BIBLE STUDY

INNOCENT BLOOD

To be innocent means to be free from moral wrong.

Let’s begin with reading Deuteronomy 19:1-13. God set up places for those who cause blood to fall without malice. If one causes the death of another by accident, he is completely forgiven by God. Yet, he still needs to pay the price for his part in that person’s death. In this case, by giving up his freedom to move about the nation until the priest that is sitting dies. But if one chooses to drink or take drugs, speed, or drive recklessly, or picks up a gun or knife, and causes another’s death, he must pay the price. God will forgive the person if he repents, but he must still pay the price for his actions. According to this Scripture, that price is death. If these things had happened when there were cities of refuge, the people who carelessly caused the death of the innocent would have been turned away, or handed over to the authorities for death.

What was Saul trying to do to David? He wanted to kill him because he knew David had more power, and more people behind him than did Saul. He wanted his competition out of the way. But if he killed David, what would he be doing? Shedding innocent blood. God appointed David to be king, not David. We know that story of Jesse’s seven sons.

Let’s look at I Samuel 19:1-5. Jonathan was able to talk Saul out of killing David. Then, after a battle, when David was so successful in defeating the enemy, what did Saul try to do? Spear him to the wall! Saul even placed people outside David’s home to kill him. Michal had to lower him from a window so he could save his life. What would have happened to Saul if he had killed David? Nothing. Saul was the king, and had the right to kill anyone he wanted, according to his throne. But according to the Lord, he would have been guilty of shedding innocent blood, and would have needed to pay for his crime. As it was, he paid even for the attempts he made on David’s life. He went nuts! It was Saul who had the 85 priests killed because one of them helped David. Was Saul guilty of shedding innocent blood? You bet he was.

Psalm 10:8 tells us the wicked people murder the innocent. They lie in wait for them, and attack and kill them. Aren’t we seeing so much more of that now? These “innocent ones” are those free from moral wrongs that would call for their deaths? They did nothing bad to deserved death.

Let’s read Matthew 27: 3-10;22-25.
           Luke 13:1; 22:44
           John 1:13; 6:53; 19:34
           Acts 2:19;15:29;17:26;18:6;20:28
                   Romans 3:15; 5:9
           I Corinthians 10:16; 11:25-27 talks about communion;15:50
           Galatians 1:16
           Ephesians 1:7; 2:13; 6:12
           Colossians 1:14; 1:20
           Hebrews 2:14; 9:7; 9:12-25

Pastor Suzanne