1122. Thou Shalt Not Kill – Sixth Commandment

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Today on The Daily Platform, we're continuing a study series entitled, Oh, How I Love Thy Law.

Today's message will be preached by seminary professor, Dr. Gary Reimers. Four weeks ago today, Nicholas Cruz entered a school in Parkland, Florida, and murdered 17 people. In hospitals and clinics all across our country, 150,000 unborn babies have been killed in the two months of this year alone. And in the safety of their own home, the average American teenager has already witnessed 80,000 murders by the time he's 18 years of age. On television, on film, and in video games.

And actually the video games are the highest concentration of murders. The reality is that we are in a society that has devalued human life. And it's not possible that we're not being influenced by that. That's not okay with God. God has made it clear that he is against murder. But what we see all around us tends to jade our conscience.

And we can also begin to devalue human life in a variety of ways. As we look at this sixth commandment, then it might be helpful for us to understand why this is important to God. He makes it clear in all the passages we'll look at today, he'll make it clear to us that human beings are important to him. Genesis 1 26, God said let us make man in our image after our likeness. And he continues in verse 27, so God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him.

Male and female created he them. Men and women are all in the image of God. It's clear in these verses then that bearing the image of God means that we are representatives of God.

Now it's good for us to acknowledge that about self, but we also need to acknowledge that about others. Other people represent God and that image imparts inherent value to every person. Get a little more insight a few chapters later in Genesis chapter 9 verse 6, where God also now makes it clear if we couldn't have concluded this ourselves, and I think we would have, God makes it clear that harming his image dishonors God. Genesis 9 verse 6 says this, who so shedeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed. For in the image of God made he man. Because God made people in his own image, therefore it is wrong to take the life of someone else. Now even apart from taking a life, doesn't that verse tell us that racism and bigotry are always wrong?

How can you feel that way about somebody that God created in his own image? Let's shift to the New Testament for a few moments. Matthew chapter 22, because there's another point of explanation about the sixth commandment, why this is so significant. Matthew 22 beginning in verse 17, this is one of the encounters that we read about in the gospels between Christ and his opponents. So the opponents speak up first in verse 17 saying, tell us therefore, they say to Christ, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not? Jesus perceived their wickedness and he said, why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. That was the narius, a valuable coin, not anything equivalent to our current penny. And Christ has a question and here's the point. He saith unto them, whose is this image and superscription? At that point he's holding the coin up and showing them. Seeing the coin, they responded, Caesar's. Caesar had imprinted his own image and inscription on the denarius. Here's Christ's conclusion in verse 21, render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. That coin had an image and the image identified ownership.

Is it okay to pay your taxes? Well yes, that coin belongs to the government. We can draw a further conclusion then that God has placed his image on people, letting us know that every person is God's possession. How should you treat God's possession? Well if likeness indicates ownership, then no one has the right to destroy God's property. And once again, backing off a little bit even from the full destruction of God's property, how do you suppose God feels when he sees people abusing other people or disparaging them in some way?

Likeness indicates ownership and ownership indicates control. Only God has the right to take human life. And he asserts that by placing his image on every single person. So that how you treat other people is a direct reflection on your attitude toward God.

We all find it very easy to say that we love the Lord. But the Lord watches us all day long. He sees our interaction with people.

And from that interaction, he learns the truth. Imagine God thinking, if they'll treat my image that way, what must they think of me? Rather than disdain people, despise them, or even just ignore them.

See, to ignore somebody else, he's not important enough for my time, my attention. See how even that would dishonor God. Rather than objects of disdain, you need to look at people as opportunities to honor the Lord. Because that's how he looks at people.

I'm sorry to have to say, this even applies to your roommates. They also are important to God. God watches every day in your room to see how you reflect your attitude toward him. By the words you say, by the attitude that God sees even when no words are spoken. Some people try to use the sixth commandment to argue against capital punishment and warfare.

We need to address that for a few moments this morning. And so we need to look at, first of all, or we're still in the New Testament, let's shift to Romans chapter 13. Because we find elsewhere in Scripture, here starting in Romans 13, that the sixth commandment has two exceptions. God gives a general prohibition of killing people, but there are two exceptions to that.

In this first one, in Romans 13, he tells us clearly that a ruler can execute criminals. God gives him that authority. Romans 13 verse 1, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power, there is no authority but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.

And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation, condemnation. See, government has divine authority. And this applies to every government, even governments that we might not like. There was a government in place as Paul was writing these words that he didn't like very much at all. But he had to acknowledge and clearly testifies here that a government cannot exist without God's sanction.

So government has divine authority, but something more in verse 4, he, that is the government authority, the government personnel, individuals that carry out that authority, any such officer of the government, he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. What's the significance of mentioning the sword here?

Because that was an instrument of capital punishment. Here Paul is saying that the authority of the government goes all the way to the point of legitimately executing criminals. Now there's lots of debate in our world about this, but God has made it clear. He's telling us here the truth, that it is actually right for rulers to execute criminals, because government has a divine obligation to do so. Let's go back to the Old Testament, Exodus chapter 17, for we'll see that an army also has the right to defeat its enemies. Exodus 17, beginning in verse 8, says, then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

Rephidim is in Sinai. Israel was on the way to Mount Sinai and there this enemy attacked. How did Moses respond? Verse 9 tells us, he instructs Joshua, choose out men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. Fight with him, Joshua, because it is right for a nation to defend itself, even if that means destroying the enemy.

Furthermore, as he says, Joshua, you be in the valley below, I'll be on the mountaintop. That's not because Moses was afraid, but because Moses also knew that God had an interest in the battle that was about to take place. And you know this story, that as Moses lifted his hands, as long as he could hold his hands up, and that was an emblem of dependence on God, interceding for the army fighting in the valley below. As long as he did so, God, acknowledging that sense of dependence, gave Joshua and the Israelite soldiers the victory.

The story also tells us Moses hands were heavy so he had somebody else lift his hands and hold them up to help him to do this assistance in expressing dependence on God. And by God's grace, they were able to destroy the army of Amalek. An army can defeat its enemies. Defending our country is essential, and this would include both self-defense and removal of an imminent threat. That also means that serving our country is honorable.

We thank God for our military personnel. Recently two Phoenix police officers were in vehicle pursuit of an armed subject wanted on a felony warrant. They began that pursuit at about 3 20 p.m. that afternoon. The suspect, realizing that he was being followed, immediately increased his speed, collided with some other vehicles, got out of his vehicle and began to run, went around the corner of a building, hid among some cars in a parking lot. These two officers got out of their car, chased the suspect into that parking lot, and immediately the suspect started shooting at them. In the ensuing firefight, the suspect was shot and killed. Later that day, the police chief in a public news conference explained that one of the officers had also died a few hours later in the hospital, and that the other one was still fighting for his life.

Choking with emotion, he called it a tragic and violent day for the people of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department. A police spokesman said this. These particular detectives are some of the best that we have. Their job is to arrest individuals who are wanted for violent crimes.

It is an inherently dangerous job. Now, does every policeman do his job well? Does every soldier fulfill his duty honorably?

No, there are exceptions. To recognize that God has ordained the opportunity for us to defend ourselves and that we have individuals who have volunteered to be on those front lines, recognizing the danger of what they do. So God's people need to support our public defenders. Are there any other specific ways the sixth commandment should impact our lives today? Well, we're in Exodus. Let's look at one more passage in Exodus, this time in Exodus 21. So we'll see that the sixth commandment has two applications.

First one is the most obvious. In Exodus 21 verse 12, God says, he that smiteth a man so that he die shall be surely put to death. Murder is a direct violation of the sixth commandment. And God has ordained that the response to that be capital punishment.

That's an explicit command. But we need to ask God to sharpen our conscience about other direct violations of that command, such as abortion. I've referred to already. For all of the arguments we hear in favor of abortion, the reality is no person has the right to end the life of somebody else. Even if that person is currently residing in her own body, doesn't matter where that person is, that person is still the image of God. This would also confirm for us another debated issue, and that is what about infirm people? What about people that are extremely elderly and unable to function? What about those that are so extremely ill that their quality of life is very poor? We hear arguments that that would be merciful, that would be kind. The reality is that would be a violation of the sixth commandment. We don't have that right.

What we do have is the grace of God, that God promises is sufficient to withstand any trial. Another example, though, would be suicide. Somebody might protest, but it's my life. Can't I take my own life? It's not your life. It's God's life.

God made you in His image, and He is the only one that can decide when it is time to end that life. Suicide is a direct violation of the sixth commandment. Now, the passage goes on the next few verses to indicate there is one exclusion to this, and that is in the case of involuntary manslaughter. So we acknowledge that if somebody wasn't intending to kill somebody and it just happened, that that doesn't require capital punishment. But even then, God designated in the Israelite economy cities of refuge, and the individual who was guilty of involuntary manslaughter had to go to that city away from where he lived, and he had to live there until the current high priest died.

That was very restrictive. That was really unsettling for his way of life. It tells us that he maybe could have been a little more careful, and a human life was lost, and that's important to God. We have one passage left that we need to consult, though, because besides a direct violation of an explicit command, Christ Himself tells us in Matthew chapter 5 that anger is an implied violation. Matthew chapter 5, to follow Christ's reasoning here, in verse 21, He says, you have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill.

That's a little peculiar. Why did He introduce it that way? You've heard that it was said, when in fact, He goes on to quote the very thing that God has said. This is our sixth commandment.

But He introduces it as you have heard it said, because what people were teaching about this commandment is that as long as you stop short of taking a life, you're good with the sixth commandment. What Christ goes on to say is no, that is not all that God meant when He said thou shalt not kill. So Christ corrects that thinking, and He says in verse 22, but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, scripture elsewhere makes it clear that the only acceptable cause for anger is when God's honor is at stake. Not our honor.

Certainly not our personal preference or pleasure. So whoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say to his brother, Rocca, shall be in danger of the council. But whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire.

That last one is describing Gehenna, the lake of fire. What does anger toward other people deserve in God's perspective? Nothing less than eternal, eternity in hell.

That seems kind of harsh, doesn't it? We thought that as long as we don't murder somebody, everything's okay. Christ says, no, you've made a mistake.

All you were paying attention to was that explicit command, but there is an implied prohibition here as well. And given the reality of the punishment that is due for those that are angry, Christ is really telling us here, this is an essential conclusion. If you don't get this conclusion, you are in violation of the sixth commandment just by being angry. And note here that the first instance of this that Christ describes, the person hasn't even said anything yet. He's just angry in his heart.

He hasn't called him a name. And he's already in line for God's judgment. Both the inward attitude of anger is sinful and the outward expression of anger is sinful. And the reason we know is because God said, thou shalt not kill. He's not equating murder with anger. He's saying when God prohibited murder, he also prohibited anger.

God does not want us angry with those that bear his image, even if we think our anger is justified. At a local shoe store, the only checkout lane grew long as the cashier was trying to correct an error. Finally, the transaction was complete, but the customer at the head of the line does continue to chat with the cashier. Finally, a man in the back of the line couldn't take it any longer and he blurted out, would you please move along so the rest of us can get on with our life? And the woman turned around and glared at him and she said, I'm not done with my business yet.

And I'll move along when I'm good and ready. From there, the conversation degenerated till finally the woman stormed out the door, calling back as she did so. What a jerk. Who was wrong in that episode? Okay, you'd be correct to conclude they both violated the sixth commandment according to Christ. But I think we can also speculate that perhaps everybody in line violated the sixth commandment that day as well, even if they didn't say anything. Could it be that God is that interested in us getting victory over anger?

The sixth commandment says so. The only right response to anger, confession, and repentance, and a request to God to help me do better at obeying the sixth command. Let's fall for prayer. Father, we are thankful for your word, thankful for an opportunity to come in line with your word today. Father, we ask for your forgiveness for not having a view of human life that matches yours. We ask, Father, for your grace to see the multitude of situations going on in the world around us, going on in our own lives, in which we also are in danger of violating your command. We ask for forgiveness. We ask for grace to change. In Jesus' name, amen.