Behind every

What does Exodus 21:22-25 have to do with the 2020 election? Part 1 of a sermon series called "Things to think about." Not telling you who to vote for or how to vote, but things we as Christians should be thinking about.

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Transcript

*This is not a word for word transcript, but the sermon manuscript

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

PART ONE: BEHIND EVERY

Over the next month, I am going to be sharing the same quote with you, along with some words from Paul. The quote credited to a pastor named Kevin Myers, with him saying, “I’m your pastor not your politician.” If come here expecting me to tell you who to vote for, or how to vote, then I am sorry, but I am not the pastor for you.

With that being said, I am concerned with the attitude you have exercising your right to vote. Paul tells the Philippians, “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.” And that is my concern over me, you, and our church, not only through the election season, but every day.

However, there are things you and I as Christians should be thinking about as we prayerfully prepare our hearts to choose our leaders. Today, we will be in Exodus 21:22-25 trying to figure out what this passage has do with the 2020 election.

Exodus 21:22-25

22 “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely [or has a miscarriage] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the courts allow. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. (NIV)

This is the Word of God, for the people of God, thanks be to God.

To fully understand what this passage has to do with the 2020 election, it is first important to understand what is being shared in the passage. These laws are being given to Moses from God, immediately following the Ten Commandments, to be shared with the Hebrews. It is important to remember that during this period of history, women had no rights and kids were commodities. This law may seem barbaric to us, but even in our advanced civilization there is a lesson for us.

Verse 22 “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she give birth prematurely [or has a miscarriage] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. Fellas, let’s be honest, sometimes we get a little rough. Two egos collide, and things can quickly go from picnic to throwing fists. And in those moments the focus is not surroundings unless it can be used as weapon. In the case before us, two men are fighting and unintentionally bump into or push a pregnant woman. The incident then either causes premature labor or a miscarriage.

No matter how you try to spin it, this law is stating this incident has damaged a man’s property. For that is what the pregnant woman and her baby were, her husband’s property. But even in a society such as this one, notice what happens in this case. The courts are brought in to determine the value of the life growing in the woman’s womb.

Verses 23-25 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. If the pregnant woman was caused more serious harm, or even died the punishment was to be more severe. The level of justice was not determined by the husband or an angry mob, but by the court.

Overall, in a society that treated women as property and children as commodities, their courts still recognized that what was growing in the womb of a pregnant woman was something of value. Why else would they place a value and fine the parties involved who caused the harm? Even they recognized it was human life in a woman’s womb.

What does this have to do with the 2020 election? This passage deals with accidental harm caused to a pregnant woman and the baby growing inside of her, and in that barbaric time they placed value on the baby in the womb as human life. But think about this, in our advanced age we devalue that life and allow the baby to be killed on purpose. Our courts have signed off on the idea.

Induced abortion is not an accident, it is a sin. There is no command saying, “Thou shalt not have an abortion,” but if you take the time to study the Scriptures, they are clear on the matter. Today, I am not here debate medical based decisions, because we all know that advice is rare. Our society tosses away life because that is what it wants to do.

A woman makes the decision to terminate the life growing inside her. It is not an accident. Their baby is murdered for them to keep their job or advance to a higher level. To make sure no one looks down their nose at them and they can keep their pious reputation intact, a woman sacrifices her own baby. Rather than give up chasing pleasure and revolving door of men, a woman kills the life growing inside her to keep her lifestyle. Make no mistake about it, this is a personal decision a woman makes. A decision that is a sin against God.

While the decision is on the woman, and this is her sin, she is not the only who committed sin. Paul wrote in Colossians, “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” The abortion clinic is the end of a sinful journey, one that many women do not make alone, or find themselves falsely believing is the only option.

According to a 2014 study by the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice source, 12% of abortions were teenagers. How would a teen come to this idea? Yes, the teen sinned by choosing to have sex outside marriage, but often it is an adult trying to cover-up this sin with sin. Parents fear the loss of their little girl’s future, or their own reputation. Worse yet, the girl is so afraid to go to her parents for help, or has gone, and sees no other way than to have abortion. Abortion is no accident, and while the decision is the girl’s, make no mistake the adults who standby will not be held guiltless. 

That same 2014 study shared that 37% of women who had abortions were Christians. No matter how you try to spend the narrative, this paints an ugly picture of the church. Either fellow believers are telling them to get the abortion, or their fellowship is so full of themselves there is no room for grace. We as believers are quick to pick-up the protest sign at the clinics, but when these women come to us for help we shame them and or do nothing. Abortion is no accident, and while the decision is the woman’s, make no mistake the churches who standby the clinics with signs instead demonstrating the signs of Christ’s grace will not be held guiltless.

75% of these women from the 2014 study had an abortion because they were too poor. Either she was all alone, or as a family the income was not enough, so rather than seek help to sustain life, the only solution in their mind was to terminate the baby. Many are quick to say, well if you are too poor to have a child, then maybe you should keep your pants on. But if the woman is pregnant, then it is too late for that! Abortion is no accident, and while the decision is the woman’s, make no mistake those who standby and allow poverty to be the excuse will not be held guiltless.

I do not have stat for this last one. But please remember that it takes two people to make a baby. We scold the woman for getting knocked-up, but to the boys we say, “boys will be boys.” A woman gets the blame because an outfit she decided to wear, and to the man we say, “he couldn’t help himself.” The man is let off the hook and protected because he is too important and only made a mistake. Abortion is no accident, and while the decision is the woman’s, make no mistake the deadbeat dad, bully boss, a man who pressures a woman to make this decision will not be held guiltless.

Going to the polls, many will be making decisions based on being pro-life. As Christians, we should be pro-life. But being pro-life is more than a vote but conducting our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel. How do we do that? Paul writes in Romans 10:14-15, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” You and I are pro-life by bring the good news of eternal life through Jesus to the single moms. They did sin, but their baby is not a mistake, but grace sent to point them to God.