Exodus 20:13 - "You shall not murder."
This sixth commandment is very straight forward and almost needs no comment, however, I'm going to take this commandment and make several comments about it. We're going to look at the New Testament and see what the Lord Jesus said about murder. And later on we'll use this commandment as a platform to talk about capital punishment and war, and other such killing that takes place, and whether or not the Bible classifies these things as murder or not.
Some translations state the commandment this way: "Thou shalt not kill." This, however, is a bad translation. This makes it sound like any killing, including battle and capital punishment, is wrong. But as we'll see, the Bible actually makes provision for these two things. Better translations read this way: "Thou shall not murder." This commandment is based on the premise that human life is sacred. God gave this commandment to Moses along with the other nine in Exodus chapter 20, but God had already established this idea centuries before. After the Lord destroyed the world with a flood, as Noah was coming out of the ark the Lord began to give him instruction. In Genesis 9:6 the Lord says - "Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man." The Lord gives the reason why murder is wrong. It's because man was made in the image of God. And because man was made in the image of God, human life is sacred. God loves life and hates death. Death came as a result of mans sin. God is the author and giver of life and Satan is striving to destroy life. Therefore, anyone who takes the life of another person is acting on Satans behalf and fighting against God. Jesus said in John 10:10 - "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
In the sermon on the mount the Lord Jesus gives us some insight on how God views murder. He says in Matthew 5:21-22- "You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘ You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell." Those are some pretty strong words. God puts murder on the same level as anger, or calling someone a fool. We tend to sort our sins into nice little categories ranging from not too bad to really bad, and murder would go in the 'worst sins' category. But these things are equally, wretchedly, horrible in the eyes of God.
The first murder was committed in Genesis chapter 4 where Cain took the life of his brother Able. In Hebrews chapter 11 Able is the first person mentioned in a long line of examples of those who lived by faith. But Cain doesn't have such a high reputation. We read in 1 John 3:10-12 - "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous." We're told that Cain was of the evil one, Satan, and because he was of the evil one he murdered his own brother. But this passage continues by saying this in verses 13-16 - "Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." We tend to think that Cain was really bad, and indeed he was, he was a murderer. But in Gods eyes hatred and murder are the same thing. Hatred is simply murder that is not carried out for fear of consequences or lack of opportunity. Murder is a serious crime. Murder is considered by most people as one of the worst possible sins. When someone is being confronted with their sin it's not uncommon to hear a response like this, "Well, I've done a few things, but I've never killed anyone." But based on what we've just read in 1 John, every one of us is a murder, just like Cain, deserving of death.
But this passage brings out an amazing point. Though we were murderers in our hearts, dead in our trespasses and sins, God died in our place. The Author and giver of life laid down His life for wretched murderers like me, in order that I might have life. And we need to follow His example. The children of the devil seek to kill others to satisfy themselves, but we as children of God should love one another. And we know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
I remember hearing a story about a class at a christian college. The professor had a huge paper dart board at the front of the class and he had his students draw pictures of people that they hated. After the students had all finished their pictures they hung them up on the dart board and began to mutilate them with darts, laughing as they destroyed these images of those they hated most. After they were all satisfied with the destruction of these pictures the students all sat down in their seats, and the professor removed the pictures and took down the paper dart board revealing a torn mangled picture of the face of Christ that they had destroyed in their hatred. And he read to them what Jesus said in Matthew 25 - "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Just think about that. Every hateful thought you have ever had has been a thought of murder against the Lord Jesus Christ. Every unkind word you've ever spoken, you've spoken it against Christ. Every unjust action you've ever committed against another person, you've done it to Christ. Christ considered the lives of others more important than His own. He came to destroy the works of the devil, death, and to give life. He laid down His life for us, and we also ought to lay down our lives, or rights, our preferences, our desires, for one another. Not as Cain, who was of the evil one, but as Christ, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Exodus 20:13 - "You shall not murder."
This sixth commandment is very straight forward and almost needs no comment, however, I'm going to take this commandment and make several comments about it. We're going to look at the New Testament and see what the Lord Jesus said about murder. And later on we'll use this commandment as a platform to talk about capital punishment and war, and other such killing that takes place, and whether or not the Bible classifies these things as murder or not.
Some translations state the commandment this way: "Thou shalt not kill." This, however, is a bad translation. This makes it sound like any killing, including battle and capital punishment, is wrong. But as we'll see, the Bible actually makes provision for these two things. Better translations read this way: "Thou shall not murder." This commandment is based on the premise that human life is sacred. God gave this commandment to Moses along with the other nine in Exodus chapter 20, but God had already established this idea centuries before. After the Lord destroyed the world with a flood, as Noah was coming out of the ark the Lord began to give him instruction. In Genesis 9:6 the Lord says - "Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man." The Lord gives the reason why murder is wrong. It's because man was made in the image of God. And because man was made in the image of God, human life is sacred. God loves life and hates death. Death came as a result of mans sin. God is the author and giver of life and Satan is striving to destroy life. Therefore, anyone who takes the life of another person is acting on Satans behalf and fighting against God. Jesus said in John 10:10 - "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
In the sermon on the mount the Lord Jesus gives us some insight on how God views murder. He says in Matthew 5:21-22- "You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘ You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell." Those are some pretty strong words. God puts murder on the same level as anger, or calling someone a fool. We tend to sort our sins into nice little categories ranging from not too bad to really bad, and murder would go in the 'worst sins' category. But these things are equally, wretchedly, horrible in the eyes of God.
The first murder was committed in Genesis chapter 4 where Cain took the life of his brother Able. In Hebrews chapter 11 Able is the first person mentioned in a long line of examples of those who lived by faith. But Cain doesn't have such a high reputation. We read in 1 John 3:10-12 - "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous." We're told that Cain was of the evil one, Satan, and because he was of the evil one he murdered his own brother. But this passage continues by saying this in verses 13-16 - "Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." We tend to think that Cain was really bad, and indeed he was, he was a murderer. But in Gods eyes hatred and murder are the same thing. Hatred is simply murder that is not carried out for fear of consequences or lack of opportunity. Murder is a serious crime. Murder is considered by most people as one of the worst possible sins. When someone is being confronted with their sin it's not uncommon to hear a response like this, "Well, I've done a few things, but I've never killed anyone." But based on what we've just read in 1 John, every one of us is a murder, just like Cain, deserving of death.
But this passage brings out an amazing point. Though we were murderers in our hearts, dead in our trespasses and sins, God died in our place. The Author and giver of life laid down His life for wretched murderers like me, in order that I might have life. And we need to follow His example. The children of the devil seek to kill others to satisfy themselves, but we as children of God should love one another. And we know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
I remember hearing a story about a class at a christian college. The professor had a huge paper dart board at the front of the class and he had his students draw pictures of people that they hated. After the students had all finished their pictures they hung them up on the dart board and began to mutilate them with darts, laughing as they destroyed these images of those they hated most. After they were all satisfied with the destruction of these pictures the students all sat down in their seats, and the professor removed the pictures and took down the paper dart board revealing a torn mangled picture of the face of Christ that they had destroyed in their hatred. And he read to them what Jesus said in Matthew 25 - "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Just think about that. Every hateful thought you have ever had has been a thought of murder against the Lord Jesus Christ. Every unkind word you've ever spoken, you've spoken it against Christ. Every unjust action you've ever committed against another person, you've done it to Christ. Christ considered the lives of others more important than His own. He came to destroy the works of the devil, death, and to give life. He laid down His life for us, and we also ought to lay down our lives, or rights, our preferences, our desires, for one another. Not as Cain, who was of the evil one, but as Christ, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Exodus 20:13 - "You shall not murder."
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