Commandment 6

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill.”

This morning we are going to talk about America’s Death Culture.

Did you know we have a culture of death in America?

15,840 homicides in 2025

The critical distinction lies in legality and intent:

Homicide can be lawful (such as self-defense, police use of force, or accidents without negligence) or unlawful.  Not all homicides are crimes.

Murder is always unlawful and requires intent to kill, intent to cause serious harm, extreme recklessness, or occurs during the commission of a dangerous felony. 

While all murders are homicides, not all homicides are murders. Other forms of unlawful homicide include manslaughter, which lacks the malice required for murder charges. 

Assisted suicide

Gallup - 71% of American’s believe doctors should be allowed by law to end a patients life. In 2025 Medical Aid In Dying (MAID) was legal in 14 states. 1,904 in 2022. Over the last 30 years, 12,425 deaths

Media

By the time children reach middle school, they may have watched as many as 8,000 murders and 100,000 other acts of virtual violence through the media. (For the record, the on-screen kill count for LoTR is 212,470)

Abortions

1.12 million abortions in 2025 - America has killed more than 50 million babies. The population of 25 states in America. Only 26 countries in the world have more people than this.

What about when we get to to other topics such as self-defense, castle doctrines, death penalty, war...

Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill.”

lo tir'tzäch š (ratsach) (primative root = dash to pieces)

1) to murder, slay, kill

1a) (Qal) to murder, slay

1a1) premeditated

1a2) accidental

1a3) as avenger

1a4) slayer (intentional) (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be slain

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to murder, assassinate

1c2) murderer, assassin (participle)(subst)

1d) (Pual) to be killed

Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology The Old Testament > Earthly Punishment

The sixth command prohibits murder (

Genesis 4:8 “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”

Genesis 9:6 “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”

Shedding blood is the easy part of this commandment, but let’s see what Jesus did to our understanding in Matthew 5.

Matthew 5:21 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:”

Matthew 5:22 “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.”

Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology The Old Testament > Earthly Punishment

God demands a reverence for human life (Ps. 139:13–14), and forbids murder (Exod. 20:13; Deut. 5:17; Matt. 5:21). Where violence has shed blood, there must be an accounting and a just penalty (Gen. 4:10–11; 9:5–6; Exod. 21:23; Lev. 24:17–22; Deut. 19:21; Matt. 5:38). Jesus enlarges this understanding of life to include more than physical life, proscribing angry words, insults, and name calling (Matt. 5:22), for these wound and kill the spirit, self-esteem, and well-being of another. The perpetrator becomes subject to judgment. The gospel of God extends a special invitation to the poor, the disabled, the weak, the oppressed, and the children, offering hope and new life.

There was an interesting study done on water by Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist. Even though his work was criticized by peers for various academic reasons, the findings he presented are very interesting. (VIDEO)

https://magnificentmemagnificentyou.com/2017/01/28/dr-masaru-emoto-the-power-of-words/

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Lets go back to Matthew - Matthew 5:21 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:”

Matthew 5:22 “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

Jesus is saying that killing, or murder, is more than an act that takes a life. It is thoughts, it is words, it is the diminishing of life. God is the sole creator of life. Scientists have tried to produce life, working overtime to find a way to discount God. But he is the give and sustainer of life.

Thoughts, words, actions that do not build and celebrate life all undermine the authority God has over life. God is the only one who can create life: therefore he is the only one who has the right to take life.

In conclusion:

What is my view of life? How am I participating in the Death culture?