Topical Bible: Blood: (Building With) of Oppression and Cruelty

◄ Blood: (Building With) of Oppression and Cruelty ►

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In the biblical narrative, blood is a potent symbol, often representing life, sacrifice, and covenant. However, it also serves as a metaphor for violence, oppression, and injustice. The concept of "building with blood" is a vivid illustration of societal structures and achievements founded upon cruelty and exploitation.

The prophet Habakkuk addresses this theme directly, condemning those who establish cities through bloodshed and iniquity. In Habakkuk 2:12 , it is written, "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!" This verse underscores the moral and spiritual corruption inherent in constructing societies or systems at the expense of human life and dignity.

The imagery of blood as a foundation for oppression is not limited to physical violence but extends to systemic injustice. It reflects a broader biblical principle that God abhors the exploitation of the vulnerable and the shedding of innocent blood. Proverbs 6:16-17 lists "hands that shed innocent blood" among the things the Lord detests, highlighting the gravity of such actions.

Throughout Scripture, the prophets consistently call out the leaders and nations who perpetuate injustice. Isaiah 59:3 states, "For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice." This passage illustrates the pervasive nature of sin and its manifestation in societal structures that oppress and harm.

The biblical call to justice is clear: societies must be built on righteousness and equity, not on the suffering and exploitation of others. Micah 6:8 encapsulates this divine mandate: "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

In the New Testament, the message of justice and mercy is reaffirmed through the teachings of Jesus Christ. He condemns the hypocrisy of religious leaders who neglect justice and mercy while maintaining outward appearances of piety (Matthew 23:23). The Kingdom of God, as proclaimed by Jesus, is one where the last are first, and the oppressed find liberation.

In conclusion, the biblical theme of "building with blood" serves as a stark warning against the pursuit of power and prosperity through unjust means. It calls believers to reflect on the foundations of their own lives and communities, urging a commitment to justice, mercy, and humility in accordance with God's will. The Scriptures consistently advocate for a society where peace and righteousness prevail, and where the dignity of every human being is upheld.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Habakkuk 2:12
Woe to him that builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Guilt of Neglecting the Heathen.
... Deceit, oppression and cruelty fill every hut with woe ... with fightings, and whose
hands are red with blood? ... to fashion, a taste for expensive building, a love of ...
/.../dibble/thoughts on missions/chapter iii guilt of neglecting.htm

The Death of Cyrus.
... the expense and trouble of building a bridge ... filled a can with Persian blood, obtained,
probably ... cruelty, the selfishness, and the oppression exhaust themselves ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter xii the death of.htm

Moral Characteristics.
... he pushed internal improvements, the building of Constantinople ... who were stained
with blood of countless ... Kentucky moonshiners in their "oppression" by revenue ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/section 5 moral characteristics.htm

The Church.
... the designs of the eternal God concerning her building and glory ... David, a man of
blood, could not build the ... are not yet delivered from that oppression, that may ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xxi the church.htm

The Life of Mr. Hugh Binning.
... his kingdom was instrumental in building up in ... widow, and shed not innocent blood
in this ... among you, if filthiness, swearing, oppression, cruelty reign among ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/the life of mr hugh.htm

The Sibylline Oracles.
... abruptly with an account of the building of the ... and profanity, its cruelty and
oppression, she speaks in ... falling on earth at unusual times; blood flowing from ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the sibylline oracles.htm

In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius C??sar and under the Pontificate ...
... but a seething mass of cruelty and oppression on the ... of the House of David, and the
building of the ... were even (morally) dead bodies, without blood vessels or ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xi in the fifteenth.htm

Attitude of Men of the Present Day to War.
... up for our protection, which have become our oppression. ... guard submissively before
the mother building, but for ... is created for the other, that blood is needed ...
/.../tolstoy/the kingdom of god is within you/chapter vi attitude of men.htm

The Education of the World.
... is impossible, and the thought of building a tower ... the prohibitions of murder and
of eating blood. ... denunciation of cruelty and oppression, of maladministration ...
/.../essays and reviews the education of the world/the education of the world.htm

The Gentle Boy
... sect, eager to testify against the oppression which they ... dew, sat the one solitary
mourner for innocent blood. ... The floor of the building was occupied by rows ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the gentle boy.htm