Innocent Blood.

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THE shedding of innocent blood is a grievous sin in the sight of God. Cain offered a bloodless sacrifice, and rose up against Abel, who offered of the firstlings of the flock, and slew him. It was innocent blood. And the blood is the life (Lev. 17:1414For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. (Leviticus 17:14)). He had done nothing to deserve death at his brother’s hand. The Lord said unto him, “What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Gen. 4:1010And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)). It was the work of Satan. Cain, who was of that wicked one, slew his brother (1 John 3:1212Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. (1 John 3:12)). God’s judgment came upon him, and he became a hard toiler, a fugitive, and a vagabond in the earth (Gen. 4:1212When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. (Genesis 4:12)). He is a picture of the world that has shed the blood of Christ, and offers false worship, toiling and wandering away from God. “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain” (Jude 1111Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 11)).
Manasseh shed innocent blood, very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another (2 Kings 21:1616Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. (2 Kings 21:16)). The judgment of God came upon His people, for his sins, “and also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon” (2 Kings 24:1-41In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 2And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servants the prophets. 3Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 4And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon. (2 Kings 24:1‑4)). “Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.... Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people” (Psa. 106:37-4037Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, 38And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. 39Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. 40Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. (Psalm 106:37‑40)). Again, “Also, in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these” (Jer. 2:3434Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. (Jeremiah 2:34)).
In all this we see the holy jealousy of God. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psa. 116:1515Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)). Neither will He allow men to shed innocent blood with impunity. “The life of all flesh is the blood thereof” (Lev. 17:1414For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. (Leviticus 17:14)) And He watches over the lives of His creatures.
Further, when Israel came into Canaan, the Lord ordained cities of refuge for the shelter of the manslayer who killed his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past, or accidentally (Deut. 19), that he might escape the avenger of blood, “that innocent blood be not shed in thy land,... and so blood be upon thee.”
Fearful is the judgment of God on the shedders of blood, as revealed in Scripture. But there is one act of man, standing out in all its awful enormity, that puts all other wickedness into the shade, and that is the shedding of the blood of Jesus, God’s own Son. In infinite love He sent Him. Man, in the deep-seated wickedness of his heart, exclaims, “This is the heir, come let us kill him” (Matt. 21:3838But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. (Matthew 21:38)). Holy from the cradle to the cross, yet the world shed His blood. Judas, His betrayer, cried in the agony of remorse, “I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.”
And the heartless answer of the chief priests and elders was, “What is that to us? see thou to that.” And all this for thirty wretched pieces of filthy lucre! And Judas hanged himself. “He remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken of heart” (Psa. 109:1616Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. (Psalm 109:16)).
“I am innocent of the blood of this just person, see ye to it,” said the poor blinded heathen Pilate.
And not only so, but the whole world stands guilty at the bar of God, and subject to judgment (John 1:1010He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:10); Acts 17:29-3129Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:29‑31); Rom. 3:1919Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19)). The wrath of God is already revealed from heaven. If the blood of Abel cries for vengeance, how much more the blood of Jesus, acknowledged as innocent by His betrayer, and by His judge? Alas! poor world, that lieth in the wicked one, guilty of innocent blood, what wilt thou do in the day of righteous vengeance? Thy guilt, like Israel’s, is not found out by secret search; the murder of God’s Beloved was a public act before heaven and men. No proofs are needed; thou professest thyself to celebrate His birth and death. The presence of the Holy Ghost on earth is a full witness to thy damning guilt. Where then, sinner, will you be? When Manasseh filled Jerusalem with the blood of innocents, judgment came. The Lord would not pardon. Alas! for all those who pass heedless on their way, and are overtaken by the pouring out of the threatened wrath of God. They shall not escape (1 Thess. 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)). There will be no pardon then. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:1919Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)).
But, oh, the magnificence of the grace of God, flowing without bound at this present moment to a lost and guilty world, on the ground of the infinite worth of that same innocent blood. Crying for judgment on all the impenitent, it pleads for mercy for all till judgment come. Under His blood you may find shelter today, and in Him a tower of salvation―a city of refuge. The ignorant, the careless, and even the willful, may find a refuge in Him today. There is no limit to the efficacy of His precious blood; it cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). It speaks today before God, on behalf of all, and long-suffering grace stays off the execution of judgment richly deserved. Woe to that man who despises the forbearance of God! Woe to that heartless professor who tramples the blood of Christ under foot! Woe to him who dares to stand before God, unsheltered by the innocent blood of God’s holy One!
Will any soul dare to plead its own innocence in His holy sight? Away with such blind folly and unbelief. The day of innocence was truly short-lived. One couple only ever knew it. That mantle was left in Paradise. None ever wore it outside. The robe of Divine righteousness alone can clothe you before God today. Christ is that. The Holy One, Jesus, the Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, has died. Innocent blood has been shed, and it alone can cleanse your guilty stains, and in Him alone can you meet the eyes of a holy God. Sinner, will you stand there? Will you let self go, both bad self and good, and trust now for eternity to the precious blood of Christ? Men risk and venture much in this world for gold and honor. But with Christ all risk and venture are gone, and eternal wealth and honor are yours.
Innocent blood has been shed. The whole world is guilty. God will by no means clear the guilty in the day of judgment. He will not pardon them in that day. But pardon, full, free, and eternal is offered now. None can afford to despise it; to do so is to reap the fruit of your folly in endless woe. Dare you? Sinner, we plead with you while it is called today. Repent of your sin, judge yourself before God, and flee while you may to the city of refuge, to Christ. Tomorrow may be too late.
God’s love has been manifested, His grace is revealed. The Father waits for returning prodigals. The Son seeks you, poor lost one. The Holy Ghost, maybe, is working in your conscience now. Angels are looking on. We pray you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, be ye reconciled. The music will strike up and the dancing begin (Luke 15:2525Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. (Luke 15:25)), so soon as you have returned. What a happy change from the degradation, poverty, and wretchedness of this world of sin!
The innocent blood cries for vengeance. The innocent blood pleads for mercy. Vengeance on the impenitent, mercy for the penitent. Trust therein in self-judgment; it will meet all your need. Washed in that precious flood, every spot shall be removed, every stain blotted out, every scar, every wound of sin be forever healed. Whiter than snow shall you, hitherto a wretched, conscience-stricken sinner, stand with joy and liberty before Him, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, in whose sight even the heavens are not clean. Praise Him, praise Him ten thousand times, yea, praise Him forever and ever, all ye saved ones, for the infinite value of the precious blood of Jesus. May He give you now to join in the praise.
E. H. C.