THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT!

Exodus 20:13 AMPC

You shall not commit murder.

 

All life belongs to the Lord, since He is the Creator of life, especially human life. Murder is not only an attack on another human being but since every person is made in the image of God, it is an attack on God. All life is therefore sacred; that is, it is set apart to and belongs to the Lord and should be devoted to Him.

The sixth commandment to not kill refers to “murder.” Murder is the correct rendering of the Hebrew word. This is the intentional killing of another person for personal reasons.

Murder is a crime against our creator and a fellow creature. Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought sin into humanity. They may have thought their sin of eating a piece of fruit-wasn’t very bad but notice how quickly their sinful nature developed in their children. Simple disobedience quickly degenerated into outright murder. Adam and Eve acted only against God, but Cain acted against both God and humankind. A small sin has a way of growing out of control.

What about wars and capital punishment, one might ask? Killing or murder was permitted in war and as punishment in capital cases as seen throughout the bible, but our text is talking about premeditated murder or homicide (as the police would say). The word “murder” is verb used that includes both intentional and accidental killing.

This command forbids the deliberate, unlawful taking of another human life—murder. It is important to note that this does not prohibit all forms of killing, such as killing in self-defences. The Hebrew word used specifically means unlawful killing rather than all killing.

This commandment teaches us to respect life. God wants us to treat others with love, kindness, and peace. Jesus even goes further in Matthew 5:21 - 26 to amplify the meaning of the sixth commandment "thou shall not kill." He revealed that to commit murder is more than killing someone, it means having an angry and unforgiving attitude towards them. Roberta Flack sang “killing me softly” in 1972 and I bet most people don’t understand or realise that murder can be slowly and softly, just as it can be swift and brutal.

The apostle John elaborates on this by writing that to hate someone is the same as murdering them. He states, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" in 1John 3:15.

"But I don’t murder people,” you may say. Good. That fulfils the letter of the law. But as Jesus explains that hateful anger breaks this commandment. Have you ever been so angry with someone who mistreated you that for a moment you wished that person was dead? Have you ever fantasized that you could do someone in? Jesus’ teaching concerning this law demonstrates that we are capable of murder in our heart. Even if we are legally innocent, we are all morally guilty of murder and need to ask God’s forgiveness. We need to commit ourselves to the opposite of hatred and anger-love and reconciliation as seen in James 5:6 - You have condemned and killed good people who had no power to defend themselves against you.

Murder, like all sin, has its beginnings in the human mind as seen in Matthew 15:18 - 19, and Mark 7:20 - 23. It starts as a thought, in this case hatred, which leads to the action of murder. God wants us to replace hate with loving even our enemies according to Matthew 5:43 - 48. Instead of pursuing revenge, we ought to seek ways to help them according to Romans 12:17 - 21.

The Sixth Commandment is a divine injunction against murder, underscoring the preciousness of life and God’s sovereignty over it.

Violating this commandment is considered a serious moral and spiritual offense.

REFLECTION QUESTION

-         What is the significance of distinguishing between "murder" and "killing" in understanding the Sixth Commandment?

-         How does knowing that the commandment forbids unlawful killing (murder) rather than all killing influence your perspective on justice and morality?

-         In what ways does this commandment affirm the sanctity and value of human life?

-         How might this understanding of the Sixth Commandment affect your views on difficult issues such as self-defences, war, and capital punishment?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to love others the way You love me. Teach me to be kind, gentle, and forgiving. Let my words and actions bring peace, not hurt, amen.

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