Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
My Comment:
The third thing God hates is “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17).
Here are the cross references that relate to this clause:
and hands. Prov 1:11. Gen 4:8. Gen 9:6. +Deut 19:10. *Deut 27:25 2 K 21:16. 2 K 24:4. Isa 1:15. *Isa 59:3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Mat 23:37, 38.
Looking at several of these in turn, we read:
Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Pro 1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Pro 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Pro 1:13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Pro 1:14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Pro 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
Pro 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Pro 1:17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
Pro 1:18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
Pro 1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
We are clearly commanded in God’s Word not to consent to associate with anyone who would entice us to shed innocent blood. In our day this would surely mean no Christian young person should ever associate with gangs and gang members to join in their evil activity. Also in our day, this command surely means that no Christian should ever join in with or support Islam. The very content of the Koran repeatedly commands Muslims to seek to kill Christians and Jews. The actions of some Muslims against Christians and non-Muslims are reported in the news quite regularly. No religion can claim to represent the truth of God when it teaches its followers to violate the religious freedom of others, when it teaches that anyone who turns away from their former Islamic faith must be killed, and when it advocates and cheers on the shedding of blood of innocent people.
Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Genesis 4:8 is the record of the first murder, and the first murderer. We are never to engage in shedding of innocent blood. Those who do so will not inherit eternal life but eternal punishment unless they truly repent, as King David did.
Gen 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
This is the biblical record of the establishment of government. The Bible supports and authorizes capital punishment for the crime of murder. Notice the mention of the fact that man is made in the image of God. To murder someone is an affront to God Himself. This shows how highly the Bible regards the life of every individual. Remember how Jesus spoke of the supreme value of each individual when He asked the question, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The implication in context is that the value of the individual is greater than the value of the entire world:
Mat_16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
I used this passage as one of my daily proverbs and quotations in my teaching to help students begin to grasp the value of each individual, starting with themselves. Because the thugs in the gang culture, and the hall-wanderers in public school have no grasp of the value of the individual, even the value they represent before God, that senseless violence against others continues. To stop the violence, teach the truth!
Deu 27:24 Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Deu 27:25 Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Deu 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Engaging in murder places oneself under the curse of God, both here and now, and hereafter.
Isa 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Notice that God will not hear the prayers of those whose hands are full of blood. The exception to this is that God will hear the prayer of those who truly repent, and turn their lives over to Him, and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior from sin.
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Mat 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Note carefully that the chief sin Jesus focused upon in His lament over Jerusalem was their failure to repent of the long string of murders that had been committed against God’s prophets. Jesus said, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” This He spoke in reference to the predicted destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem. He said the Jewish nation would not see Him again until they turned to God, and in response to their repentance were moved to say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Peter expands upon this important Bible theme as recorded in Acts 3:19, 20, 21.
Think none of this applies to you?
In the fall of 1953 or perhaps spring of 1954 I heard a striking presentation of the Ten Commandments in the form of a dramatic monologue at the Detroit Institute of Arts. It was a terrifying presentation. The Ten Commandments were presented as if a trial were going on. Bible passages that correlated with each commandment were given, such that everyone who heard that presentation certainly should have been convinced that if they thought they could qualify to get to heaven because they “kept the Ten Commandments,” they were wrong because they had broken each one.
How about the Sixth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” or as otherwise translated, “Thou shalt not murder.” Surely, you might well suppose, I’m not guilty of that one! Well, consider this related verse:
1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.