“What have you done?” (Genesis 4:10)
The first sin following the fall in the bible was murder. The taking of another human being’s life. A hideous sin, for it is the extermination of one created in the image of God. Sadly, this gruesome transgression has increased over many millenniums from one to billions and billions. Statistics tell us that more than 400,000 people die from homicide each year. In some countries murder is one of the leading causes of death. Oh, what a tangled web of misery, massacre, and mutilation Cain began in that flourishing field where God’s goodness was supposed to grow.
But did you know that Cain committed more than one murder that fateful day? The Hebrew word for blood is the word dam. It is a word that is in the plural form. That tells us that the result of Cain’s one act of homicide culminated in multiple murders. In fact, all murders are multiple. For Cain did not only destroy Abel’s life, but he destroyed all his potential descendants. Ancient rabbis say that because of this, the one who destroys one life destroys the whole world. There is never one victim in a murder, but countless others are “killed” from coming into existence. Think of Abel’s potential children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, a multitude of descendants. Not to mention the countless survivors who are “killed” emotionally by this horrible crime.
Blood has a voice. That is why when God confronted Cain over his sin, He said “your bothers’ blood(s) cries out to me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:10). Even hatred for someone is murder. I John 3:15 tells us – “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer.” Our hatred destroys others, not to mention ourselves. Abortion is a murderer. It destroys the lives of descendants who would have come into the world through that child. I have counseled women who had abortions 10, 20 years earlier. The weight of guilt and shame they carried all those years became such a burden to them that they could barely function through life. It is heartbreaking.
Again, I say, blood has a voice. In fact, it has many voices. But be assured of this. God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, covers every one of those voices. For if God heard Abel’s blood, just think of how much louder the blood of Jesus Christ rings in his ears. His word promises that Christ’s blood “speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). In other words, the blood of Jesus Christ covers the blood of Abel as well as the blood of every victim of murder. Shedding human blood, from the womb to that of an elderly human being is a very serious sin in God’s eyes, but no sin is beyond the power that is found in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Darlene