We are often 180 degrees out of phase with God on matters like blood-guilt. He grieves and grows angry when we refuse to. When we side-step the discomfort of admitting our blood-guilt, our peace with God is a false peace. “If a man will not repent, God will whet his sword,” (Psalm 6:12).
When we weep though, God rejoices. When we consider the justice of his wrath; God brings forth the kindness of his mercy.
Isn’t this the substance of Isaiah 1? In verses 1-15 God is speaking to a people who will not repent. They want to believe all is well. God makes one indictment after another in order to turn their hardened peace into a shattered lamentation. He says, “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood!” (1:15).
But when we admit that shedding innocent blood is damnable and that allowing others to do it is also damnable, and when we grieve that we have done these very things, and when we resolve to “correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless and plead the window’s cause” then God moves in to wash, cleanse and reign his joy and power down on us (1:16-19).
I could be wrong, but I suspect that the Pilate-like ways we have made peace with abortion, grieve the Holy Spirit and suppress the power and transformational impact that God is eager to give us.
