Genesis 9, 2-7. Genesis 9, 2-7. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, and all that move on the earth, and all the fish of the sea, they are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning. From the hand of every beast I will require it, from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God he made man. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever. You may be seated. Let's pray as we come to the preaching of God's word. Let's pray. Our Father, we do thank you. We thank you that you have given us your word. We thank you that is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And we thank you that every one of your righteous judgments endures forever. And so as we think about this text in Genesis 9, as I preach it and as we hear it, may you edify us by it and through it and because of it. And may we have a greater understanding of your character and your revealed will in Holy Scripture. We thank you that you have given us your word that we might know you, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you've sent. And so give me unction by your spirit and give us all understanding and informed hearts. In Jesus' name, amen. So I decided last Lord's Day to call a slight audible and just did verse 1, focusing on the fact that God blessed Noah and his sons after the ark so that they would be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And we, I sought to show you in that sermon, that pattern of God instituting marriage. And one of the key reasons why God instituted the covenant of marriage is so that he would have, that there would be godly offspring on the earth. So that there would be children who bear his image and not only bear his image in creation, but are recreated in Christ and therefore godly offspring. But now as we focus on 2 through 7 this morning, we will see that God gives animals to man for food and they establish at least a seed form of civil government to execute civil justice. And so the main point of this sermon is God gives animals fear of man and for food and the establishment of civil government to execute civil justice. So my first point, God gives animals fear of man and for food. And my second point is God establishes the civil government to execute civil justice. So if you look at verse two, it says, and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth and all the fish of the sea. They're given in to your hand. Have you ever thought when you maybe go somewhere, see an animal, that unless the animal's been trained, it usually will run away from you? Animals have a natural fear of humans, of mankind, and we see that being established, at least iterated or shown forth here. God put in animals, in beasts, in all the different animals of the world, a fear and a dread of man. I experienced this actually, I guess it was Thursday. I was going around a neighborhood putting up door hangers about the church, and there was two cats underneath a car. And I was a little bit nervous, like, are they going to attack me? You never know with random cats. And so I go up to the house. They don't mess with me. They stay there. I come out, and they both scatter. Why? Because they're afraid. They don't want to get near me. They don't know me. And there was a there was a fear that they had. And so we see that reality. And probably one reason why God is given that is so it's more easy for us to not be overcome by them, but to overcome them in the dominion. Mandate John Gill puts it like this quote and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast the earth. This is a renewal at least in part of the grant of Dominion to Adam over all the creatures these obeyed him cheerfully and from love. But sinning, he has in good measure lost his power over them. They rebelled against him. But now, though the charter of power over them is renewed, they do not serve man freely, but are in dread of him, and flee from him. Some are more easily brought in subjection to him, and even the fiercest and wildest of them may be tamed by him. And this power over them was the more easily retrieved in all probability by Noah and his sons from the inhabitation of the creatures with them for so long a time. in the Ark." And so God gave them the ability or has put in these animals the ability or the fear of man in light of man taking dominion over the animals. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon and they're given into man's hands. They're given into our hands, as we'll see, for food, to tame, to use, all these different ways. Animals, all types of animals are given into the hand of man. But then we see in verse three, it says, every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. This was interesting studying because there's actually different views on how to understand this verse. There's some people that take it to be before this account, man was not eating animals at all. He was only eating fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. That was all that man was eating. There's others, especially John Gill, who argues that this was a reiterating of what man already had the liberty to do post the fall. based on dominion. So it's interesting that there are different views about what exactly it means that God says now every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. Were they not eating meat before this? Were they eating meat? Were they only eating fruits and vegetables? To be fair, in my study, I'm not completely sure. I lean to what Gil says. It makes sense to me what Gil says, that this could be a reiterating what they already had liberty to do, but it's something that different people, different commentators take different views on this. Let me listen to what Gil says, though. Listen to his logic of why he argues that most likely they were eating food even before this was given, or eating meat. Gil says this, quote, even as the green herb have I given you all things, as every green herb was given for meat to Adam originally without any exception, Genesis 129, so every living creature without exception was given to Noah and his sons for food. Some think, and it is a general opinion, that this was a new grant, that man had no right before to eat flesh, meaning eat meat, nor did he. And it is certain it is not before expressed, but it may be included in the general grant of power and dominion over the creatures made to Adam. And since what is before observed is only a renewal of former grants, this may be considered in the same light. Or otherwise, the dominion over the creatures first granted to Adam will be reduced to a small matter. if he had no right nor power to kill and eat them. Besides, in so large a space of time as 1600 years and upward, the world must have been overstocked with creatures, if they were not used for such a purpose. Nor will Abel's offering, the first thing and fattest of his flock, appear so praiseworthy, when it made no difference with him, if he ate not of them. whether they were fat or lean, and who would deny that there were peace offerings before the flood, which the offer always ate of, to which may be added the luxury of men before the flood, who thereby were given to impure and carnal lusts, and our Lord explicitly says of the men of that age, they were eating and drinking, living in voluptuous manner, which can hardly be accounted for if they lived only on herbs." So Gill argues that most likely they were eating meat before this account. The thing that comes in as well a little bit uniquely is, of course, I believe there's no human or animal death before the fall. So if this did come in, it came in after the fall and God showing Adam that there was liberty to eat. the creatures meet after the fall. But before the fall, there was no human or animal death. So if animals were eaten, they were eaten post-fall in light of those things. It's also interesting, Gill makes a point that I found very intriguing. Gill says, he's quoting a Jewish source, and they said, quote, that all unclean beasts will be clean in the world to come. in the times of the Messiah, as they were to the sons of Noah, and refer to this text in proof of it." So if you think about it, during the Jewish economy, there was foods that were clean and there was foods that were unclean for eating. They could eat certain foods and they couldn't eat certain foods. Gil, quoting a Jewish source, says that the Jews were expecting that in the times of Messiah, in the times when Christ would come, that unclean, clean distinction with food would be taken away. It would no longer be around because it would be abolished, just like there was no clean and unclean meats in Noah's day. So they saw a connection between the days of Noah and how they ate food and the days of this Messiah and how they would eat food. And so, whether they were not eating meat before, and this is the first time, or they were, what we know for sure is in Genesis 9 verse 3, now there is complete liberty for man to eat meat. God has made it for our good, for our wellbeing, and therefore man is given the freedom to eat meat just as he could eat fruits and vegetables and the herbs. And so there was liberty. But in light of that liberty, God gives a prescription of what they're not allowed to do. He says in verse four, but you shall not eat the flesh with its life, that is its blood. So you're allowed to eat all types of meat, Everything that lives can be food for you. He's given us all things as he's given the green herbs, but we don't eat the flesh that is its blood. We even see this. If you turn to Acts chapter 15, turn to Acts chapter 15, we see this prohibition given there. Acts chapter 15. When the church is giving to these Gentile believers what they should abstain from, we see there reiterated that they should abstain from eating blood. If you look at verse 28, Acts 15, verse 28, it says, for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things. They abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual morality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." So we see here in Acts 15, he's obviously not giving an exhaustive list. He doesn't mention murder or things like that, but he's giving things that uniquely the Gentiles are to not do. And one of those things is eating blood. They are to abstain from eating blood. I remember I was in Kentucky and I was there for a seminary class and I listened to a sermon by Sam Waldron on this text and he persuaded me in that time that actually eating blood was not just a thing for the Gentiles at that time. He persuaded me that that was actually a moral requirement. That it was actually something that was to be forbidden to eat blood of the animals. There was there something in Noah's day and even here something especially sinful of eating the meat of an animal with their blood. With their blood. And so we see in Genesis 9, God forbids eating the animals with their blood. Just for clarity, when we get meats in this nation, the blood is taken out. And if you get a little bit of the maybe water, whatnot, that's not blood, that's just muscle or whatnot. They've drained it of blood. But for someone to eat food of an animal and their blood is forbidden in Genesis 9. And also we see in Acts chapter 15. Uniquely something that even though we are allowed to eat meat, we are not allowed to eat the blood. We also know a lot of pagan rituals or pagan services to their gods are connected with eating or drinking blood and therefore God forbids that for his people that they would not drink or eat blood. And so we have complete liberty to eat meats, but we do not have liberty to eat the blood or drink the blood. Well, let's think about a few applications. Some of you have heard me pray this multiple times, but I just want to remind you that in relation with God giving food. God could have made our taste buds completely bland and given food no flavor at all. He could have just put nutrients in it to feed us and nourish us, but it wouldn't have any taste or any enjoyable nature to it. But God, who is kind, has given us taste buds to enjoy fruits and vegetables and even meats. He hasn't chosen to make it planned. He's chosen to give it good flavor so you and I can enjoy it and actually benefit, not just from the nutrients, but also the enjoyable taste that God has given to us. And so the blessing of food is abundant. One of the greatest gifts God has given humans, mankind, is the blessing of being able to enjoy food. I mean, think how often we eat, the foods we eat, the variety we have, the choices we have. It's a gift from God. It's a blessing from his hand that we're able to enjoy food. Probably some of our most enjoyable experiences are times where we're very hungry and we get to enjoy a great meal. That's one of the most pleasurable times of life, because God has made food where we can not only to eat it for our survival, but eat it for our enjoyments. And if you turn to 1 Timothy 6, we see there in a reference to God's goodness to us in giving us what he's given us. In 1 Timothy 6, verse 17, In 1 Timothy 6 and verse 17, it says, command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. The living God gives us all things richly, not so we would moan and complain, but so that we would enjoy. God gives us all things richly to enjoy. And so we see here the reality of, in this context, the fear and dread that God put in animals to man, and also how he's given us food for our wellbeing, but not to eat the blood. Not to eat the blood. Sadly, there's a movement spread and spreading that the dietary law given to the Jewish people is something also to be kept by us today, religiously. Not in the sense of this or that, but as a religious devotion to God, we are still to keep that dietary law. Well, as Gill quotes, the Jews understood in Noah's day, they had freedom to eat all meats, and in the days of the Messiah, it would be like that. And those dietary requirements were primarily to make a distinction between Jews and Gentiles. And now that Christ has come, those distinctions related to food have passed away. And therefore, there's no need to keep those dietary laws religiously because their purpose was served now that Christ has come and brought the two together in one body. But now my second point. God appoints civil government to punish murderers. Verse 5 it says, Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning. From the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man From the hand of every man's brother I will acquire the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God he made man. we see in this context at least the seed forms of God establishing righteous civil government. God has established here the requirements that whether a beast kills a man, that beast should be put to death, or if a man murders another man, that man or woman, boy or girl, whoever it is, should be put to death. We see in this account the righteous requirement that God has established in executing justice upon murderers. God is serious about human life. because men, women, boys, and girls were all made in the image of God. That's the reasoning in verse six, because man is uniquely made in God's image. Man is uniquely valuable and therefore deserving of protection. Man is not an animal. Man is not a beast. Man is not just to be something. We see that we're allowed to eat animals, verse three, but we are not allowed to murder man. men, women, boys, or girls. Because for in the image of God, he made man. A nation that is righteous and upright is a nation that values human life. Any nation that disregards human life, doesn't value it, doesn't put it as a priority, discards it, lets it be, allows people to get away with murder, that nation does not really care about human life. A nation that really cares about human life would acknowledge the just punishment that a person deserves if they murder another human. Sometimes it comes up when people talk about the subject of abortion, and we talk about how babies should not be murdered in the womb, which is true, and sometimes people think it'll be a way to get someone and confuse someone by saying, do you believe in the death penalty? Because they'll say, if you believe in abortion, or abortion shouldn't happen, and you believe we shouldn't take life, do you believe in the death penalty? But the thing about abortion that makes it unique and different is abortion is the murder of an innocent baby. The baby has done nothing wrong under the law to deserve death. The baby's innocent. Whereas the murderer has forfeited their life because of murdering someone made in the image of God. And so therefore, if we actually value human life, if we actually think human life is important, we will believe in capital punishment because those who don't value human life don't believe in capital punishment because they think they care about life. But by doing that, they say they don't because they say life can just be murdered and there are no real serious consequences. And when a nation, when a people is unwilling to carry out justice upon those who murder, that nation is saying to God and to others, they do not value human life. God says, if you value human life, if they shed blood, their blood should be shed. And anyone who says anything different does not really value human life as God requires. Turn to Deuteronomy 21, because we will see there in Deuteronomy chapter 21, an example, an unusual example, but how important it is that justice is served upon those who commit murder. Look at Deuteronomy 21 and verse 1. Deuteronomy 21 and verse 1. Deuteronomy 21 and verse 1. Deuteronomy 21 and verse 1. It says, if anyone is found slain, lying in the field, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and is not known who killed him, then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance from the slain man to the surrounding cities. And it shall be that the elders of the city nearest to the slain man will take a heifer, which has not been worked and which is not pulled with a yoke. The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with flowing water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and they shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near. For the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord. By their word, every controversy and every assault shall be settled. And all the elders that sit nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. Then they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it. Provide atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood at the charge of your people Israel. And atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood. So shall you purge away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. The reason why I bring you this account is this is an example where a man was slain. He was murdered. But they don't know who murdered. In Israel, you need two or three witnesses. They didn't have two or three witnesses. They don't know who murdered this person. They didn't know who took the life of this slain man. And because God cared so much about making the point of blood guilt and the guilt of murder, they didn't have two or three witnesses. They didn't know who murdered this person. And what God does, God doesn't just say, oh, it's no big deal. You kind of just let it go. I know you don't know anyways. He appoints a ritual where they kill and break the neck of a heifer to show the reality that someone must die if blood is shed. It's so serious that the people wanted the blood guilt to be taken away. And if it wasn't carried about this way, there will be blood upon their hands, even though they didn't know who murdered the person. And this is showing us. the reality that a people who shed innocent blood and are unwilling to deal with those people in justice and judgment for their iniquity are carrying out blood guilt upon a nation. A nation that will not seek to execute judgment upon murderers is a nation that does not really value human life. And sadly, we live in a nation that has unbelievable blood guilts. We have murdered babies by the millions. And has there been justice for those babies? There hasn't. And what we're saying when we murder babies in the womb and do not execute justice upon those who murder, is we're saying those lives are not really valuable. If we do not execute justice upon the guilty, especially for murder, as we see in Genesis 9-6, we say human life doesn't really matter to God. But God institutes capital punishment in Genesis 9 to show forth to the world how valuable human life is, and therefore how precious we should treat that human life, that if you murder someone willfully and intentionally, you forfeit your own life. If you turn to Ecclesiastes, turn to Ecclesiastes about the danger of a people who do not execute judgment and justice. Ecclesiastes 8 and verse 11. Ecclesiastes 8 and verse 11. It says there in Ecclesiastes, again, 8 verse 11, Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. So we see there, if the execution of judgment is not done speedily, is not done quickly, it actually causes the hearts of the sons of men to be fully set to do evil. And so if justice isn't served, if people aren't punished for what they do wrong, then they're not actually going to feel any deterrent from doing the crime. My wife and I and Chris were talking about this during fellowship meal or during that time. Sadly, in our country, the pro-life movements, as it's popularly called, or the pro-life industry, however we want to call it, actually believes, sadly, that the woman who murders her baby should never be punished. This is one of the carnal doctrines of the pro-life movement that there have been bills that have been put forward, things that have been said, and what has been the pushback to that is if you pass this law, it will punish the woman or the mother who goes through with an abortion. But the thing about it, if you do not punish the woman, if she's the one who murders her baby, there will never be the abolition of abortion. Abortion will continue to go on legally because women will just take a pill, will just do some other way to murder baby. And sadly, people have been taught that the woman, just like her baby, is the second victim. And therefore, just like the baby, she is a victim of this society. But brothers and sisters, if a culture does not punish anyone who's involved, so we're not saying just punish that person, we're saying anyone who's involved in the murder of a born person or a pre-born person, they must receive justice. Otherwise, we're not valuing the baby or anyone else if we will not execute justice upon those who commit murder. There was, maybe some of you are aware, maybe some not, In Louisiana, there was a bill put forward and that bill was going to abolish abortion in Louisiana. Basically, it was going to make it a crime for everyone. If you murder a baby, you will be treated as a murderer in the state of Louisiana. It passed 7-2 in a committee. It passed 7-2. One of the people said absolutely. It passed and went forward. Then 70 plus pro-life organizations put forward a letter saying we don't support this bill. The reason is because if you pass this, mothers who murder, or they might not say murder, but the way it's understood, the mothers who murder their babies will be guilty of murder. And therefore they put forward to Louisiana, if you pass this, if you do this, mothers who kill their babies will be treated as murderers. And after that letter was put forward, the bill was killed. because they taught the legislators that if you actually call, have people guilty, the woman guilty for murdering her baby, you're not being pro-life. And I wanna say, if that's what it means to be pro-life, I'm not pro-life. If that's what it means, then I'm not that. Because then you're giving these ladies a free pass to take the life of their baby with no consequences. where God says whoever, whoever it is, the woman, the man, whoever it is, whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood should be shed for in the image of God he made man. Think about it, if we lived in a nation where you knew if you murdered your baby you were gonna get the death penalty, how many less abortions we would have? If you knew that you were caught for murdering your preborn baby in your womb, you would get the death penalty. I think it would make a lot of women at least second guess their decision. Because they realize it's serious. But what we have taught people is the baby in the womb is not really a human. And therefore, you can murder that baby and you're not gonna get any consequences. But God says, whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God he made man. God made babies along with those who are in the womb and those outside the womb. He made them in his own image. The reason why I'm bringing up abortion is because this is the most glaring issue in our society where this is not kept, where we allow people to get away with the murder of image bearers of God. And if God said you have to break the neck of a heifer, even if you don't know who murdered, find the closest distance away, break the neck of a heifer and cry out that blood guilt would not be upon your hands. How much more? Where we have millions and millions and millions of babies murdered and there's been no justice for them. No justice for them. If America doesn't repent of its blood guiltiness and cry out to God for mercy, I don't know how our nation can continue. I don't say that to shock you, to scare you. I just don't know. If God is that serious, and He is, and God doesn't change, God is still serious about blood guiltiness. The murder of His image is a serious deal to the Almighty, to God. I don't know how our nation can continue. And there's things saying, God bless America, all of this. Better we should say, God be merciful to America. Because our nation is one of one who doesn't value his image and murders that image willfully and under the cover of law. If you're interested in hearing more about this, there's a free documentary series on YouTube called Abortion Free. Abortion Free. It's like six episodes. It's free on YouTube. Abortion Free. where you can hear more about this. Abortion-free seeks to explain, because a lot of states are saying their states are abortion-free. That's kind of where it comes from. But there's no state in the United States that's abortion-free. Because every state, a mother can take a pill in the privacy of her own home and murder her baby. A state is not going to be abortion-free in the sense of legally. until every person who takes the life of their child willfully, intentionally is treated as a murderer. That's what justice requires. That's what justice requires. And therefore we see that reality here. And then we see as well, verse seven, it goes on to say, it almost seems like, why is this repeated again? But it says, and as for you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it. So God is saying basically, verse six, don't murder. And if someone murders, treat them seriously, give them the death penalty. If you shed men's blood, you must die. You forfeit your life. But as for you, you shouldn't be committing murder, obviously. You, like verse one, should be fruitful and multiply. Don't murder God's image, multiply God's image. Don't take it away, multiply it. And so we see, the seriousness that God puts upon human life. Let me just tell everyone in this room, including myself, we don't hate abortion as much as we should, myself included. We live in a nation that's apathetic to abortion. Everyone in here doesn't hate abortion like we should. We don't hate murder like we should. Why? Because we've been desensitized in a culture that has told us for so many years, it's a woman's rights. We don't value procreation and we don't value the life of babies like we ought. None of us do. And we must pray to God that he would give us a greater zeal, that he would give us a greater zeal to love his image, which is in humans. But none of us hate abortion like we ought. And this is outside of idolatry, the great evil of our day. Think about pastors who are in heaven, maybe faithful pastors in different ways, but pastors who lived during Nazi Germany, and maybe for whatever reason were unwilling to speak about the evil of what Hitler was doing. Maybe they were true Christians, but they were unwilling to speak against the great moral evil of their day. What a sad thing. And that's why when I have a text like this, or when God gives me opportunity, I want to speak about our great moral evil, because I don't want to die and go to heaven and say, I never preached, I never taught about it, I never cried out against it. But our great moral evil as a nation, which is child sacrifice. It is the great moral evil outside of idolatry of our day. And my brothers and sisters, you don't hate it like you ought, and neither do I. And may God help us. May God help us to see His image as valuable. and call for justice to be served for these precious little ones who are made as image. And therefore, whether they're in the womb or out of the womb, they deserve the same protection as you and me. How do we think about Christ from a text like this? How do we think about our Lord? Well, we can think about it this way. All of us are deserving of death because of our sin. We might never have murdered someone, but the wages of our sin is death. every single one of us. If God gave us what we deserve, we would have death, hell, and the grave. Because God views heart, anger, He also sees that as anger and murder in the heart. And therefore, all of us are deserving of His wrath and judgment. Maybe not for the civil government to execute us, but certainly for us to experience God's wrath and judgment for our sin. and the Lord Jesus Christ, he willingly was, he took our death penalty, he took our wrath, our judgment upon himself, so that those who repent and believe in him would have everlasting life. And that's what we can tell to someone who did murder their baby. We can say, you can find forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Whether you've murdered your baby or whether you haven't, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and every single one of us is needing a mercy. But let me say this again, if a woman is a second victim, if she actually isn't guilty of murder, why would she need forgiveness because of her abortion? If she didn't murder, if she's just a victim, if she's just been lied to and she doesn't know any better, then she doesn't need forgiveness. Why does that woman need forgiveness? Because she committed murder. Why do you need forgiveness? Because all of us are guilty at least of heart murder, heart murder, of being sinfully angry with those made in the image of God. And that forgiveness is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And so my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us, by God's grace, be thankful for what he's given. And may we be more zealous to value human life. All of us have people we can influence, talk to, minister to, relate to this great evil. May God give us a greater desire, always pointing people to the Lord Jesus Christ. The wonderful thing is abortion or murder is not the unforgivable sin. Even if someone will be executed rightly because they committed murder, they can still be forgiven and on their way to heaven because Jesus died for murderers. But at the same time, it should be carried out with justice because that's the only way to value human life. If you murder, you forfeit your life. And so none of us are civil magistrates, none of us have a role to play in that sense. But again, we always, we have people at influence. We should be using our influence, talking to people about first and foremost, the gospel, but even about the great moral evil of abortion, that we might be more zealous against it and that God might give us grace. But the wonderful news again, we have for every single person is if they come to Christ, they will find forgiveness of even the great evil and crime of abortion. And so may God help us to apply these things, to love life and to cherish it as he does. Because every single person, man, woman, boy and girl, is made in his image. We're not animals. We're humans made in the image of God. Amen. Our Father, we do pray that you would help us. Help us love life as you do. You're so worthy of praise. And we pray that you would bring our country to repentance. Oh, that you would bring people to repentance of our great sin of abortion. and that you would have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us. May you show us great grace, knowing that we only can ask for your mercy. And we pray all this in Jesus' name, amen.