5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.
Life has value and a price. As the Lord gives instructions to Noah and his family following the Flood, a reinforcing of the ‘don’t kill’ rule is emphasized, both for the creatures and for humans. We are not to just start killing animals or humans because we like the sport of it. Life has a price. We must recognize that price and respect it. There is no such prohibition put on the plants. Only the animals have this accounting because they have blood in them. And there is something about human blood that demands an accounting. This blood ‘cried out’ when Cain killed Abel. Blood represents and symbolizes life. Without blood, animal and human life cease to exist. God wants an accounting of human lifeblood, even an accounting from the animals. Animals that kill humans are accountable for that life. This is why those who kill often have such a hard time reconciling their actions with their conscience. Gangs work through a series of desensitizing rituals in order to prepare themselves to kill without feeling. The military trains to use force in a very restricted and disciplined way in order to minimize the effect on their members. But often when faced with the decision to kill, there remains the guilt. That is because we are hardwired by God to respect life. It is only through rewiring our conscience can we kill without that guilty conscience. A few individuals are wired without that circuit in their being. We call them psychopaths. But for the rest of us, if we kill, it bothers our conscience. And that bothering is a result of God’s influence in our lives. So what do we do if we have violated this verse? First, go to the Lord and seek forgiveness and cleansing. Then seek earthly forgiveness, perhaps with their family. Make amends: make up for the lost income by working a second job and sending that money to the family or a relief organization working with similar people. If in doubt, ask the Lord how to make amends.