The Sanctity of Human Life

Sunday, January 21, 2024 was chosen by many churches to reflect on the “sanctity” of human life. Here are some biblical observations about human life.

Human Life in General

 In Genesis 1:26-28, 31 and in James 3:9 we are told and reminded that men and women are made in God’s image, unlike any of the animals. While we are not told exactly what that means, it must be very important in God’s eyes for us to be human.

 Even after Adam and Eve’s sin the image of God does not seem to be revoked, since it becomes the justification for the decree of capital punishment for murder, “for in the  image of God has God made humankind.” (Genesis 9:5-6)

 The phrase “be fruitful and increase (multiply) occurs 12 times in the Bible.

Twice it refers to animals, in Genesis 1:22  and in Genesis 8:17.  

 Once it refers to both humans and animals in a restored Israel: Ezekiel 36:11  

Nine times it refers to people that God is blessing, including:

 In general terms this blessing means that God is pleased when humanity increases in number. More specifically, it is the first actual command by God to humanity as a whole. At no point is that command rescinded in the entire Bible. In short, God wants more of both humans and animals on this planet. This has implications for how we treat both life and death.

The taking of a human life means the destruction of a being that God has designed to bear his image to the rest of the created order. It is also in violation of his command to multiply humans on the earth (since subtraction is the obvious result). It should be obvious that deliberate killing, even when we call it euthanasia, is murder in God’s eyes.

We can now turn to what many now see as a special case.

The Unborn

When abortion is the issue, the main question raised by modern jurisprudence and modern science is the question of when human life actually begins. Does it begin at conception or at birth, or at some point in between? Viability seems to be an uncertain standard for deciding about the humanity of the unborn. Perhaps a look at how God has related to the unborn might give us a clue.

The stories of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Samson’s mother should help us see that conception and childbirth are of great interest to God. All of these mothers begin as unable to conceive children, but after a miraculous intervention, they bear children. God seems to care about reproduction in these examples.

This perhaps shows that God cares about these individual mothers (and sometimes even the fathers), and about Isreael, but does God notice or care about unborn babies?

Somehow God seems to know something about Samson, which he announces to Samson’s mother through an angel. This particular baby would begin to save Israel from its oppressive neighbors, and would need to avoid haircuts and grape or alcoholic products. This even before the child is conceived.

Here are some other examples of whether God sees or cares about the unborn: 

In Genesis 25:23 God knows the character of two unborn babies, Esau and Jacob.

In Psalm 51:5-6 David believes he was sinful even in the womb.

In Psalm 139:13-16 David says, “God saw me in the womb, where He made me.”

In Isaiah 49:1-6 God knows Israel’s deliverer even before birth.

In Jeremiah 1:4-5 God knew Jeremiah even before forming him the womb.

In Luke 1:13-17 John the Baptist has the Holy Spirit even before birth.

Here is the one that should really give us pause concerning deliberately harming an unborn child from the same law that gave us the 10 Commandments: Exodus 21:22-23.  Notice that causing even accidental serious injury or death to an unborn child in Israel results in the same penalties as deliberate harm or murder to an adult.

Human life is literally sacred because human beings are made in God’s image. Clearly God sees both the elderly and the unborn as human, and therefore worthy of protection. To deem them as unworthy of life or to deny them of their humanity is truly more than a crime – it is what God calls sin.