Adonai places a special value on human life.
Genesis 1: 26.
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
We should firstly note here the plural terms used here: “Us” and “Our”. Right here, at the beginning of scripture we have a clear indication of the tri-une Godhead. There is consultation and joint action among the members of the Godhead. We can see perfect agreement and unity of purpose in the creation of mankind: the crowning point of Creation made to rule the earth.
Man was made by Adonai “according to Our likeness”. This, of course, is not a physical likeness. It speaks of the creation of man in terms that are uniquely personal and note how involved Adonai is in this part of His work. This establishes a relationship between man and Adonai which does not exist with other aspects of Creation. It is the very thing that makes humanity different from the created animals.
That Adonai made man in “Our image” suggests that man reflects Adonai in moral, ethical and intellectual attributes and that the personhood of man reflects that of Adonai. Personhood can only function in the context of relationship. Man’s capacity for intimate, person relationships requires fulfillment. Most importantly man was designed to have a personal relationship with Adonai.
Man, therefore, is a living being capable of embodying attributes of Adonai. Adam was like Adonai; he could reason and he had intellect, will and emotions. In the moral sense, Adam was like Adonai when he was created good and sinless.
Genesis 1: 31.
“Then (after the creation of Adam) God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”
Before the creation of man, things had been merely “good”.
However, Adonai did not bestow deity upon man. Man was made to be Adonai’s symbol on earth; to represent His reign and “fill the earth and subdue it”. We were made to reflect Adonai’s majesty on earth. This is the reason He values people so highly. We have noted how scripture places so much attention on Adonai’s hands-on creative action in the creation of Adam and Eve. In contrast to the animals, man is a worshipper, an articulate communicator and has the ability to be creative.
Psalm 8: 4 – 6.
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have created him with glory and honour. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet …”
Because Adonai so values human life, He commands His people to defend the innocent.
Ezekiel 16: 20.
“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them (pagan gods) to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, that you have slain My children and offered them to them by causing them to pass through the fire?”
This part of the Book of Ezekiel lists particular acts of spiritual “harlotry” engaged in by unfaithful Jerusalem and Judah. The practice of sacrificing children to appease pagan gods was found in Canaan, Mesopotamia and throughout the Middle East.
The victims may have been the sons and daughters of these perpetrators, but Adonai describes them as “My children”. All life is His!
The practice of sacrificing children was expressly forbidden by the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 12: 31.
“You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”
Deuteronomy 18: 10.
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire …”
Defenseless and vulnerable people are valued by Adonai and should be protected.
Exodus 22: 21 – 25.
“You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry out at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword …”
Ezekiel Chapter 16 warns Judah that they would be destroyed by the very Gentile nations they sought to emulate.
James 4: 4
“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”
Under the Mosaic Law, the murder of another person deserved punishment by death, because of the value of the life destroyed.
Genesis 9: 6
“Whosoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God he was made.”
The principal here is that all life belongs to Adonai. A human life is more sacred than that of an animal. An animal may be used for food or as a sacrifice. But no wanton destruction of a human life is allowed because the “image of God” is still within human beings. Sin does not destroy it. Man, alone was created in God’s image.
The Sixth Commandment refers specifically to deliberate murder.
Exodus 21: 14.
“But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbour, to kill him by teachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.”
Adonai’s desire was for a cohesive society based on the value He places on individual human beings.
Scripture extends the special status of the protection of human life to every stage, including the unborn child.
Isaiah 46: 3 and 4.
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs, I will carry you. I have made and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
Note that Adonai’s care for people goes through all life; “carried from the womb” and “even to your old age”. Respect for the elderly is another way of showing reverence for Adonai and submission to Him. To respect the elderly is to acknowledge Adonai’s blessing of long life and the wisdom that comes with it.
Our coming into the world and our departing from it, are the proper province of Adonai.
Let us consider the position of the unborn child.
Psalm 139: 13 – 16.
“For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in Your book they all are written, the days fashioned for me; when as yet there were none of them.”
Adonai’s power, skill and divine omnipotence are seen in the marvelous development of the baby in the womb. From a tiny dot, all the full characteristic of the child are programmed. All that the child will be physically and mentally is in that tiny, fertilized egg.
The Psalmist writes “You formed my inward parts”. He affirms that the work of Adonai in his life extends back to his development in his mother’s womb.
“You covered me in my mother’s womb” is translated elsewhere as “You wrought me together”. Adonai’s power is magnified by the development of human life before birth. By virtue of the divinely designed process of pregnancy, Adonai providentially watches over the development of the child in the womb.
The life of a person and the structure and meaning of that person’s life are all established from conception by Adonai: “and in your book they were all written”.
Note that in verse 15, the Psalmist uses the personal terms; “I”, “my” and “me” in referring to the unborn child. Clearly scripture describes a human personality existing before birth. Therefore, the ending of a pregnancy, other than in an extreme medical emergency, cannot be justified. The unborn child belongs to Adonai as much as any full-grown adult.
We can find further illustration of the humanity of the unborn child in Exodus 21: 22 – 25.
“If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him: and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life …”
What is described here is where a pregnant woman gets caught up in a fight among men and as a result gives birth prematurely. If the child is unharmed, the matter can be dealt with reasonably leniently. But if there is harm to the child the person responsible will be held accountable even “life for life …”
The unborn child has the same status for Adonai as any other living person. In the case above, it includes where that life is taken. The unborn child is considered by Adonai to be a person.
But not only is the preservation of human life important to Adonai but His desire is that everyone should enjoy the best possible quality of life.
Deuteronomy 15: 7 and 8.
“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother. But you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his needs.”
Our response to the poor should not be to “harden” one’s heart, but it should reflect our gratitude for all Adonai’s gifts to us.
Deuteronomy 24: 14.
“You shall not oppress a hired labourer.”
Employers should resist any greedy action that would prevent reasonable provision for people in a subservient or vulnerable position.
This is a view shared by the Lord Yeshua.
Matthew 25: 41 – 43.
“Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not cloth Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.”
What we fail to do (within our means) for other people, we fail to do for the Lord.
Respect for those with disabilities is also required.
Leviticus 19: 14.
“You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.”
We are all precious to Adonai.
AMEN.