among the nations,so we can thank your holy nameand rejoice and praise you.
48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,who lives from everlasting to everlasting!Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the Lord!
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