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Exodus chapter 20. Exodus 20, 
begin reading in verse 1. And God spoke all these words, 
saying, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land 
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, You shall have no other 
gods before me. You shall not make for yourself 
a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven 
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water 
under the earth. You shall not bow down to them 
nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. showing 
mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not take the name of 
the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless 
who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep 
it holy. Six days you shall labor and 
do all your work. The seventh day is the Sabbath 
of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work, you 
nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your 
female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within 
your gates. For in six days the Lord made 
the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, 
and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the 
Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother, 
that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your 
God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit 
adultery. You shall not steal. You shall 
not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not 
covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's 
wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, 
nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's. And 
look at chapter 21, specifically verses 22 to 25. 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, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, 
hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, 
stripe for stripe. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
God and our Father, we come now to you who is the author of life. We pray that you would bless 
our study this morning with reference to the sixth commandment and 
its specific application in the matter of abortion. God, this 
is a difficult subject and I pray that your spirit would guide 
us and cause us to reflect upon the truth because it is ultimately 
truth that sets us free. We know that the devil is a murderer 
from the beginning. We know that he does not stand 
in the truth. We know that this is a spiritual 
battle in many respects and God help us to think properly concerning 
this issue. Help us to think your thoughts 
after you with reference to this issue and cause us to be able 
to shine as lights in this wicked world where it is the case that 
so many innocent people are murdered daily. We ask our Father that 
you would just forgive us again for our sin that you would supply 
the Holy Spirit to each and every one of us, to guide our thoughts 
in the truth. And we pray through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. Well, this is certainly 
one sermon that I hope that you all remember. It is essentially 
what I preached last year, what I preached the year before, and 
probably every year previously. It's one of those messages that 
I would hope that you have a proper understanding of. Because there's 
a lot of fuzzy thinking, not only in this world today, but 
within the church itself. We need to understand what God 
says concerning a particular issue. We need to see His view 
on a particular subject to fuel us in prayer, to fuel us in our 
lives, to fuel us in all that we do and in all that we undertake. John Murray commented once in 
his book on ethics. He says, nothing shows the moral 
bankruptcy of a people or of a generation more than disregard 
for the sanctity of life. Certainly, that is a fitting 
description of our own day. Morally bankrupt, and it's evident 
in the abortion clinics. It is evident in the fact that 
babies are murdered in their mother's womb in some of the 
most ghoulish, all of the most ghoulish ways that could possibly 
be carried out. The book of Proverbs, Christ 
speaks his wisdom there. He says, but he who sins against 
me wrongs his own soul, All those who hate me love death." Certainly, 
we are a death-loving culture in many, many respects. This 
morning, it's very basic. I want to first look at the Sixth 
Commandment, secondly, look at the sanctity of human life, and 
thirdly, look at the specific application to the abortion issue, 
what we just read there in Exodus 21, 22 to 25. If you want to 
go back for just a moment to Chapter 20, with reference to 
the Sixth Commandment, The basis for this commandment, the basis 
for all of the commandments that we find in the book of Exodus, 
in the book of Leviticus, in Numbers, Deuteronomy, all of 
that is grounded upon the reality that God is the creator. God 
made man in his image. God prescribes to man how he 
is supposed to live. God is both creator and legislator. He is the lawgiver. He is the 
one alone that can speak to us in these matters, and we as his 
creatures need to give heed to him. We need to listen, and we 
need to understand, and we need to pay attention, and we need 
to function in a manner that is consistent with the lawgiver's 
expression of his will. As well, there is a prohibition 
stated in the commandment. It's only negative. You shall 
not murder. This, of course, applies to internal 
hatred. The book of 1 John. John tells 
us that we are like Cain if we hate our brethren. We are not 
supposed to hate brothers and sisters. In the book of Matthew, 
the Lord Jesus says that if, with reference to a brother, 
we say in our heart, you fool, you raka, you empty-headed one, 
then we are guilty of violating the sixth commandment. But when 
it comes to this issue of abortion, what is in view is the external 
act. And the proper translation is 
as we find it here in the New King James. You shall not murder. If you're interested in this 
sort of a thing tonight, we're going to argue that murder there 
is the better translation. Kill is not necessarily correct 
in this section. because killing is not necessarily 
condemned in the Bible. Somebody would ask me, are you 
pro-life? Yes, I am pro-life, but I want 
to qualify it. God says in the scriptures that 
self-defense is legitimate. God says in the scriptures that 
legitimate war is legitimate. God says in the scriptures that 
the state has the authority to execute criminal offenders. So 
I'm pro-innocent life. But those subjects who are guilty 
of particular crimes ought to die at the hands of the civil 
government. And again, if you have a problem with that, come 
tonight. We're going to investigate that in more detail. There is 
a prohibition here, you shall not murder. Kaiser says, while 
Hebrew possesses seven words for killing, the word used here, 
which is Ratzah, appears only 47 times in the Old Testament. If any one of the seven words 
could signify murder, where factors of premeditation and intentionality 
are present, this is the verb. See, this is what we're speaking 
about this morning. Murder has to do with premeditation. Murder has to do with malice 
of forethought. Murder has to do with a specific 
intent to end the life of someone else. Certainly abortion falls 
under that in every step of the way. It is homicide or rather 
it is manslaughter if we accidentally kill someone. You must see there's 
a big difference between somebody who accidentally hits a kid that 
jumps out from behind a car to someone who willingly goes into 
a place where they murder babies. The Bible makes that distinction. 
It makes that nuance and it shows us that not all killing is murder. Certainly all murder is killing, 
but not all killing is murder. And so the prohibition here deals 
specifically with murder. As I said, it's distinguished 
in Exodus 21, verses 12 to 13, Numbers 35, 9, and Deuteronomy 
19, 4 to 13. It shows the difference between 
an accidental homicide and murder. Webster defines it very clearly, 
to kill a human being with premeditated malice. So the prohibition is 
very clear. We're not supposed to kill people. 
We're not supposed to murder people. If we were a governing 
authority, we had that authority, or we were in a war, then we 
can kill people. But in terms of us here now, 
we are not to murder. Abortion is wrong. Euthanasia 
is wrong. Murdering somebody because they're 
physically ill is wrong. God alone has authority. God 
alone is the lawgiver. God alone is the one who can 
take life and who gives life. Some have said, well what about 
the children of Israel when they went and engaged in holy war? 
That makes God a murderer. God is not a murderer. God is 
the sovereign Lord of the heavens and the earth. Whether you die 
on the battlefield or you die in your sleep tonight, Christ 
holds the keys to Hades and death. God is sovereign. It is not a 
sin or a crime or murder for Him to take someone out. He has 
the authority. But for man, His image on this 
earth, for us to murder someone is a high crime. It is a sin 
against God. If things were functioning properly, 
we would be executed by the governing authorities. The prohibitioner, 
the positive aspect of the command, Westminster Shorter Catechism 
says it very clearly and perceptively. What is required in the Sixth 
Commandment? The Sixth Commandment requires 
all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of 
others. With reference to this issue of abortion, not only are 
we not to go into the womb with sterilized medical instruments 
and destroy that baby, but rather we are to seek to give it birth, 
and to nurture it, to care for it, to love it, and to bring 
it up hopefully in the training and the admonition of the Lord 
God Almighty. Each of the commandments contain 
a prohibition and by implication have a positive aspect of the 
command. Specifically, the target of assault 
in this command is man. God does not prohibit people 
from killing animals. He cannot murder an animal, PETA 
notwithstanding. Meat is not murder. Meat is a 
gift given by God to sustain His creation. Now, I'm certainly 
not arguing we should be mean, vile, or wicked to animals. We 
shouldn't kick them. We shouldn't abuse them. We shouldn't 
create environments and situations where there's needless suffering. 
The Bible does not prohibit man from eating meat. The Bible, 
or God, gives man meat in a utilitarian manner. They're helpful to sustain 
and nourish our lives, to keep us warm. Obviously, the target 
of assault in the Sixth Commandment is man himself. You shall not 
murder. Man, you shall not murder those 
who bear God's image because that's the issue. It is the doctrine 
of creation in the image of God that is the rationale for what 
we call the sanctity of life. It's not the sanctity of life 
because man is intrinsically good. It is the sanctity of life 
because man bears the image of God. And for those of you who 
have recently read Biblical Theology by Gerhardtus Voss, whether you 
remember this statement or not, I agree with what he says. In 
life slain, it is the image of God, i.e. the Divine Majesty, 
that is assaulted. Now when we move to consider 
the sanctity of life, we'll see that the Bible is very clear, 
it's very candid, it's very open, it's very instructive in terms 
of does the image of God apply to man in every state, in every 
situation? Does it apply to every man everywhere? It most certainly does. Consider 
the biblical samples. First, the image of God is displayed 
in the pre-fall state of man. Genesis 1, 26-28. God made man in his own image. Some have questioned whether 
we retain the image after the fall. Well, certainly the biblical 
authors indicate that we in fact do. It is fractured, it is damaged, 
there is distortion to be sure, but we still bear God's image. 
Genesis 5.1 indicates that, as does James 3.9. When James is 
telling the church not to use their tongues to abuse the people 
of God, he uses an analogy. He says, with our tongue we bless 
our God, and with it we curse men who have been made in His 
likeness. So man is image-bearer before 
the fall into sin, man is image-bearer after the fall into sin, so that 
if we murder man, then we are assaulting the Divine Majesty, 
as Gerhardus Voss well says in his biblical theology. The image 
of God is displayed in children. It's not the case that a child 
has to reach a certain age, a certain age of awareness before we treat 
them as image bearers. That's not true. God specifies 
in the law concerning children. He tells Israel, you're not to 
make your children pass through the fires to Moloch. Now I realize 
there are some fools in this world that set out hot coals 
and they walk along them to see if they have mastery over their 
feet and can so well it that they can come out the other side 
without great big wounds. That's not what passing through 
the fire to Molech meant in Old Covenant Israel. Molech was an 
idol. Molech was placed in fire. Moloch had outstretched arms. 
He just didn't have the use of them because he's an idol, right? 
Remember Dagon falls before the Ark of the Lord and his head 
falls off? Brethren, if your God's head falls off, you've 
got big problems. If your God can't move his arms, 
you've got big problems. What was making your children 
pass through the fire to Molech mean? It means they take their 
children in human sacrifice and throw them into the arms of Molech. 
And because he couldn't do this, they'd oftentimes just bounce 
right off into the flames. It meant to kill them. It meant 
human sacrifice. God says don't do that with your 
children. We might extend that and say 
God also says you don't abuse your children. You don't molest 
your children. You don't do evil things to your 
children because your children bear the image of God. And if 
you engage in such a thing, it is to attack the divine majesty 
himself. In the book of Ephesians and 
in the book of Colossians, what does God say? Fathers, do not 
provoke your children to wrath. Why? Because they're wonderful 
little specimens of human life? Well, they are, but because they 
bear the image of the living and true God. We ought not to 
abuse children. We ought not to abuse and hurt 
that which bears the image of the living and true God. The 
Bible tells us that the image is displayed in the handicapped 
very clearly. Those who have physical challenges 
and those who have physical restrictions. What does the book of Leviticus 
chapter 19 tell us? Very specifically, I'm sorry, 
yes, Leviticus chapter 19 at verse 14. You shall not curse 
the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall 
fear your God. I am the Lord. You see, those 
who have physical challenges still bear the image of God. We don't make fun of them, we 
don't make sport of them, we don't use them as objects of 
ridicule, but rather we treat them with the dignity that is 
consistent with them bearing the image of God. You know, there's 
that scene when Jesus is passing through Jericho and blind Bartimaeus 
raises his voice and he says, Jesus, thou son of David, have 
mercy upon me. The whole crowd says, be quiet. 
He doesn't want to hear what you have to say. He doesn't want 
to listen to a blind beggar. He doesn't want to have to waste 
time rubbing shoulders with such riffraff. Bartimaeus, be quiet. Thankfully, Bartimaeus raised 
his voice and said it again. Jesus, thou son of David, have 
mercy on me. What does the text say? It says 
that Jesus stopped, Jesus went over to him, not to the crowd, 
and he asked him, what would you have me to do? Isn't that 
amazing? The Son of God Most High comes before blind Bartimaeus, 
whom the crowd just silenced, and now Jesus says, what would 
you have me to do? Well, I want to see, Lord. So Jesus healed 
him. She shows the dignity of image-bearing. The image of God displayed in 
the sick. What does James tell us in James 
chapter 5? Forget about the sick. Disregard 
the sick? Pretend like the sick aren't 
there? No, that's not what James says. James is very clear, in 
James chapter 5, that if a man is sick, let him call for the 
elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing 
him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith 
will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he 
has committed sins, he will be forgiven. You don't lose the 
image of God when you're on a sickbed. The image of God is displayed 
as well in the elderly. The elderly. In a society that 
oftentimes marginalizes the elderly, we need to be reminded of this. 
What does Leviticus say when an old man comes into our midst? 
We rise before him. You know, brothers and sisters, 
our younger generation needs to learn this lesson of respect. 
You younger people, when an older man comes into the room, you 
ought to follow what God actually says in His Word and defer and 
show reverence. When we go up there this afternoon 
to eat, you're not the only person on the face of the earth. I know 
that's a surprise. I understand that you may think 
that, but defer to the elder folk among us. Defer to someone 
who's sick. Defer to someone who needs help. 
In fact, why don't you even try to help them? Because the Bible 
says we honor the dignity of God in men when we revere them, 
and when we serve them, and when we understand that they are, 
in fact, image bearers. Then, of course, the image of 
God displayed in the pre-born in the womb. I'm sure you're 
all familiar with the passages. I read the Psalms, Psalm 139 
at the outset. Let's rehearse a few more of 
these so that we can load our consciences with what Scripture 
says concerning babies in their mothers' wombs. Genesis chapter 
25. Genesis chapter 25, specifically 
beginning in verse 19. This is the genealogy of Isaac, 
Abraham's son. Abraham begot Isaac. Isaac was 
40 years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel, 
the Syrian, Pat and Aram, the sister of Laban, the Syrian. 
Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife because she was 
barren, and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah, his wife, 
conceived. But the children struggled together 
within her." Note what the text says. It doesn't say the product 
of conception. It does not say a lump of undefined 
selves. It doesn't say something that 
we can disregard. It doesn't say something that 
we can vacuum out. It doesn't say something that 
we can introduce a saline solution upon. It says children, very 
specifically in the text. Notice, the children struggled 
together with her and she said, if all is well, why am I like 
this? So she went to inquire of the Lord and the Lord said 
to her, two nations are in your womb. as two children. Nations are born from the womb. 
Two nations are in your womb. Two people shall be separated 
from your body. One people shall be stronger 
than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. So when 
her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were 
twins in her womb. And the first came out red." 
The first came out red. Remember that language, because 
I'm going to ask you to think about it in just a moment when 
we look at Exodus 21. The first one came out red. He was like a hairy garment all 
over. So they called his name Esau. 
He had the look only a mother could love. Just kidding. He's 
all red, he's all hairy. She hugged him nevertheless and 
loved him. He's an image bearer of the living God. Afterward, 
his brother came out and his hand took hold of Esau's heel. 
So his name was called Jacob." Again, similar things go on in 
the Old Testament. Turn to the book of Job for just 
a moment. When Job is rehearsing his life, when he's rehearsing 
the fact that he had been, as far as he was able, a godly man. 
He was seeking to honor the Lord, he sought to fear the Lord. And 
in Job 31, beginning at verse 13, he says, When they complained against 
me, what then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, 
how shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the 
womb make them? Did not the same One fashion 
us in the womb? Job says, He made me in the womb. When Job was in the womb, he 
was Job. David does the same thing in Psalm 51 when he's rehearsing 
his native depravity. He says, in sin did my mother 
conceive me. He's not saying the act of marital 
relationship was sin. He's saying that the moment that 
David became, he was a sinner. He says, my mother conceived 
me in the womb. He speaks of David in the womb. Jeremiah is called from the womb 
to be a prophet to the nations. When we get to the New Testament 
data and scriptures, and I have others. If you want these notes, 
email me. I will happily send them to you. 
There's no copyright. You can do whatever you want 
with them. You can post them on the internet. You can go hog 
wild with them. You can do whatever you want. 
You don't have to give any credit. You don't have to say anything. 
Just use it. It's that important to let people 
out there that don't think. Christians, they couldn't argue 
the case for what the Bible says concerning abortion if you gave 
them hours. Brethren, it should be like this. 
There should be certain truths the Christian can answer. What 
must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
you shall be saved. Who is your God? He's infinite, 
eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, 
justice, goodness, and truth. In how many persons does this 
one God exist? Three persons, Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit. What does the Bible say about abortion? It says that 
God abominates it because it is the murder of the pre-born. 
Well, how do you prove that? These texts These texts teach 
us what God's mind and what God's will is concerning this particular 
situation. Look at Luke chapter 1, so you 
can see it's not just an Old Testament convention, but it 
is a New Testament one as well. Luke chapter 1, very intriguing 
section of Holy Scripture, obviously a lot going on in terms of birth, 
in terms of new life, in terms of inhabitants of the womb. Look 
at Luke 1 at 15. For he will be great in the sight 
of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. 
He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's 
womb. You see, John the Baptist would 
be filled with the Spirit even in his mother's womb. Why? Because 
John the Baptist is an image-bearer. Why? Because John the Baptist 
is a servant of God Most High. Why? Because John the Baptist 
is a human life even when he's in his mother's womb. Notice 
in Luke chapter 1 at verses 41 to 44. Luke chapter 1 verses 
41 to 44. and it happened when Elizabeth 
heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb and 
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit then she spoke out 
with a loud voice and said blessed are you among women and blessed 
is the fruit of your womb but why is this granted to me that 
the mother of my Lord should come to me now there are two 
observations here that we really ought to take notice of first 
the Greek word used here that says babe is the same Greek word 
later used in Luke's gospel to refer to outside of the womb 
children. There wasn't a different idea 
involved. There wasn't a different word 
choice involved. They're children outside of the 
womb when they're brought to the Lord Jesus Christ to be blessed. 
The same word applies to children inside of the womb. They're children! This is the pro-choice propaganda. It's not a baby, it's the product 
of conception. It's just a lump of tissue. It's just undefined cells. This is Orwellian speak, brethren. This is the truth is false and 
the false is true. You've got to be able to identify 
propaganda and point it out. I mean, we could even actually 
use the word, yeah, product of conception is human being. They 
use the word fetus. You know, most Christians don't 
even realize that fetus in Latin means unborn baby. It sounds 
more technical and easier to murder when we call it a fetus 
though, right? We've got to depersonalize it. 
You see, this is the tactic of the devil. This is the tactic 
of his henchmen. Depersonalize those who want 
to ruin. We don't want to say those little 
babies already have beating hearts, they already have little hands, 
they already have little feet, they already have little knees, 
they already have little heads, they already have all those things. 
It's easier to call them a product of conception or a fetus or something 
that depersonalizes them so that we can get one over on the opponents 
and murder them in the name of medical science. Another observation 
that we ought to observe here. Verse 42, then she spoke out 
with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women and blessed 
is the fruit of your womb, but why is this granted to me that 
the mother of my Lord should come to me? You see what the 
scene is? Elizabeth is pregnant with the 
Baptist. The Spirit of God comes upon 
Elizabeth's womb. Mary, who was pregnant with the 
Lord Jesus Christ, comes to visit Elizabeth. Of course, Elizabeth 
pronounces this beatitude upon her, blessed are you among women. 
But do you hear what Elizabeth says? Notice very specifically, 
why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should 
come to me? Elizabeth acknowledges the lordship 
of Jesus Christ while Jesus Christ is pre-born in the womb of Mary 
at this particular time. Do you understand that if pro-choice 
advocates had their way, if abortion was practiced to the degree that 
these wicked people want it practiced, we'd have no nations, because 
Jacob and Esau would have been wiped out. We wouldn't have had 
David, king of Israel, because he would have been wiped out. 
We wouldn't have had Jeremiah the prophet to the nations, because 
he would have been wiped out. We wouldn't have John the Baptist, 
and we wouldn't have the Lord Jesus Christ. Another interesting 
passage is Galatians 1.15. The apostle says that God separated 
him from his mother's womb to be an apostle. We have continuity. Jeremiah the prophet, a prophet 
to the nations. Galatians 1.15, we have the apostle 
Paul, the preacher to the nations. The Bible is absolutely clear 
in this instance, that at every stage, at every place, in every 
situation, human life is dignified, human life does indeed possess 
sanctity, not because of our intrinsic worth, but because 
we bear the image of a God who has intrinsic worth, who is majestic, 
who is altogether lovely, and we are to demonstrate and show 
forth that glory in our day-to-day lives. So we see the image of 
God displayed in man, but the sanctity of human life is seen 
also in the image of God displayed in the God-man. What does Jesus 
do? The Word became flesh and dwelt 
among us, and we beheld His glory. The glory as of the only begotten 
of the Father, full of grace and truth. Christ dignified flesh. Christ took to himself flesh. Hebrews 2 tells us he took flesh 
upon himself. This was absolutely essential. 
This was absolutely requisite. Gregory of Nazianzen, one of 
the early fathers says, whatever is not assumed is not healed. If Christ did not assume our 
flesh, He doesn't save us from our sins. He became real man. He became like us, yet without 
sin. If that does not dignify, if 
that does not magnify, if that does not show the sanctity of 
human life, you're not thinking properly. The Lord Christ didn't 
take on the nature of a dog. He didn't take on the nature 
of an Oriole. He didn't take on the nature of anything other 
than man. He dignified it. He made it his 
own. He assumed it so that he could redeem it and heal it from 
its iniquities and sins. Now, let's look specifically 
at an application in chapter 21 of the book of Exodus. I hope you're following the trajectory. 
We've looked at the sixth commandment. We've identified the sanctity 
of human life. Now we're going to amplify it 
and see how it applies particularly to life in the womb. Exodus 21 
verses 21 to 25. Now the context is most important. That's why I read both sections 
at the outset. Chapter 20 is the Ten Commandments. Remember? I know that was a long 
time ago, but hopefully you'll remember. I just read it. And then what happens? There's 
a shift that comes. Not a shift, but application. 
Look at chapter 21 verse 1 in the passage. Now these are the 
judgments which you shall set before them. In other words, 
here we've given you, or God by Moses has given the Ten Commandments. These are general principles. 
These are prohibitions. There's positive aspect. There 
are things to be gleaned. All of this is not the command 
of God. Some foolish preacher recently 
stood up recently and said that Hebrew has no word for command. You know what's even more foolish 
is that people didn't toss him out on his ear. Brethren, Hebrew 
does have a word for command. Trust me, the Ten Commandments 
are not suggestions, they're not promises, they're laws from 
the Lawgiver who made this earth and has the right to regulate, 
the right to dictate, the right to govern as He sees fit. But when we ask the question, 
how do we flesh out these ten laws in civil society, that's 
what chapters 21 to 23 do. It gives us a concrete application 
of those commandments given to us in the Decalogue, or the Ten 
Words. Again, Kaiser says, while these 
judgments deal mainly with temporal matters, they nevertheless are 
based on one or another express commandment in the Deca Law. 
Let me give you an example of that. You will find in the rest 
of the books of the law, you will find a prohibition about 
having a flat roof and not putting a fence around it. Is God the 
cosmic architect? Is he the cosmic social engineer? 
He looks down from heaven and he wants to see uniformity among 
his people. There's a fence, there's a fence, 
there's a fence, no fence, you're in trouble. No, the idea of the 
fence is so that if somebody wanders up on your roof they 
don't fall off and die. Makes sense, doesn't it? It's 
like if you have a swimming pool in your backyard. Guess what 
you should put around it? Oh, I don't know, a fence so 
your neighbor kid doesn't fall in and die? That is a concrete 
application of the sixth word. While the sixth word speaks specifically 
to murder, if we are foolish, if we have an ox that we know 
gores and we don't lock him up, we are guilty before God. The 
same token, if we have a roof that little three-year-olds could 
fall off and die, and we don't put a fence around it, the sixth 
word speaks to that as well. Maybe you didn't murder, but 
you're such a fool, you caused death in that instance, and you're 
either going to have to pay monetarily or pay with your life, depending 
on the circumstances. You see, that's how 21 to 23 
function. That's how much of the book of Deuteronomy functions 
after the giving of the Decalogue of the Ten Commandments in chapter 
5. We see detailed explanation of those commandments from say 
about chapter 12 all the way to chapter 25. It is God fleshing 
out for us how then we ought to live. He says, it is most 
appropriate, therefore, that these judicial and political 
regulations given by God to Moses, when Moses approached the thick 
darkness where God was, should be set alongside the Decalogue. 
The two belong together in time as well as in interpretation. The first item we want to look 
at in this passage in 21, 22 to 25. I've read it, let me just 
flesh it out. Two men are fighting. which is 
probably not a good idea to do in the first place. These two 
men happen to be fighting and one of the men, probably one 
of their wives, is there and she's pregnant. In the midst 
of the exchange of blows, she gets smacked. She gets hit. She's a pregnant woman that gets 
struck by two fools or one fool that is fighting with another 
fool on the street. The law regulates such conduct. 
Again, you did this accidentally, but because of the circumstances, 
you're going to have to pay with your life in this particular 
instance. We need to understand the correct translation. Again, 
if you've been with us any years, you'll know that this is what 
I always like to go through because it's so important. Notice, the 
New King James translates it accurately. The ESV translates 
it accurately. If you're represented by those 
two, it more than likely translates it accurately. Notice, if men 
fight and hurt a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely. That is a good translation. The 
older New American Standard, the older new, it's kind of interesting, 
right? We have an old King James and a new old King James, whatever. The older New American Standard 
translated horribly. They have changed it in their 
update, and for that we're very thankful. The Message Bible is 
another one. It's terrible. How the Message 
found its way in the pulpits is still a mystery to me. I just 
don't get it. I really, really, really, really, 
really, really don't get it. Not just for that particular 
translation, but for it. It says, when there's a fight 
and in the fight a pregnant woman is hit so that she miscarries 
but is not otherwise hurt. Now I'm gonna ask you to pay 
close attention for just a moment. You might say, what's the big 
difference? It's huge. See with the correct translation 
you have two persons that are protected by the law. In the 
incorrect translation, you have one person that is protected 
by the law. Let's go to the correct one. 
If a woman is hit and she gives birth prematurely. The language 
is literally, and her children come out. Remember I asked you 
to remember Harry read Esau? What did he do? He came out, 
didn't he? That's the language of childbirth. 
He came out. Moses uses a plural noun in this 
instance. Her children come out. In case there are twins, or there 
are triplets, or there are quadruplets. I don't know if that's correct, 
or centuplets, or whatever. A whole bunch of babies. They're 
all protected by the law. You see that? In the first instance, 
with the correct translation, you have protection afforded 
to the mother and everything that comes out of her bears the 
image of God. In the incorrect translation, 
she miscarries and then no harm follows to her. Then her husband 
will have to pay a monetary fine. That's not what the text is specifying. The text affords protection not 
only to mother, but to children. When translators miss that, they 
miss it by a mile. It is simply not the case that 
the Bible doesn't say anything about abortion. We have seen 
all of the passages that refer to children in the womb as children. And we see a very specific law 
in the Mosaic application, in the Mosaic legislation, an outflow 
of the Ten Commandments, an outflow and application of the Sixth 
Commandment that protects mother and protects child or children 
that come out prematurely You see, Hebrew has a word for miscarriage, 
and it's not used here. Hebrew has a word for one untimely 
born, and it's not used here. The language that is employed 
here is not, she has a miscarriage, and then no harm follows to her. 
The language is, her children come out prematurely, and if 
no harm follows to her and to them, The law speaks to this issue 
in crystal clear language. We don't often hear it. I think 
the Bible says we shouldn't commit abortion. I think the Bible might 
say something about the death penalty, but you know I really 
don't think it's fair. Who cares what you think? Who 
cares? We have the mind of God revealed 
to us in Holy Scripture. Our task as the church is to 
study it, and to learn it, and to apply it. Not to better it, 
not to innovate it. It's actually becoming quite 
burdensome to see the abuse that is inflicted upon the Bible. Notice, secondly, see in the 
correct translation, Notice secondly the increased protection for 
the pre-born. Go back for just a moment to 
verse 12. He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely 
be put to death. However, if he did not lie in 
wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint 
for you a place where he may flee. You see, that's that distinction 
between manslaughter, which is accidental, even though it doesn't 
sound that way. Manslaughter is a terrible word, 
isn't it? Manslaughter. It just doesn't sound pleasant. 
But in terms of the Bible, there is no culpability legally. It 
was accidental. Murder! This is an instance of 
an accidental homicide. You know what happens if you 
accidentally killed somebody in Old Covenant Israel? The gorel, 
the near kinsman redeemer, would come after you to avenge the 
blood. But what God did was establish three cities of refuge throughout 
Palestine and throughout Israel so that the person who accidentally 
committed homicide could run to that city of refuge and be 
safe. Notice the instance that we have 
concerning the abortion in chapter 21, 22-25. This is an accident 
as well, isn't it? Neither of these men sought to 
hit the pregnant woman. Look at the language. If men 
fight and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, 
yet no harm follows. The target was not the woman 
and her child. The target was me and knucklehead 
B. And while we were exchanging 
blows, we accidentally hit the wife who was pregnant. You see, 
it's accidental. You get that? They weren't trying 
to hurt her. They weren't trying to hurt the 
baby. They weren't trying to hurt the children in her womb. 
You see, before this, if you accidentally committed homicide, 
you could run to the city of refuge. Not in this instance. 
There's not a city of refuge for this. That's why I say it's 
increased protection for the pre-born. Notice, "...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 judge has determined." So the 
two men fight, she gets hit, the child comes out prematurely, 
but the child's okay and mom's okay. The man's going to have 
to pay. I mean, you have to pay. Children 
and young people learn this lesson. Foolish mistakes and dumb things 
will one day cost you money. If they don't now, they cost 
your parents money. But they will one day cost you 
money. And if you young men want to go out there and ball for 
it all, realize there are repercussions. I've often thought when I've 
seen a 17-year-old spitting his wheels and he's got an N on the 
back of his car, I've thought to myself, he hasn't had to pay 
for tires yet. He really hasn't. This was an accident. But notice 
what the text goes on to specify. "...he shall pay as the judges 
determine." Now notice in verse 23, "...but if any harm follows." 
Now we're not just talking about to mom, we're talking about the 
children who came out. We've got mother, we've got children 
protected by God. There's increased protection. 
There's an increased penalty There's an increased sanction 
in this instance because you foolish men damaged a woman and 
her baby. Look at what it says. If any 
harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, 
tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, 
wound for wound, stripe for stripe. This is the law of retaliation. Before you say, oh that's from 
a barbaric time, way back when. No nations today practice the 
same thing. Instead of calling it the law 
of retaliation, we say more civilized sounding things, which I don't 
think they do, like, well, the punishment must fit the crime. 
Exactly. And if you two men go out and 
you let a blow fly and hit a woman and hit her child, or that she 
gives birth prematurely and either the children or she is injured 
to the point of death, then you will die. It's increased protection, 
isn't it? Now, I just ask the question, 
if God regulates and God speaks to this accidental occasion, 
then how much more state-licensed, state-subsidized facilities that 
have as their end game the murder of babies in their mother's wombs? 
You know, it's times when I study this particular doctrine, when 
I get into the word about this, I wonder how can we ever pray 
God bless us as a nation? I think we ought to pray with 
the prophet who said, in your wrath remember mercy. There's 
no possible way God looks down upon a nation that is filled 
with blood guiltiness. Says, I can't wait to bless, 
I can't wait to bless, I can't wait to bless. The blood of righteous 
Abel cried out from the grave. What about the billions of babies 
that have been murdered? There's actually something on 
the web called the abortion counter. numberofabortions.org. It's sick. While you're sitting there watching 
these numbers it says since you've been on this site 35 babies have 
died. It's inconceivable that we do 
this. It's inconceivable that this 
is not causing us to cry aloud and spare not say stop murdering 
image bearers. The law of retaliation is specified 
by God. That's our third observation. 
If during the struggle the woman is struck and her baby is born 
prematurely, if no harm follows to mom or babies, then a monetary 
fine is assigned. If harm follows, then life for 
life. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, burn for burn, wound for 
wound, stripe for stripe. That's what God says concerning 
this issue of abortion. Look at the exposition of Exodus 
21, consider the abomination of it. The Didache, which was 
an early Christian sort of a handbook, probably dated around AD 110. Didache 2.2 says, you shall not 
abort a child or commit infanticide. You see, the early Christians 
had to deal with this as well. They didn't have state-licensed, 
state-subsidized facilities that carried this out in sterile conditions. Now, the early Christians faced 
people that would not get a boy and they'd take the baby girl 
and put it out on the trash heap. The baby girl was either taken 
and used as a slave or as a prostitute or the dogs in the city would 
come and eat the baby girl. You see, they had to deal with 
this stuff too. Listen to Calvin on Exodus 21. He says, "...if 
it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in 
a field, because a man's house is his place of most secure refuge." 
We'd all agree with that. I mean, I wouldn't want to be 
killed out in the field, but I certainly wouldn't want to 
be killed while I'm sitting in my chair at home. This is my 
place. This is my haven. Leave me alone. 
Wait till I get out in the field and let me have it. If it seems 
more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, 
because a man's house is his place of most secure refuge, 
it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus 
in the womb before it has come to light." Consider God's statement. These 
six things Yahweh hates, yea, seven are an abomination to Him. A proud look, a lying tongue, 
hands that shed innocent blood." If someone were to say, you Calvinists 
believe in the doctrine of total depravity, absolutely, and we 
believe in the doctrine of judicial innocence. A totally depraved 
person still gets protection from the law. If they are judicially 
innocent and haven't done anything worthy of death, then we ought 
to do everything we can to protect them. That applies to babies 
in the womb. Certainly they are judicially 
innocent. No baby that's done horrible 
things that deserves the magistrate's sword. Baby is doing what God 
made it to do, developing in its mother's womb, such that 
it can come out and live and bear God's image and hopefully 
be converted unto Christ and serve Him all of its days. Revelation 21.8 tells us, "...but 
the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable murderers, sexually immoral sorcerers, 
idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which 
burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." So 
there's exposition. We've looked at the Sixth Commandment, 
sanctity of life, and a specific application with reference to 
abortion. I want to close with a couple 
of thoughts before we go. First, the state and abortion. In the 
last hour, we were reminded by our brother that, thankfully, 
Canada has, as of yet, allowed RU486. One man as well defined 
that as a human pesticide Are you 486? Take this pill and it 
will destroy the baby in your womb. Actually, they don't say 
it quite like that. It will help with unwanted pregnancy. Well, 
thankfully Canada has put the brakes on that until Health Canada 
decrees that it's okay. How do you decree that a pill 
that kills people is ever okay? I just don't get it. How do we 
get into some of these things? Canada, surgically, ranks right 
up there with North Korea. in terms of the availability 
of abortion. There is no restriction on surgical 
abortion. You mean Canada? Canada's nice. Canada's fiscally responsible. 
Canada has a leader that goes places and says things. Canada's 
streets look good, Canada's people are kind and courteous, but Canada's 
abortion clinics run heavy with blood. And you do the numbers, 
and I said this last year, in America it's over one million, 
in Canada it's over 100,000, which taking populations, it's 
the same, percentage wise. Now don't think I'm vindicating 
my country. No, I wouldn't think to do that 
because my country, their clinics run thick with blood. Listen, 
the criminal law amendment 1968 and 1969 introduced by Pierre 
Trudeau's liberal government legalized abortion as long as 
a committee of doctors signed off that it was necessary for 
the physical or mental well-being of the mother. Another nation 
that recently joined the sort of top three, four of most liberal 
places in the world to get an abortion is Israel. Israel. of people that allegedly are 
looking for Messiah to come from a woman have resorted to abortion 
on demand. Well, the woman still needs to 
meet with a committee of three to get the permission, but I 
read that it's approved about 98% of the time. Pretty amazing. When we look at the United States, 
we look at Canada, we look at Israel, and we got something 
in common with North Korea? You mean we have some affinity 
with that wingnut? Yes, we do. We most certainly 
do. Legalized abortion as long as 
a committee of doctors signed off that it was necessary for 
the physical or mental well-being of the mother. Now get this, 
in 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in R vs. Morgenthaler 
that the existing laws were unconstitutional and struck down the 1969 law. The then-governing progressive 
conservatives attempted but failed to pass a new abortion law. And 
since then, Canada has had no criminal laws. Listen to that. 
Since then, Canada has had no criminal laws governing the subject 
and abortion is a decision made by a woman with her doctor. Now, 
I'm not one who thinks the government should fix everything. In fact, 
I actually believe the government's role is quite small, biblically 
defined. I'm one who would argue that 
we need less government rather than more government. But on 
this fundamental thing, they need to step in, step up, and 
stop murdering babies. This is what Machen says. He 
says, the civil government is not intended to produce blessedness 
or happiness. It's not. God produces blessedness 
and happiness, doesn't he? If you're waiting for the political 
conservatives to provide blessedness and happiness to you, you've 
got a big problem. Let me just tell you. I hope 
this guy gets in so I can have blessedness or happiness. Christ 
is at the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high. He's 
the one who doles out blessedness and happiness. What's the role 
of the state? What's the role of the government? 
It's not intended to produce blessedness or happiness, but 
intended to prevent blessedness or happiness from being interfered 
with by wicked men. Their task is to make sure that 
my blessedness and happiness doesn't get taken away by someone 
else. And even in that, they're not 
to do it in some Gestapo-type fashion. He goes on to say, the 
state exists for the repression of evildoers and the protection 
of individual liberty. of evildoers, not subsidies to 
evildoers, not laws that open doors to evildoers, not laws 
that bring down ultimately the wrath and judgment of God upon 
our heads because these streets run with blood. What about the church and abortion? 
It is prevalent. Randy Alcorn, at least several 
years ago, said, that abortion is happening in the professing 
church, not as much as it is among the pagans, but it's happening. How can that be? How can it be? Here's a couple of suggestions. First, the professing people 
of God, and a lack of understanding. We've seen both the Bible studies. 
We just don't know. We need to know, brethren. So 
life or death matter to know. We need to understand. We need 
to pray in an informed manner. We need to communicate with pagans 
in an informed manner. We need to communicate with professing 
Christians in an informed manner. The professing people of God 
and surgical abortion. It actually happens. It happened in Israel. The prohibition 
is given by God in Leviticus to not let your children pass 
through the fires to Moloch. Guess what's condemned in the 
prophet Jeremiah chapter 32? Right into Moloch's dead arms 
so that it falls into the fire. The professing people of God 
and the voting booth. It's amazing to me. If a man 
stood up and said, I'm gonna run for president and I'm a pedophile. I don't think many people would 
say, I'm going to back him, but he's a pedophile. I know, but 
he's good in other ways. I'm going to run for president 
and I'm the biggest thief you'll ever meet. I'm going to vote 
for him. He just said he's a thief. I 
know, but I like his policies over here. A man stands up and 
he says, I'm a murderer, or I endorse, I advocate murder. Somehow that's 
tolerable for Christian voters. He said, well, what are you talking 
about? Well, in America, again, not saying my land is the land 
of the joyful, godly ones. In America, the first term, President 
Barack Obama got about six million votes from the evangelicals. 
Now remember, President Barack Obama, when he was Senator Barack 
Obama, voted three times. Voted three times to oppose a 
law that was entitled the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. And if you have to ask the question, 
just go through it again. What could the Born Alive Infant 
Protection Act have as its goal? Basically, it was a suggestion 
or a bill proposed for voting on that said if a baby survives 
an abortion, then the medical staff would be duty-bound to 
provide medical care to that baby to see it make it. Three times Senator Barack Obama 
voted against that. What kind of a man does that? 
But what kind of a Christian votes for it? You know what was 
really intriguing too? You remember Kermit Gosnell? 
If you have not heard that word before, Google it. Make sure 
you have a bucket present so if you have to vomit, it's right 
there. This guy was a ghoul in Philadelphia. FBI went in there 
on drug suspicion. that he was basically peddling 
Oxycontin. They get in there and they find 
this house of horrors. It's a licensed, state-licensed 
abortionist, but even pagans were repulsed by what was going 
on. You know what was intriguing? In 2013, during his trial, I 
think it started in April, probably went to about May or June, In 
the same month, in April, President Barack Obama went and spoke to 
Planned Parenthood. Now, do not fool yourself and 
take that Orwellism and say, wow, that's a good group that's 
helping us plan to be good parents. No, they're in the abortion business. 
So you've got Kermit Gosnell. You can actually flip through 
the channels. You can see the Kermit Gosnell story on the one 
hand, and then see Barack Obama speaking to Planned Parenthood 
on the other. The crescendo came for me. I remember it vividly. I was 
sitting in a billeting room in Idaho. I mean, out in the middle 
of nowhere. I'm watching this thing, right? I shouldn't say 
that. Mountain Home is a beautiful place. But I'm watching this 
and at the very end of his presentation, that man had the gall to say, 
God bless Planned Parenthood. How in the world could someone 
go and tick his name off? I am not preaching to you this 
party. I am not preaching to you this party. I am preaching 
to you biblical law. And if a man stands up and says, 
I love to molest children, vote for me. Most professing Christians 
will say, there's no way. But if that selfsame man stands 
up and says, I support a woman's right to choose, we'll still 
vote for him? It's madness. Another concern 
with reference to the prevalence of abortion, the professing people 
of God and sexual immorality. I ask the question, how can it 
be that someone who professes Christ would seek out an abortion? Because sinners sin. And then 
sinners try to cover their tracks. We have an illustration of this 
in the life of King David of Israel. He sins sexually. How does he seek to remedy the 
situation? Not through the murder of the 
pre-born. We'll give him a hat tip for that. But he murders 
Uriah. You see, sin begets sin. And 
young people and children, be very careful. Leads me to my 
next concern. Sexual immorality. Guard against 
it. Resist it. Stay the course. Be faithful. If you're 20 and 
you say you just don't know what it's like, you're going to be 
married soon and have more years with that blessing than you currently 
know now. Deal! Resist it! If He tells you, you gotta show 
Him that you love Him, tell Him, I love Jesus and I'm gonna serve 
and honor Him. And any man that tries to get 
me to do that is not a man I want to be saddled with for my life. 
Kids, young people, resist it. Pornography. You say, well that's 
making a leap. No it isn't. People don't get 
pregnant without sex. I know that. I really know that. I'm not a biologist. I'm not 
a whatever. But I know that people do not get pregnant without sex. 
What's a stepping stone? Porn. What does Solomon say in the 
book of Proverbs? Can a man take fire into his 
bosom and not get burned? Be careful. You open yourself 
up to that stuff. You start letting it in. You 
start getting that craving, and that covetous heart, and that 
desire. And as a young man, you start objectifying women. Or 
as a young woman, you start objectifying men. And you see them as pieces 
of meat for your pleasure. This is a stepping stone. Guard 
your hearts. And then the final one. It's 
a birth control pill. It's not RU486. It is the birth 
control pill. Thanks to Mark Hall. He opened 
my eyes to this several years ago. And it was the medical journals 
and the pill sellers' data that shows it. How does the birth 
control pill work, you ask? I'm going to save you the time 
of looking at a book that's about that thick. Actually, it's not 
all that, about that. Three ways that the birth control 
works. One, to inhibit ovulation, which is a contraceptive mechanism. 
Two, to thicken the cervical mucus, making it more difficult 
for the sperm to reach the egg. That, too, is a contraceptive 
mechanism. It is the third one, the fail-safe, 
the foolproof that is an abortifacient. It works like the IUD. The IUD 
is placed inside to irritate the uterine wall so that a fertilized 
egg will not be received. The third element or the third 
part of that birth control pill works the same way. Again, this 
is right on, you can Google this and see it for yourselves. It 
thins and shrivels the lining of the uterus so that it is less 
able to facilitate the implantation of the fertilized egg. Do you 
know what a fertilized egg is in Christian speak? A human. A fertilized egg is a Jacob. 
A fertilized egg is an Esau. A fertilized egg is a David. 
A fertilized egg is a Jeremiah. A fertilized egg is a Paul. A 
fertilized egg is the Lord Jesus Christ and I speak reverently. 
He was fully man. A fertilized egg is a John the 
Baptist. You see, if the fertilized egg 
gets in there and it does not find hospitable environment, 
the fertilized egg dies. That's abortion. That's abortion. You see, the prevalence of abortion 
within the church, brethren, it encourages my heart to be 
able to say the power of the gospel in abortion. Praise God 
there is forgiveness for sinners. Praise God the blood of Jesus 
Christ as Son cleanses us from all sin. People who have had 
abortions, men who have coerced their girlfriends into getting 
abortions, doctors who performed abortions can come to the thought 
that is open for sin and uncleanness and find Isn't that beautiful? Psalm 25, the psalmist prays 
in such a way that I think probably would shock most of us. He says 
to the Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Is that the 
way you argue with God? Pardon my sins because they're 
huge? Pardon my sins because they're 
great? You probably say, pardon my sins, God, because I didn't 
mean it. Pardon my sins, God, because I'm really okay. Pardon 
my sins. For they are great. What we just 
sing in Psalter 130, Out of the depths I have cried to thee, 
O Lord, hear my voice. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark 
iniquity, O Lord, who could stand? Isn't that the men of Beth Shemesh's 
question from 1 Samuel 620? The men of Beth Shemesh looked 
at the Ark of the Covenant and God slaughtered them. And their 
response was, Who? Who is able to stand before this 
Holy Lord God? That's what David is saying in 
Psalm 130. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who 
could stand? But, he says, there is forgiveness with thee that 
thou mayest be feared. You know what's good news to 
somebody who's been connected to abortion? It's the cross. 
It's the glory of Christ. It's the salvation wrought by 
Him. It is the forgiveness that He 
alone can afford. It is the righteousness that 
He alone can give. It is the ability that He gives 
us to stand on that day before this Holy Lord God. And one other passage. Remember 
Saul of Tarsus, prior to his conversion on the Damascus Road. 
What did he participate in? He participated in the murder 
of Stephen. Didn't he? What? He just held their coats. He 
was an accomplice to murderers. If you hold the coat of somebody 
that's throwing a rock to kill somebody else, you're at fault 
too. You can't say to the police, I was just holding the coats 
while these guys robbed the banks. I was just sitting there with 
my car waiting for them to jump in. I'll drive them away so they 
could rob the banks. You are at fault. What happened? They stone Stephen to death. And in Stephen's dying words, 
he says, Lord, do not charge them with this sin. Lo and behold, 
a chapter later, we see Saul of Tarsus going to the road of 
Damascus so that he can arrest Christians, he can bind men and 
women, and he can bring them to prison. And what does our 
God do? He saves them. Matthew Henry says, with reference 
to Saul standing there at the bloody death of Stephen. He fed 
his eyes with this bloody spectacle in hopes it would put a stop 
to the growth of Christianity. We have reason to think that 
Paul ordered Luke to insert this, for shame to himself and glory 
to free grace. Amen. There is remedy in the 
Lord Jesus for those who've engaged in sin. flee to Him. If you are young people, if you 
are older people, and you're not married, and you're playing 
games sexually, you need to stop. You need to seek Christ. You 
need to ask forgiveness, and you need to seek strength from 
on high. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for your word and we thank you for its clarity on this and 
every issue that is specifically to be known concerning the glory 
of God and the salvation that you have brought. Thank you that 
your law is so clear as well. We ask that you would help us 
to think these thoughts after you, help us to glorify you in 
this world, help us, Father, to be prayerful as well. Because 
in the prophet Ezekiel, the men were told to destroy those who 
did not sigh and cry over the abominations in the land. God 
help us, we pray. Bless us and strengthen us and 
enable us to shine as lights in this crooked and perverse 
generation. We pray this through Christ our Lord, amen.