6th Commandment
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Thou Shalt Not Kill
Thou Shalt Not Kill
13 Thou shalt not kill.
*Open prayer*
Here we are over half way through our ten commandments study.
And we run into these 4 little words.
Whew, aren’t you glad you don’t have to keep these laws today?
Specifically this one, it is tough.
Anybody in here ever struggle keeping this one?
I would bet that by the end of this class more people would have to answer yes to that question.
So let’s dive in.
The commandment is expressed in just two words in the Hebrew, equivalent to “never murder” (see below). The KJV wording, “Thou shalt not kill,” may seem like a deficient translation, though it could be more clearly defended in the early seventeenth century, when “put to death,” “fall upon,” “smite,” and similar terms were commonly used for nonmurderous killing; so the word “kill” more often than it does today included the sense of murder.
The Hebrew word used here (ra-ṣaḥ)
As you can see there are several uses of this word, yet the one we see here has a specific meaning.
4 words in the English, only 2 words in Hebrew.
Basically saying don’t murder.
It is specific to putting to death improperly, for selfish reasons rather than with authorization (as killing in the administration of justice or killing in divinely ordained holy war would be).
Naturally, we know that God is not just the author of the law, but also fulfills it.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
So, the next natural question, can God kill people?
What about in mass such as the flood or when it came to the Canaanites?
15 As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. 16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; 17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them. 18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. 20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
What are you thoughts here?
Does anybody have an answer to this question?
*Show video*
(127) Is God Immoral for Killing the Canaanites? - YouTube
Does God violate this law?
No.
In fact it is not his fault death even exists.
Death is the direct result of our disobedience to him.
It is a wage.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now lets talk about how serious God is.
Remember He is the Standard.
We often try to place our standard on the law.
Look at what 1 John says about murder...
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Remember definition of hate.
Hate- feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone):
The opposite of love
To be completely honest,
There are many people in my lifetime that I have dealt with that I would say fall into this category.
That makes me guilty of violating this law....
Which as we know makes us guilty of violating the whole law.
A reminder of what James says
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
So with our quick study of what this commandment is talking about, lets look at how it applies today.
Does capital punishment, such as a death sentence violate this law?
6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Here we specifically see the governments authority on the matter.
Does abortion violate this law?
13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Marvellous are thy works;
And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee,
When I was made in secret,
And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
And in thy book all my members were written,
Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
We clearly see God values life in the womb.
Of course there are many other verses on this topic.
Does hatred violate this law?
Clearly.
Does suicide violate this law?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Does assisted suicide violate this law?
This is different than letting someone go, say in an end of life scenario.
Such as having to make a decision to end life support.
bbc article
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
In conclusion.
Little difference separates the practical outworking of this command today from its original application in ancient Israel. In the New Covenant the state takes the roles of administration of justice and declaration of war; the church cannot do such things. But otherwise, and from the point of view of the individual believer, the prohibition works exactly the same way: no unauthorized “private” person or group has the right to end a human life. Moreover, the ban on murder has no modifying conditions: taking one’s own life or ending someone else’s for purposes of “mercy” do not qualify as allowable exceptions.
Violation of this commandment is due to the intentional taking of life without legal or moral justification.
It is clear that a person can not simply “decide” to end life.
Hunting, capital punishment, self-defense, etc, do not, in general, violate this commandment.
The Hebrew word implies premeditation or intention.
Violation of this commandment has severe consequences...
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Famous violators of this law.
Ironically, moses himself.
12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
David when he had an affair with Bathsheba,
he sent her husband into battle to die...
14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
Paul… a persecutor of the early church....
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
He was giving consent, or approval for the killing of Stephen.
1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Paul even stood by and held the clothes of the men that killed Stephen...
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
So what if we violate the law?
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
Peter wrote that believers should not suffer as a murderer...
Even so, the guilt can be overbearing.
So many suffer mental anguish. But even in our worst of sins, even when our heart breaks over what we have commited, look at this verse.
1 John goes on to say this
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
This is different than letting someone go, say in an end of life scenario.
Such as having to make a decision to end life support.
Even if you are guilty of this sin of the heart, our God is mighty to Save!