But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 29:7-9
Jeremiah wrote to the Judeans who were exiled from their homeland and living under Babylonian rule. The preceding verses instructed the exiles to, “build houses and live in them, to plant gardens and eat of their produce”…and to marry, have children, and increase in number. Centuries later, Peter addressed those to whom he wrote as exiles, reminding them of their true and future home (1 Pet 1:1, 2 Pet 2:11) and stated that as they await the forever kingdom, they (figuratively) lived in Babylon (2 Pet 5:13). Believers, we live as exiles in this world and like the prophet Jeremiah stated, we are to pray for our cities, communities, states, and nation and to seek the welfare or well-being of that place. Micah 6:8 clarifies this further, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
In addition, Jeremiah instructed the exiles to know that the voices that surrounded them in their cities did not align with God’s revealed truth. Those voices aimed to deceive – to claim lies as truths and truths as lies. Thus, those exiles were to discern truth from error. This same theme of discernment is carried into the New Testament (Phil 1:9, Rom 3:3, 1 Cor 6:9). As we live as exiles in our modern day and age, we are to reject what is untrue and uphold what is true as revealed in God’s word. One lie that we are to reject is the lie that personhood begins at birth. Consequently, this lie has justified millions of abortions.
Job vividly articulated that God made him before he was born (Job 10:8-12). David poetically described the hand of God in creating him in his mother’s womb, saying that it was God who fashioned him (Ps 139:13-16). The prophet Isaiah stated, it is the Lord who makes us and forms us in the womb, and it is He who calls us by name from our mother’s womb (Isa 44:2; 49:1). Further, we see evidence that God regards the being inside the woman’s womb as a human, “and when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb (Lk 1:41). As believers we must reject the language of today that the child or baby in the woman’s womb is a mere clump of cells. We should recognize that each person, regardless of ability or condition or parentage or circumstance has been lovingly formed by God and reflects being made/fashioned/created in His image (Gen 1:26-27). Further, let’s reject the lie that the terms embryo or fetus means nonhuman and rather understand that those terms refer to human life at various stages (just like infant, toddler, child, pre-teen, adolescent, etc).
Thus, as Christians, we are to uphold the sanctity of human life (again regardless of ability, condition, parentage, or circumstance) because God commands it (Gen 9:5-6, Deut. 5:17, Prov 6:16-17). Moreover, in protecting the life of the unborn we are pursuing justice for the most vulnerable. And as we pursue justice for the unborn, we are also seeking the welfare of the mother. Consequentially, as we aim to protect the unborn and the welfare mother, we are exemplifying love and kindness to those who need it most. In summary, we are fulfilling the commands found in Jeremiah and Micah to lead intentional lives in our communities.
Statistics report that by the age of 45, nearly one in four women will have had an abortion (plannedparenthood.org). These numbers speak to the reality that there are women in our midst – be that communities, neighborhoods, and/or churches – who have had abortions; many of whom wrestle with shame, guilt, regret, and feelings of unworthiness. To extend the themes of Micah and Jeremiah further, let’s clothe ourselves with humility and provide a place for these women to grieve, without judgment or condemnation. Let’s point her to the truths found in scripture that Jesus who knew no sin, took on our sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21) and that anyone who is in Christ, is a new creation, their old selves are gone (2 Cor 5:17). Let’s be quick to recall that our good and kind and compassionate Heavenly Father removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12). Thus, she is not the sum of her past mistake, but God, being rich in mercy, will give her, “a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that [she] may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified” (Isa 61:3).
NOTE: In 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday of January as Sanctity of Human Life Day. Thus, this past Sunday, January 21, marked that day for this calendar year. In addition, thousands met in DC on Friday 1/19 for the annual March for Life. This post seeks to shed light on this important issue. There is much more that can be said about abortion, sanctity of human life, and applicable ways to bring light to the darkness, but to keep with the short nature of these posts, I have chosen to do a fly-over.
Prayer: Unlike previous weeks, I am not providing a pre-worded prayer. I encourage you to take time reflecting on the sanctity of life and ask the Lord to reveal to you what He desires.
Reflection:
- What are some practical ways that you can seek justice and wellbeing for your community – whether church, locally and/or at large?
- Do you believe that there are exceptions for abortion? Which one(s)? And why?
- Read Genesis 9:5-6, Deuteronomy 5:17, Exodus 20:13, Exodus 21:22-23 to understand God commands against the taking of a human life.
- If you have had an abortion or are considering having one and want to talk about it, please reach out. I would be honored to hear your story and talk with you.
Modern Worship Song to Sing: Graves into Gardens
