The Sacredness of Human Life - Exodus 1:15-2:10; Proverbs 24:11-12
The Sacredness of Human Life - Exodus 1:15-2:10; Proverbs 24:11-12
By Pastor Lee Hemen
January 20, 2008 AM
Imagine that a 16-year-old girl from your church comes to you for advice. She knows you well and needs to talk to someone outside her family. She tells you that she recently discovered she is pregnant. She has not told anyone, not even her boyfriend. She is a Christian and has grown up in your church. What advice would you offer this girl? What options does she have? What should a Christian do in this situation?
This story is imaginary, but all too real and I expect some of us have encountered similar situations. Some people in our society would condone an abortion. Others would suggest the girl give her child up for adoption. Still others might insist that the girl get married and raise her child. All concerned parties need to be involved in such a serious decision. Many people in today’s world view life as cheap. Entertainment, including books, TV, movies, music, and video games, frequently exalts violence and killing. Constant exposure to portrayals of brutality, abortion, and assisted suicide tends to desensitize people to the value of human life. What should we as believers do to sensitize ourselves, reeducate others, and help our society be aware of God’s view of the sacredness of human life? I am glad you asked…
READ: Exodus 1:15-2:10; Proverbs 24:11-12
The two verses from Proverbs this week remind us to help those who face death. Although abortion is not mentioned directly, the unnecessary deaths of unborn children are a relevant application of these verses. The actions of the Hebrew midwives and Moses’ family illustrate the need to protect human life. The Egyptian king felt threatened by the population growth of the Hebrews living in Egypt. He enslaved them and ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill any newborn baby boys. The midwives, however, disobeyed the king because they feared and honored God. This study will emphasize the sacredness of human life. In doing so in our lives we need to…
I. Act with Faith (Exodus 1:15-21; Proverbs 24:11-12)!
1. Christians are to always act in faith! People feel threatened by all kinds of fears, but fear of the Lord should motivate the believer to live by faith. However the unsaved are often motivated to react to fear by lashing out in ungodly ways. The pharaoh of Egypt, frightened by the booming Hebrew population, took measures to control their population growth. First, he enacted a forced labor program. The enslaved Hebrews were put to work building supply cities for the pharaoh (v. 11). When the Hebrews continued to multiply rapidly, the king increased their workload (vv. 12-13). The king’s next strategy was to order the Hebrew midwives to take an ungodly radical action: “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” What would these women do? The writer of Proverbs tells us that “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” In fact he goes on to relate that we cannot use the excuse of not knowing: “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” The midwives had a choice to make and they made the right one. They protected the unborn and God blessed them in several ways: “God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.” We know that life comes from the Lord. It is sacred to Him and we must act with faith not fear when it is threatened.
EXAMPLE: People might attempt to excuse their failure to rescue those being taken away to death by saying that they did not realize the great atrocity taking place around them. This is what was done in Nazi Germany and in places like Laos and Cambodia or with the Kurds in Iraq. These verses remind us that ignorance is no excuse. God will judge us for our actions. We are responsible for protecting human life. This story of Moses’ people and the proverbs remind us that God protects our lives, and He expects us to value and protect other human lives as well.
These precious midwives acted with extreme faith and courage by refusing to take the lives of Hebrew male infants. We should act on our faith in God by opposing abortion and other practices that undermine the value of human life. We are called to act with faith.
Human life has been cheapened in our world. We mentioned the violence before. Abortion has become a common practice. People like movie stars or Bill Gates support the taking of human life for convenience sake. How should a Christian respond to this low view of human life? Many of us need to become better educated about the issues and we need to make the sanctity of human life a high priority in our value system. Christians also need to be active. Our actions demonstrate the value we place on human life. For instance, Christians can volunteer in tutoring or mentoring programs for children, volunteer at crisis pregnancy centers, or support groups that value human life with our money and our prayers. The sacredness of human life means that Christians will…
II. Act with Determination (Exodus 1:22–2:4)!
1. Live today as you will wish you had lived when you stand before God! Pharaoh was frustrated that the Hebrews kept increasing. The midwives were not cooperating, so he ordered all his people to kill any Hebrew baby boy by throwing him into the Nile. The Hebrews faced a major threat on their infant population. Scholars use the word infanticide for the killing of infants. Some ancient cultures discarded infants who were sickly or deformed. We see it occurring in Islamic nations, India, China, and Africa. Yet in the midst of this turmoil God had placed strategically a family who would honor Him. We do not know how Jochebed hid her son, but we realize she must have faced great risks in following through with her determination to save her son’s life. The entire family would act with determination to rescue their small sibling and son. When the mother could no longer hide her son, she resourcefully developed another plan. She put her son in a papyrus basket, made from reeds. The Hebrew word translated basket literally means “ark” and is the same term used of Noah’s boat! In the safety of this small ark of God made by a loving mother’s hand floated the hope of the Israelite nation – Moses. Hebrews relates that “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23) We find Moses’ older sister, Miriam, stealthily following and she “stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.” What an act of courage and determination! When a life is threatened God’s people must act with determination to rescue as many lives as possible.
EXAMPLE: Imagine that you are visiting a foreign country when you realize that you're being followed. Your every move is watched. Your every conversation is monitored. Your hotel room is bugged and the restaurant tables are electronically rigged to pick up every word you speak. It's as if at all times someone wants to know what you are doing, saying, thinking, and planning. You are constantly under the scrutiny of another, and it seems there is no place to hide. Like Moses’ family must have felt in sheltering their little boy.
Fortunately, most of us don't know what it's like to live under that kind of surveillance. Yet in reality, we do live every moment of every day under the watchful eyes of the Lord. He sees everything we do; He hears everything we say; He knows every thought we think.
For those who love and trust the Lord, this is an awesome yet comforting truth. But for those who are determined to resist Him, it's a different story. Our lives are not lived for ourselves. The family of Moses understood this as well. Sure, Moses’ parents and sister acted with faith and determination to save the baby’s life they loved. Most of us would do anything we could to save the life of our child. However, God expects us as His children to have high regard for all human life. When we see that life threatened we must act with determination.
The sanctity of human life is a high priority for many Christians. Some use their money to support politicians and groups that share their values. Others write letters to the editors of newspapers or take other political actions. Some show their determination to protect human life by educating their own children about this priority. Some have chosen careers that enhance human life. Teachers, counselors, and medical professionals often are motivated by a high regard for human life. When we see human life threatened, Christians must act. In fact, we learn that it means we…
III. Act with Creativity (Exodus 2:5-10)!
1. God’s providence in action using people’s creativity! Moses’ mother had an inspiration from the Lord and his sister followed along, watching, to make sure he was safe. A princess of Egypt went to bath in the Nile and found the little ark. Seeing the baby she immediately felt sorry for the little boy in the basket. The Hebrew term translated felt sorry also means “to have compassion.” Basically the word conveys the idea of an emotional response that results in an active attempt to save its object from impending difficulty. The princess recognized that the baby was a Hebrew boy. Although her father had ordered the killing of all Hebrew baby boys, she had compassion on this baby. Through God’s providential action, the daughter of the king who had issued the decree for the babies’ deaths becomes the channel for Moses’ deliverance. Miriam was there to make a heavenly suggestion, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” God’s providence in action using people’s creativity. Moses’ mother would even receive a salary for taking care of her own child—another ironic and providential element in the story! God was working behind the scenes to preserve the life of the man who would eventually lead the Hebrews out of Egyptian captivity. The mother’s and sister’s high regard for human life plays a key role in the story. They both acted with creativity to save a human life they valued. How about you? How do you value human life? Can you imagine what would have happened if they had not acted with creativity? Moses could have been killed. Imagine the same scenario with Mary and Joseph if Mary decided not to birth Jesus? Yet because of their willingness to act with creativity we have salvation!
EXAMPLE: Moses’ mother and sister acted with creativity to save Moses’ life. We can think of several options this Hebrew family might have exercised. For instance, they might have tried to flee Egypt. As a slave people, however, they would have found it difficult to escape the Egyptians. They could have continued to lie about Moses’ birth but that would have soon been discovered as well. Moses’ family creatively responded to the crisis generated by the king’s decree by putting their baby boy in the Nile. They trusted God to help them save the baby’s life.
We can value and protect human life creatively today as well. Christians can refuse to buy services or products whose companies or manufacturers support abortion, they can depend on God to help them seek ways to be creative to save lives, just like Moses’ mother and sister did. Perhaps it would be to support an impoverished child, make clothing for newborns, supply diapers and such, give to missions to help build Christian hospitals in impoverished nations, or help a crisis pregnancy center buy a 3D ultrasound machine so pregnant mothers can see their unborn infants. Whatever it is, believers need to act with creativity concerning human life.
Conclusion:
1. We should act on our faith in God by opposing abortion and other practices that undermine the value of human life.
2. We are to demonstrate a determination to protect human life.
3. We need to be creative in our efforts to express our value of human life and in our means to protect human life.
What will you do this year to show the sacredness of human life?
---
The outline for this sermon was taken from a Sunday School lesson by LifeWay, Adult Explore the Bible, Winter 03-04.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
January 20, 2008 AM
Imagine that a 16-year-old girl from your church comes to you for advice. She knows you well and needs to talk to someone outside her family. She tells you that she recently discovered she is pregnant. She has not told anyone, not even her boyfriend. She is a Christian and has grown up in your church. What advice would you offer this girl? What options does she have? What should a Christian do in this situation?
This story is imaginary, but all too real and I expect some of us have encountered similar situations. Some people in our society would condone an abortion. Others would suggest the girl give her child up for adoption. Still others might insist that the girl get married and raise her child. All concerned parties need to be involved in such a serious decision. Many people in today’s world view life as cheap. Entertainment, including books, TV, movies, music, and video games, frequently exalts violence and killing. Constant exposure to portrayals of brutality, abortion, and assisted suicide tends to desensitize people to the value of human life. What should we as believers do to sensitize ourselves, reeducate others, and help our society be aware of God’s view of the sacredness of human life? I am glad you asked…
READ: Exodus 1:15-2:10; Proverbs 24:11-12
The two verses from Proverbs this week remind us to help those who face death. Although abortion is not mentioned directly, the unnecessary deaths of unborn children are a relevant application of these verses. The actions of the Hebrew midwives and Moses’ family illustrate the need to protect human life. The Egyptian king felt threatened by the population growth of the Hebrews living in Egypt. He enslaved them and ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill any newborn baby boys. The midwives, however, disobeyed the king because they feared and honored God. This study will emphasize the sacredness of human life. In doing so in our lives we need to…
I. Act with Faith (Exodus 1:15-21; Proverbs 24:11-12)!
1. Christians are to always act in faith! People feel threatened by all kinds of fears, but fear of the Lord should motivate the believer to live by faith. However the unsaved are often motivated to react to fear by lashing out in ungodly ways. The pharaoh of Egypt, frightened by the booming Hebrew population, took measures to control their population growth. First, he enacted a forced labor program. The enslaved Hebrews were put to work building supply cities for the pharaoh (v. 11). When the Hebrews continued to multiply rapidly, the king increased their workload (vv. 12-13). The king’s next strategy was to order the Hebrew midwives to take an ungodly radical action: “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” What would these women do? The writer of Proverbs tells us that “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” In fact he goes on to relate that we cannot use the excuse of not knowing: “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” The midwives had a choice to make and they made the right one. They protected the unborn and God blessed them in several ways: “God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.” We know that life comes from the Lord. It is sacred to Him and we must act with faith not fear when it is threatened.
EXAMPLE: People might attempt to excuse their failure to rescue those being taken away to death by saying that they did not realize the great atrocity taking place around them. This is what was done in Nazi Germany and in places like Laos and Cambodia or with the Kurds in Iraq. These verses remind us that ignorance is no excuse. God will judge us for our actions. We are responsible for protecting human life. This story of Moses’ people and the proverbs remind us that God protects our lives, and He expects us to value and protect other human lives as well.
These precious midwives acted with extreme faith and courage by refusing to take the lives of Hebrew male infants. We should act on our faith in God by opposing abortion and other practices that undermine the value of human life. We are called to act with faith.
Human life has been cheapened in our world. We mentioned the violence before. Abortion has become a common practice. People like movie stars or Bill Gates support the taking of human life for convenience sake. How should a Christian respond to this low view of human life? Many of us need to become better educated about the issues and we need to make the sanctity of human life a high priority in our value system. Christians also need to be active. Our actions demonstrate the value we place on human life. For instance, Christians can volunteer in tutoring or mentoring programs for children, volunteer at crisis pregnancy centers, or support groups that value human life with our money and our prayers. The sacredness of human life means that Christians will…
II. Act with Determination (Exodus 1:22–2:4)!
1. Live today as you will wish you had lived when you stand before God! Pharaoh was frustrated that the Hebrews kept increasing. The midwives were not cooperating, so he ordered all his people to kill any Hebrew baby boy by throwing him into the Nile. The Hebrews faced a major threat on their infant population. Scholars use the word infanticide for the killing of infants. Some ancient cultures discarded infants who were sickly or deformed. We see it occurring in Islamic nations, India, China, and Africa. Yet in the midst of this turmoil God had placed strategically a family who would honor Him. We do not know how Jochebed hid her son, but we realize she must have faced great risks in following through with her determination to save her son’s life. The entire family would act with determination to rescue their small sibling and son. When the mother could no longer hide her son, she resourcefully developed another plan. She put her son in a papyrus basket, made from reeds. The Hebrew word translated basket literally means “ark” and is the same term used of Noah’s boat! In the safety of this small ark of God made by a loving mother’s hand floated the hope of the Israelite nation – Moses. Hebrews relates that “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23) We find Moses’ older sister, Miriam, stealthily following and she “stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.” What an act of courage and determination! When a life is threatened God’s people must act with determination to rescue as many lives as possible.
EXAMPLE: Imagine that you are visiting a foreign country when you realize that you're being followed. Your every move is watched. Your every conversation is monitored. Your hotel room is bugged and the restaurant tables are electronically rigged to pick up every word you speak. It's as if at all times someone wants to know what you are doing, saying, thinking, and planning. You are constantly under the scrutiny of another, and it seems there is no place to hide. Like Moses’ family must have felt in sheltering their little boy.
Fortunately, most of us don't know what it's like to live under that kind of surveillance. Yet in reality, we do live every moment of every day under the watchful eyes of the Lord. He sees everything we do; He hears everything we say; He knows every thought we think.
For those who love and trust the Lord, this is an awesome yet comforting truth. But for those who are determined to resist Him, it's a different story. Our lives are not lived for ourselves. The family of Moses understood this as well. Sure, Moses’ parents and sister acted with faith and determination to save the baby’s life they loved. Most of us would do anything we could to save the life of our child. However, God expects us as His children to have high regard for all human life. When we see that life threatened we must act with determination.
The sanctity of human life is a high priority for many Christians. Some use their money to support politicians and groups that share their values. Others write letters to the editors of newspapers or take other political actions. Some show their determination to protect human life by educating their own children about this priority. Some have chosen careers that enhance human life. Teachers, counselors, and medical professionals often are motivated by a high regard for human life. When we see human life threatened, Christians must act. In fact, we learn that it means we…
III. Act with Creativity (Exodus 2:5-10)!
1. God’s providence in action using people’s creativity! Moses’ mother had an inspiration from the Lord and his sister followed along, watching, to make sure he was safe. A princess of Egypt went to bath in the Nile and found the little ark. Seeing the baby she immediately felt sorry for the little boy in the basket. The Hebrew term translated felt sorry also means “to have compassion.” Basically the word conveys the idea of an emotional response that results in an active attempt to save its object from impending difficulty. The princess recognized that the baby was a Hebrew boy. Although her father had ordered the killing of all Hebrew baby boys, she had compassion on this baby. Through God’s providential action, the daughter of the king who had issued the decree for the babies’ deaths becomes the channel for Moses’ deliverance. Miriam was there to make a heavenly suggestion, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” God’s providence in action using people’s creativity. Moses’ mother would even receive a salary for taking care of her own child—another ironic and providential element in the story! God was working behind the scenes to preserve the life of the man who would eventually lead the Hebrews out of Egyptian captivity. The mother’s and sister’s high regard for human life plays a key role in the story. They both acted with creativity to save a human life they valued. How about you? How do you value human life? Can you imagine what would have happened if they had not acted with creativity? Moses could have been killed. Imagine the same scenario with Mary and Joseph if Mary decided not to birth Jesus? Yet because of their willingness to act with creativity we have salvation!
EXAMPLE: Moses’ mother and sister acted with creativity to save Moses’ life. We can think of several options this Hebrew family might have exercised. For instance, they might have tried to flee Egypt. As a slave people, however, they would have found it difficult to escape the Egyptians. They could have continued to lie about Moses’ birth but that would have soon been discovered as well. Moses’ family creatively responded to the crisis generated by the king’s decree by putting their baby boy in the Nile. They trusted God to help them save the baby’s life.
We can value and protect human life creatively today as well. Christians can refuse to buy services or products whose companies or manufacturers support abortion, they can depend on God to help them seek ways to be creative to save lives, just like Moses’ mother and sister did. Perhaps it would be to support an impoverished child, make clothing for newborns, supply diapers and such, give to missions to help build Christian hospitals in impoverished nations, or help a crisis pregnancy center buy a 3D ultrasound machine so pregnant mothers can see their unborn infants. Whatever it is, believers need to act with creativity concerning human life.
Conclusion:
1. We should act on our faith in God by opposing abortion and other practices that undermine the value of human life.
2. We are to demonstrate a determination to protect human life.
3. We need to be creative in our efforts to express our value of human life and in our means to protect human life.
What will you do this year to show the sacredness of human life?
---
The outline for this sermon was taken from a Sunday School lesson by LifeWay, Adult Explore the Bible, Winter 03-04.
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