III. Seven Things God Hates
Proverbs 6:16-19
III. Hands that Shed Innocent Blood
Prov 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, & hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, & he that soweth discord among brethren.
Interesting Statement: According to the FBI. Roughly 45 people are murdered a day (not including suicides). That is a staggering statistic.
Proverbs 6:17 says God hates “hands that shed innocent blood”, a reference to murder. Murder refers to intentionally killing someone… taking a life of someone who has not committed a crime. Those “hands that shed innocent blood” are defiled, deserving to die by the laws of God or men. They destroy God’s image & are like the devil; he was a murderer from the beginning. As Christians we must cling to three things as we study this text…
#1: We Must Love (Honor) Life
The reason God hates “hands that shed innocent blood” is because God is the creator of life, not death. God loves life as He is the “living” God (Jer 10:10) who gives life & breath to all…
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, & breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; & man became a living soul.
Life is sacred, not because man is special, but because God created it & defends it. Do we love life like God loves life? Do we defend life because God loves life. Think about that for a moment… Isaiah 42:5 Acts 17:25
#2: We Must Obey (Submit to) God’s Word
Our creator God loves life. HE demands punishment for murder (“hands that shed innocent blood”) because this comes from the devil. Satan was a murderer from the beginning & so are the devils children. Where do we get that?
After the flood, God established a new covenant with Noah (perhaps because people might believe God didn’t value life). In that covenant there was responsibilities (laws) for man &
promises from God. The Noah covenant demonstrated how much God holds life to be sacred, ensured stability & order of the world. People, through this covenant, would learn human law was necessary for the stability of life & that wickedness should not go unpunished. This is the beginning of human government established by God.
While OT law commanded the death penalty for murder & other crimes, we must remember that where there is another law. There is the Law of love (enter grace & mercy in the NT).
God shows mercy when the death penalty was due (David committed adultery & murder but God did not demand his life be taken. 2 Sam11:1-5, 14-17; 12:13
New Testament: Although every sin we commit should result in the death (“the wages of sin is death” Rom 6:23), God demonstrated His love for us in not condemning us (Rom 5:8).
Illustration:
Is Jesus against capital punishment? Absolutely NOT! Remember the story when the Pharisees caught the woman in adultery. They asked Jesus if she should be stoned. Jesus replied, “… He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John 8:7
At that moment, Jesus was not rejecting capital punishment but instead exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The Pharisees tried to trick Jesus into breaking OT law. They did not care about the woman or her sin (after all, where was the man caught in adultery as well?)
Application:
God instituted capital punishment (death) for those that “shed innocent blood” & Jesus supported capital punishment in instances where it was necessary. He also stressed the importance of mercy & grace. John 8
Paul also recognized the power of God’s law but also stressed the government responsibility under God’s Word to institute capital punishment where appropriate. Therefore, two conclusions on obeying God’s Word…
Conclusion #1: Remember God’s Word is Our Ultimate Authority (2 Peter 1:20-21)
God (in the OT) instituted capital punishment. It is human pride to think that we can institute a higher standard. God’s perfect standard is the standard, demanding punishment for “hands that shed innocent blood”. However, God, in His infinite love now offers mercy & grace for the transgressions of the law as they are covered & forgiven under the blood of Christ.
Conclusion #2: Remember Governmental Rule is Under God’s Law (Romans 13)
We recognize that God has given established government the authority to determine when capital punishment (death) is due (Gen 9:6; Rom13:1-7). It is the government’s responsibility to punish criminals. As a Christian, I am to be merciful personally. That is not the governments job.
When “hands that shed innocent blood” are prosecuted to the extent of the law (God’s & man’s under God’s), Christians should never fight against the government’s right to execute the perpetrators.
All that is to say, we too obey God’s Word & law under God’s Word, hating “hands that shed innocent blood”…
The Finality & Implications of Death
What is death & why is it so important to understand in light of Proverbs 6:17? Death is two fold.
(1) Physical – Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body; &
(2) Spiritual – Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God.
Both deaths are a result of sin. Romans states, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 3:23) & thus the whole world is subject to death, because all have sinned. “By one man sin entered the world, & death by sin, & so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12).
God warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience was death as He said, “thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) When Adam disobeyed he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide from Lord God among the trees of the garden (Gen 3:8) & later a physical death. Gen 5:5
Illustration:
Jesus being our example also experienced physical death (Matt. 27:50). However the difference from Him & Adam was that Adam died because he was a sinner. Jesus had never sinned nut chose to die as a substitute for sinners (Heb. 2:9). He showed His power over death by rising from the dead on the third day (Matt. 28; Rev. 1:18). Because of Christ, death is a defeated foe for those that believe!
Application:
For the unsaved, life before death is the last resort to accept God’s offer of salvation. Death ushers us into eternity. For the saved, we enter the presence of Christ: (“to be present with Christ” 2 Cor 5:8). For the unsaved, they go to a place of punishment (Hell) until the final judgment. Which side are you on? Revelation 20:13-14