Proverbs 6:17 – Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

In this blunt context, there is a brief catalog of traits which the Holy God of heaven abhors. One of these is “hands that shed innocent blood.”

“There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-19).

It should be noted first of all that the law of God makes provision for the execution of the murderer (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:12; Rom. 13:4), and yet the Old Testament attempted to prevent rash executions in which the innocent might be put to death (Deut. 19:7-10). The death of one guilty of a capital crime, however, was not the shedding of innocent blood.

There is perhaps no practice today that illustrates the shedding of innocent blood more than the bloody phenomenon of abortion. More than one million innocent babes are slaughtered annually in their mothers’ bodies.

The unborn child is not merely a mass of tissue. It is:

• living
• human
• innocent

Abortion is, therefore, the shedding of innocent, human blood. God will hold accountable those who engage in, assist, or endorse this vile practice.

Underline the expression, “hands that shed innocent blood,” in Proverbs 6:17, and in your margin record this comment: Abortion — a modern example.