As our society debates the importance of life and when it begins, it seems that we are rapidly devolving into a position where life is treated as a commodity and hinderance rather than a precious gift.
But what does God say about life?
To get an idea, we can go to Genesis chapter nine. Immediately following the flood of the earth, God made a covenant with Noah and gave him instructions about human life.
Keep in mind that at that particular time, Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth were the only inhabitants of the world. Everyone else had been wiped out by the flood.
Here is what he said.
“Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every
We can glean at least six statements from God about the value of life from those verses, as well as some instructions about what to do with life.
1. God demands an accounting for every drop of human blood
“Surely I will require your lifeblood,” God says. Or as it is put in the NIV, “For your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.”
Every single created person is precious to God, and he knows about every single drop of blood. He controls the universe and demands that all human blood be accounted for.
2. God demands an accounting for every drop of animal blood
He doesn’t stop at humanity. God says, “From every beast I will require it.”
While we can eat animals and have them as pets, God requires
Note: Keep in mind that this is in the old covenant (before Jesus died and was resurrected as the supreme sacrifice). Therefore, the blood of animals was used for sacrifices that were to be made on behalf of sin. After Jesus, we no longer have to make fleshly sacrifices.
3. God demands that we account for the life of our fellow man
“From every man’s brother I will require the life of man,” God says. The NIV states it as, “I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.”
It is not enough that we account for our own blood and how it is spilled. We must also be stewards of those around us. This includes our family and friends, the elderly and children, both born and unborn.
4. To God, all lives are as important as others
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood will be shed,” says God.
Again, we are dealing with the old covenant system of laws with eye for an eye-style discipline. Still, the principle should be something that we take very seriously.
Just as Paul talked about there being no spiritual gifts more useful or valuable than others within the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12), God makes it plain here that no life is more valuable than another.
5. We are made in God’s image
God put it this way, “For in the image of God he has made man.”
As the previous point stated that no life is more valuable than another, this is why. We are created in God’s image. We have characteristics upon ourselves that are of God. God would not destroy or harm himself. Therefore, we must treat our own selves as if we are extensions of God.
Note: This does not mean that we are God, nor should we set ourselves up to be God in our own minds. We are created in his image and are earthen vessels to be used by God.
6. We are to have children and do so in abundance
God ends his covenant with Noah with
“As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.”
We are to have children, but not just to have them, to have them in abundance so as to fill and populate the earth.
This command must have been important because God mentioned it twice in this passage. In verse one, he says, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” Then he returns to the same directive in verse seven.
As our society debates about whether unborn children have rights and what measures against them can be legally protected, it is pretty clear where God stands on the issue of children and birth. He wants us to have children and to do so abundantly.
Human life is a gift from God that he has entrusted to us. It should be treated with all reverence and respect.
