The 6th commandment: No Murder
Exodus 20:13 – The 6th commandment. The verse only has two words
lo raw-tsakh “no murder”.
Murder is extreme behavior… considered by most as the
ultimate sin… the foulest deed imaginable… probably nobody here has ever
committed murder or is likely to… so what is the practical purpose of studying
the 6th commandment?
1.
To prevent you from becoming a murderer by convincing
you it’s evil. True, but that still seems somewhat removed from everyday life.
Most humans buy into the idea that murder is bad… but is our rejection of murder based on
spiritual appreciation of the mind of God on the matter… or is it a terrible fear
of the consequences committing murder would bring down upon our head from our
secular legal system? What would we do if there really were no consequences?
2.
Use the guiding principle of the 6th
commandment together with case studies, examples and judgments to show how the
commandment can be applied to your day to day lives.
3.
Review the attitudes and behaviors that can lead
to murder so you can avoid them in the realm of everyday life as we live it. Note:
scripture doesn’t just warn you about attitudes and behaviors that can lead to
murder… God’s word declares them to be evil and subject to judgment as well.
Why Is Murder Evil?
·
Genesis
9:1-6 reveals the principle on which the commandment stands… respect for
human life, because it is special… made in the image and likeness of God.
·
Genesis 4
violence spins out of control – Cain… Lamech 77 times vengence
·
Genesis
6:11-13 violence moved God to cause the flood and wipe out humans and start
over
To prevent Noah’s descendants from falling into the same
cycle God instituted capital punishment for murder. It is important to note
that the level of punishment is proportional to the crime. Life for life… not
multiple lives for a life (stops the pattern of escalation indicated in the
example of Lamach).
God’s instructions here are the beginning of human government
(not OF God) to administer punishment for crimes committed. Also, we have an
answer to our question “what would humans do if there were no consequences to
murder?”… the world would become engulfed in murderous violence with no respect
for human life. (end time like the days before flood… also characterized and
time of lawlessness)
Psalm 11:5 God
hates violence
Case Studies - How The Principle of 6th Command Is Expanded Upon & Applied
The case studies of the OT give help us understand how the
principle of having a respect for the value of human life. As mentioned earlier
the commandment itself is short and simple… no murder… no unauthorized taking
of human life. However, even before Jesus magnified the law in the
sermon-on-the-mount distinctions about the heart and the intent were
considered… what about accidents (are they sin)? What about neglect? What about
violence where there is no loss of life?
Exodus 21:12-14 Premeditated Vs. Accidental Death
Verse 12 – A
person who murders another person pays is to pay for that life with his own… the
only punishment proportional to the crime. But a distinction is made between premeditated
murder and accidental death (known as manslaughter). You can read more about
cities of refuge in Numbers 35:16-23. What’s important to note is that even
accidental killing had a punishment associated with it.
Deuteronomy 19:4-5
An example of accidental death, the person didn’t intend to hurt or kill the
other person but he did. But what if he
was lazy or sloppy… didn’t keep his axe in good repair? Is he guilty?
Deuteronomy 22:8 respect
for life involves advance concern for safety
Verse 14
addresses the ancient idea of “altar sanctuary”… runs from the scene of the
crime to the temple grabs hold of the altar… claims to be judged by God rather
than human courts of law. YHWH rejects this notion… take him away and give him
a fair trial. God has put judgment and authority into the hands of humans on
such matters.
Verse 16-17 – other
examples of violent behavior punishable by death… abuse of parents/slave
trading
Exodus 21:18-21 Violent Behavior Not Leading to Death
Verse 18-19 – if
violence results in serious personal injury but the person does not die the one
who caused the injury is innocent of murder and does not need to be put to
death. However, he is responsible for lost wages and medical expenses of the
injured party
Verse 20-21 – if
violent behavior results in the death of a slave the person who did it is to be
punished… meaning he will pay the death penalty. Slave or free he has killed
another human being. If however the victim is able to get up and recover there
is no death penalty (as in the previous case). As the master he has lost the value
of the slaves work… and absorbed the cost of care. No compensation to the
servant.
Exodus 21:22-32 Indirect Harm of Death
If violent behavior results in indirect harm or death then a
penalty must be assessed. The penalty will be appropriate to the crime. If
there is a loss of life the penalty is death… if there is serious injury then a
financial penalty must be paid. The principle of the law was not to put out
eyes or cut off hands… but to punish the
offender as much as he had hurt the victim… also to provide restitution
to the victim… what good would literal eye gouging have for the victim?
Verse 28-32 Death That Is Indirect & Accidental
If an animal (or perhaps a piece of equipment you own… like
a car with faulty brakes) causes the death of another you are not considered a
murderer. But, if you know the situation was dangerous and potentially fatal
and you did nothing about it… you are responsible for that death.
Here is a good example of how the eye for an eye principle
is not meant to be applied literally but as a principle. The punishment must
punish the offender as much as he had hurt the victim… also to provide restitution
to the victim. In this example the
guilty may be allowed to pay damages to the family instead of paying with your
life (or eye or hand). The law applies equally for adults, children and slaves…
all human lives are to be valued and valued equally.
Some people read these verses to say God places a lesser
value on a person who is a slave. Not so. If you kill a slave you pay the
penalty accordingly based on the circumstances… murder, manslaughter,
accidental etc. The special clauses regarding slaves relate to how cash
settlements are made in the case of a slave (unique financial circumstances).
Emotions and Attitudes of Murder (going back to the top of the pyramid)
Lev 19:16b-18 Do
not use harsh words, slander, anger, grudges, vengeance… endanger the life of
another… false testimony in court… to lie about him to cause him to be harmed…
perhaps to incite a crowd to take vigilante action etc.
And so the Royal Law says… “do not hate your brother, but
love you neighbor as yourself”.
Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus
expands the commandment to include the emotions behind the action. Perhaps with
Lev 19:18 in mind He points out that not only the act… murder… but the anger
that is in your heart… and the harsh words on your tongue are subject to
judgment.
Who among us has not burned with anger or hatred toward
someone… who has not called another driver “idiot” when they cut you off in
traffic?
Murder is a fully formed fruit of a sinful frame of mind. It
begins somewhere else… with anger in your heart, contempt, harsh words… and what
are these? These are counted among the fruits of the flesh (Galatians 5:19)…
which the law and the spirit of God are against on every level.
Eph 4:29-32
James 1:19-21
anger does not work the righteousness of God. Get rid of everything in your
life that does not belong there.
Loophole… Righteous Anger Vs. Unrighteous Anger
God gets angry why is it not alright for me to get angry?
You could say anger itself is morally neutral… sometimes its
right (rarely the case)… sometimes its wrong (most often the case). This
difference is distinguished by the cause: what is it you’re angry about and why
are you angry.
Anger can be unrighteous when it is directed toward the
wrong object… at God, at an innocent person, at an unexpected detour sign in
the road… or when directed at the wrong cause such as a personal offense,
embarrassment… or resulting in wrong behavior such as retaliation, vengeance,
violence.
You might say “I’m angry at sin”. God gets angry at sin… so my
anger at sin must be alright.
But God has a perfect heart… His motives are always pure and
just… everything He does is ultimately done with love, seeking the best
possible outcome for everyone involved. We cannot say this about ourselves. The
motives of the human heart are always mixed… and suspect.
Am I angry at sin… or am I really angry at the way sin
affects me? For example: my child sins but deep down I’m really angry because
it will make me look bad… corruption in government or business… is it the sin
itself that makes me mad or the negative effect it has on my life that gets to
me… is it really more offensive to my patriotic pride than my internal moral compass?
This requires serious soul searching…
Because human motives are so easily mixed with personal
interest, vanity or pride it is always better to wait until the flash of anger
passes before proceeding in word or action. Two scriptural ways to control
anger:
·
James
1:19 don’t get angry suddenly or make quick responses without reflection.
So slow down… do some of that soul searching… what are your motives
·
Eph 4:26
don’t let your anger burn slowly, rolling it over and over in your mind like a
sweet candy in your mouth
Today people seem proud to be “impulsive”, “emotional”,
“passionate”… You might also be getting the message from pop culture telling
you to let your feelings flow… telling you your anger should be vented so it
can be dealt with out in the open… that the honest courageous way to deal with
anger.
Be careful, pop culture is giving you bad advice. The
fruit of God’s Holy Spirit is self control, gentleness, kindness, mercy, peace
and patience. We don’t deal with anger through either denial or venting.
Instead anger should be dealt with by confessing it as sin to repented of and
overcome by the power of the holy spirit. Proverbs
16:32
As God said to Cain “Sin
is laying in wait at your door, its desire is to rule you, but you must rule
over it”.
The 6th commandment “no murder” gives us a
guiding principle that explains a vital part of loving God and loving our
neighbor: to respect and value human
life because humans are made in the image of God. The 6th
commandment is a guide to our actions and our thoughts. It’s real purpose is
not to deal only with extreme behavior… but also the common and mundane… as
such the 6th commandment is very practical, applicable and relevant
to how we live our lives every day.
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