What does the shedding of blood in Psalm 79:3 signify about sin's severity? Setting the Scene • Psalm 79 is a lament after a horrific invasion of Jerusalem. • Verse 3 reports: “They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.” • The image of blood running “like water” highlights a catastrophe so widespread that the streets are flooded with human life-blood and corpses are left unburied—an ultimate sign of disgrace (cf. Deuteronomy 28:26). Blood in Scripture: A Divine Alarm Bell • Blood equals life: “For the life of a creature is in the blood.” (Leviticus 17:11) • Spilled blood calls out to God: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:10) • God requires accountability: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood will be shed.” (Genesis 9:6) Together these passages show that whenever blood is unjustly shed, heaven itself is offended and must respond. Sin’s Awful Cost on Display • The mass slaughter in Psalm 79:3 is not only enemy brutality; it exposes Judah’s covenant breach (2 Kings 24:3-4). • God had warned, “You will become an object of horror… Your carcasses will be food for every bird.” (Deuteronomy 28:25-26). • Sin is severe because it breaks relationship with a holy God, unleashes judgment, and ends in death: “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). Why Blood Demands Redress • Blood defiles the land (Numbers 35:33). • Unburied bodies magnify that defilement, signaling a community under divine discipline. • God’s justice will not ignore blood guilt; vengeance belongs to Him (Deuteronomy 32:35). The Pointer to Atoning Blood • Hebrews 9:22: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” • The gruesome scenes of Psalm 79 make us feel the need for cleansing blood that can satisfy God’s justice without destroying the sinner. • That need is finally met in Christ: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Ephesians 1:7). Key Takeaways • Sin is never trivial; its penalty is life-blood. • National or personal, unrepented sin invites judgment that can reach horrifying proportions. • God sees every drop of innocent blood and will settle every account. • The only safe place from sin’s severity is under the saving blood of Jesus, who bore the judgment we deserved and offers full pardon to all who trust Him. |
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