Sermon Tone Analysis

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.

So, the next natural question, can God kill people?

What about in mass such as the flood or when it came to the Canaanites?

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.

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...

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

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?

Here we specifically see the governments authority on the matter.

Does abortion violate this law?

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?

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

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...

Famous violators of this law.

Ironically, moses himself.

David when he had an affair with Bathsheba,

he sent her husband into battle to die...

Paul… a persecutor of the early church....

He was giving consent, or approval for the killing of Stephen.

Paul even stood by and held the clothes of the men that killed Stephen...

So what if we violate the law?

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

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!