Human life is valuable because God created man in His own image, and He commands that human life not be taken lightly.
Genesis 1:26 says God made man in His own image, and Genesis 9:6 gives the reason shed blood must be punished: "for in the image of God made he man." Scripture also includes the command "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). Les Feldick emphasizes this by calling man the crowning act of creation and teaching that every human being is an eternal being.
Genesis 1:26 — God reveals the creation of man in His own image — the key reason human life is sacred.
Genesis 9:6 — This verse ties the death penalty for murder to the fact that man was made in God's image.
In Genesis 1:26-27, God says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness," and "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." This places human life above the rest of creation. Because man bears God's image, God later commands, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). In Genesis 9:5-6, after the flood, God requires the life of man from every beast and from every man's brother, and declares: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." These verses show that the value of human life is grounded in being created in God's image.
Les Feldick teaches that the sanctity of human life rests on Genesis 1:26. Because man is the crowning act of creation and the only creature made in God's image, God mandated "Thou shalt not kill" and intends human life to be protected. He notes that in much of the world life is cheap, but that is not the way God intended it. Moving to Genesis 9, Les explains that God requires an accounting for human life — even from beasts — and that after the flood God gave human government the authority to put murderers to death. He says this is because God made man in His own image, and he sees this as the beginning of human government, moving from the pre-flood civilization where there was no law and no government. Les also connects the value of life to blood. He points out that God said, "You cannot have the blood of it," and that the Bible already knew life was in the blood long before medical science recognized it in World War II. Additionally, he emphasizes that every human being is an eternal being because God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul, and that God made the human race to be objects of His love with the will to respond to Him.
In Genesis 9:4, God permitted meat but commanded, "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." Les Feldick points out that God had already revealed that life was in the blood, even though medical science did not grasp it until World War II — medicine had used bloodletting and plasma before recognizing transfusions. This reinforces the sanctity of human life because blood carries life.
Genesis 9:5-6 says God will require the life of man from every beast and from every man's brother, and that whoever sheds man's blood must have his blood shed. Les describes this as the beginning of human government, since before the flood there was no law and no government. He notes that God gave this command because man was made in His own image, and he cautions that this authority is intended only for those guilty of murder beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Scripture says man became a living soul when God breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7), and Les teaches that this life is eternal because it comes from God's direct creation. He explains the human spirit is not just the five senses — it is the "real you" that will never die. So human life has value that goes beyond the body.
Les teaches that angels could not respond to God's love, so God created the human race with an "indwelling attribute of will" to either respond to His love or reject it. This makes each human being a genuine object of God's love and explains why human life has such worth to Him.
The Biblical Link Between Blood and Life
Les teaches that God restricted eating blood in Genesis 9 and that the Bible already knew life was in the blood, a fact medical science only recognized in World War II.
Sanctity of Life in the Image of God
Les teaches that because God created man in His own image as the crowning act of creation, human life is sacred and not to be taken cheaply — hence "Thou shalt not kill."
Death Penalty for Taking Life
Les teaches Genesis 9:5-6 shows God requiring the murderer's blood because man is made in God's image, and this begins human government.
Why Faith Alone Saves — Not Works : Romans 10 Explained
No human being has ever come into life on this planet without having the light that God has given, and consequently they're going to be held responsible. Now then, for just the moment we have left, let's go back to Romans, chapter 10, verse 8. So what saith the Scriptures? The word is nigh thee, it's even in your mouth. Now this isn't just a casual statement. This isn't just words to fill a page.
Man as an Eternal Living Soul
Les teaches that when God breathed into man, he became a living soul, making every human being an eternal being rather than just a physical body.
The Spirit Is the Direct Creation of God
Les teaches that the inner man comes straight from God and is eternal as God is eternal, so human life cannot be reduced to the body.
Humans Created to Respond to God's Love
Les explains that God made humans to be objects of His love, giving them a will to respond or reject — a unique value no other creature has.
God's Instruction to Government and Society
Les teaches that God never left humanity without His will, and that capital punishment is meant for those unquestionably guilty of murder.
Genesis 1:26: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
This verse establishes that humanity alone was made in God's image, the foundation for human life's value.
Genesis 1:27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
It confirms God did create man and woman in His own image.
Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
This shows the direct breath of God making man a living soul, which Les Feldick ties to the eternal nature of human life.
Genesis 9:4: But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
This connects blood with life, supporting Les Feldick's point that God revealed this before medical science.
Genesis 9:5: And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.
God requires an accounting from every beast and every man when human life is taken.
Genesis 9:6: Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
The penalty for shedding human blood is death, explicitly because man is made in God's image.
Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill.
God's law explicitly prohibits the taking of human life.
Life is sacred because man was uniquely created in God's image as the crowning act of creation. In Genesis 9:6, God institutes the death penalty for murder for this same reason, declaring that man was made in His image.
Les Feldick points out that in Genesis 9, God allowed meat but forbade the blood, and that the Bible said life was in the blood long before medical science caught on during World War II.
Yes — Les Feldick teaches from Genesis 9:6 that God gave human government the authority to put a murderer to death because man is made in God's image. He cautions, however, that this is for those clearly guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.
According to Les Feldick, angels could not respond to God's love, so God made human beings with a will to choose to love Him or reject Him. This purpose makes human life unique and valuable.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Established Capital Punishment | Genesis 9 Explained