For the Israelites, their life was tied to the land.  Through their obedience to the Lord they would receive the blessings of the land; therefore to take the life of another was an offense, not only against the sanctity of human life, but also against the sacredness of the land.  "Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except fro the blood of the one who shed it.  Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites" (Numbers 35:33-34).  Israel was chosen to be the people through whom God would reveal Himself to all other nations.  To take the life of another into their own hands was an act of prideful rebellion that attacked the very character of God Who had promised to preserve their life.  The supreme blessing of the covenant is the "gift of life rescued from the power of death" (reference 1 Kings 17:22; notes); an ultimate gift that would be fully realized through the atoning sacrifice and shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross for all the sins of mankind (reference Hebrews 9:15).  "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). 

 

In our Scripture reading today, Genesis 4:1-16, Cain's deliberate plot to take the life of his own brother Abel polluted the land and brought a curse on his own head.  "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him" (1 John 3:15).  Jesus warned that murder often begins with anger; with anger being the moral equivalent to murder.  "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment" (Matthew 5:21-22a).  We have been commanded to love our fellowman, thereby choosing the path of life and promoting life towards all mankind.  Jesus came that we might experience true life; abundant and eternal life.  "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that ehy may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).  His appearance in the world revealed the limitations of the law which had no power in itself to reform and heal the human heart; it could only restrain the people or punish those who refused to obey it (reference Hebrews 7:18-19).  "You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead...Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord..." (Acts 3:15a,19).

 

Much of our world today, ignorantly attempting to preserve life by striving to become masters over their own destiny, have only succeeded in causing a landslide that leads to death.  Our own nation has ushered in a culture of death, by following a path that goes against God's orginal purpose and design for man and woman to "be fruitful and increase in number", by making counter-life-producing choices, like that of abortion, homosexuality, and entertaining the discussion of population control.

 

Let us continue to pray for our brother, Israel, who for generations have been surrounded by the contempt of those who have sought to destroy them and wipe them, as a people, off the map of the world.  They suffered the greatest atrocity known to mankind, the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered because of hatred.  Today, the pot of hatred boils over and the life of a nation hangs in the balance...praise God we know the One Whose life-giving water cools the flame!  May we pray that the Lord's chosen people will come to the river of life and drink deeply from His refreshing well and experience the life of peace that only Jesus Christ can offer.  "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day.  Nations are in an uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts" (Psalm 46:4-6).