Thou Shall not Murder

Explanation: All human life is created in the image of God, and is therefore sacred. As image-bearers, no person has the right or the authority to intentionally end another image-bearer’s life. God makes this principle explicitly clear when He tells Noah and his family to safeguard human life ()

In the Ten Commandments, God reaffirms and states this sanctity of life principle in the words, Thou shall not Kill.

“The Hebrew word that was used in this case for “kill” (or murder) was the somewhat rare term rāṣah (derivatives can be found with the meaning of shatter [] or slaughter []). Although its exact meaning has defied explanation, in other contexts it could refer to killing that was inherently evil. . . The sixth commandment therefore protected the individual Israelite within the community from any danger. Only God had the right to terminate life; murder was an abrogation of his power that ignored humanity’s created nature and value in the sight of God. God had to be propitiated since the covenant relationship had been broken ().”

Chavalas, M. W. (1996). Murder. In Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 545). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

The issue of death caused by war is a separate concern, and was covered in other sections of the Law. The issue of involuntary killing (manslaughter) was also covered by the cities of Refuge. There is no provision for the intentional taking of another’s life - the penalty was death.

Implications of the 6th Commandment for American Christianity

The abomination of legal murder through abortion

Without trying to be politically correct, the honest assessment is to recognize that Abortion is murder. Plain and simple, abortion is the intentional taking of a human life. The clear biblical teaching is that life begins at conception and that all life is sacred. Science is catching up on being able to detect life signs at earlier stages in life, and one day science may actually confirm that life begins at conception. Regardless of scientific progress, truth remains truth.

New York and Virginia have recently passed legislation that provides for late-term abortions right up until birth. And, horrifically, the Gov. of VA actually advocated for infanticide in cases with birth defects. This legislation has brought an outcry from some sectors of the public because aborting a baby at 7 months is a heinous sin. It is - but the taking of life at an earlier stage (14 to 21 days) is no less an act of murder. It is just easier for us to pretend it wasn’t really a life in the same way a 7 month pregnancy is life.

For consistency, Christians are to be pro-life in all stages of development, and we should never passively accept any conditions that intentionally end a life, whether in the womb or in cold storage.

Illustrate: Doritos Commercial for Superbowl 2018. Ultrasound of baby reacting to dad eating the doritos. NARAL tweeted a slam at Doritos for using “antichoice tactic of humanizing the fetus” Also divorce proceedings involving frozen embryos (Findley vs Lee, Nov. 18, 2015) The court ruled the woman could not use the eggs to achieve pregnancy (some level of recognition of life inherent in the fertilized eggs)

Euthanasia and the slippery slope of early death

Switzerland has been recognized in the past decade or so as the travel destination for those seeking to end their lives. Physician-assisted suicide is legal and not just for terminal issues. When a person decides that his or her life is no longer worth living (i.e., their quality of life is not at a satisfactory level) they are warmly assisted in ending said life. The moral and ethical ramifications are huge when those who are trained to preserve life begin to take it.

Also, amid rising costs of health care the issue of financial burden looms large. Many aging parents with health issues do not want to be a financial burden on their adult children and grandchildren. While cost is a serious factor, it should not override the prerogative and authority of God when it comes to ending life. And, it is incredibly important to realize that if our country continues its current trajectory in this arena, we may soon have the state deciding who lives and who dies based on sterile, unfeeling calculations of economics.

Jesus and the intensification of the 6th Commandment

Explanation: In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasizes that He “did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets (). While Jesus does not do away with the Commandments, He actually intensifies them. In this message Jesus deals with various subjects, including the substance of the 6th commandment. Because He is the Son of God He has the authority to change or alter the very Law itself. He does this by the phrase, but I say to you . . . In the area of anger and slander, Jesus equates these sins on a level with murder, and gives a corresponding punishment.

Jesus recognizes the inherent worth of a person’s character and reputation. He places safeguards against character assassination through slander and verbal attacks. While we often downplay this type of behavior, Jesus lets us know He is serious about it

Finally, our attitude of the heart is called into question in regards to the 6th commandment. The Apostle John declares that “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that kn murderer has eternal life abiding in Him (1 John 3:15)

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