To help preserve society and
because people are made in God’s image, the Israelites were commanded not to
take another person’s life by murder.[1]
2. Deuteronomy 5:17, You shall not murder.
Murder means to take someone’s life illegally. Since man was
created by God and in His image, man should not take another human’s
life apart from divine permission. (This commandment, therefore, did not
prohibit capital punishment or engaging in war, both of which were regulated by
laws in the Torah.)[2]
3. Capital Punishment: Genesis 9:6, And for your lifeblood I will
surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And
from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.
6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed;
for in the image of God has God made man. [3]
After the flood, with Noah’s
new beginning came a covenant. It was necessary now to have a covenant with
obligations for mankind and a promise from God. Because of the Flood’s
destruction of life, people might begin to think that God holds life cheap and
assume that taking life is a small matter. This covenant shows that life is
sacred and that man is not to destroy man, who is made in the
image of God.
In essence, then, this
covenant was established to ensure the stability of nature. It helped guarantee
the order of the world. People would also learn that human law was necessary
for the stability of life and that wickedness should not go unchecked as it had
before. So human government was brought in.[4]
To kill a person is to kill
one made in God’s image. Because all
human beings are made in God’s image, all people possess the qualities that
distinguish them from animals; morality, reason, creativity, and
self-worth. When we interact with
others, we are interacting with beings made by God, beings to whom God offers
eternal life. God wants us to recognize
his image in all people.
4. Trails for Murder: Joshua 20:1-7 & 9, Then the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. 4 “When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. 5 If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6 He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled.” 9 Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly. [5]
A
clear distinction is made in the Old Testament between premeditated murder and
accidental manslaughter. In the case of murder the nearest kinsman became the
avenger of blood, killing the guilty party. But if a person killed
another accidentally he was provided a place of asylum in one of six cities
of refuge. However, he had to hurry to the nearest shelter without delay.
According to Jewish tradition the roads leading to these cities were kept in
excellent condition and the crossroads were well marked with signposts reading,
”Refuge! Refuge!“ Runners were also stationed along the way to guide the
fugitives.
Having
arrived at the gate of a refuge city, the manslayer was to present his
case to the elders of that city who formed an ancient court of law.
A provisional decision would then be made to grant him asylum till a trial could
be held in the presence of the assembly. If acquitted of premeditated
murder he was returned to the city of refuge where he lived till the high
priest died, after which the manslayer was free to return to his home.
That could be many years later. Involuntary manslaughter was therefore
something to be carefully avoided. Many have puzzled over the meaning of the
high priest’s death in relation to the change in the status of the
manslayer. The best explanation may be that the change in priestly
administration served as a statute of limitations ending the fugitive’s exile
in the city of refuge.[6]
5. Ten Commandments Remains
Four men held up a grocery store in
Louisville, Kentucky, and in the process shot and killed two policemen. When
the men were brought to trial, their lawyer noticed a copy of the Ten
Commandments on the wall near the jury box.
“Judge Hayes,” said the attorney, “that framed
reproduction of the Commandments is detrimental to this trial. I request that
it be removed lest it adversely influence this jury.” Some people present
observed that among the Commandments were these: “Thou shalt not steal”; “Thou
shalt not kill.”
The judge said he did not believe the document
would prejudice the trial and refused to have the Decalogue removed from the
courtroom.
The Commandments remained in the courtroom.[7]
6. War and Justice: Psalm 82:3-4, Defend the cause of the weak
and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4 Rescue
the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. [8]
Proverbs 21:15-16, When
justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. 16 A man who strays from the path
of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead. [9]
War is not always evil. The protection of those that can’t protect
themselves is our duty.
7. What Does Jesus Say? Matthew 5:22, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. [10]
Jesus’ first illustration
pertained to an important commandment, Do not murder. The Pharisees
taught that murder consists of taking someone’s life. But the Lord said the
commandment extended not only to the act itself but also to the internal
attitude behind the act. Of course, murder is wrong, but the anger prompting
the act is also as wrong as plunging in a knife. Furthermore, becoming angry
and assuming a position of superiority over another by calling him a
derogatory name demonstrates sinfulness of the heart. A person with such a
sinful heart obviously is a sinner and therefore is headed for hell.[11]
Killing is a terrible sin,
but anger is a great sin, too, because it also violates God’s command to
love. Anger in this case refers to a
seething, brooding bitterness against someone.
It is a dangerous emotion that always threatens to leap out of control,
leading to violence, emotional hurt, increased mental stress, and spiritual
damage. Anger keeps us from developing a
spirit pleasing to God.
When Jesus said, “But I say,”
he was not doing away with the law or adding his own beliefs. Rather, he was giving a fuller understanding
of why God made that law in the first place.
For example, Moses said, “Do not murder,” Jesus taught that we should
not even become angry enough to murder, for then we have already committed
murder in our heart. The Pharisees read
this law and not having literally murdered anyone, felt that they had obeyed
it. Yet they were angry enough with
Jesus that they would soon plot his death, though they would not do the work
themselves. We miss the intent of God’s
Word when we read his rules for living without trying to understand why he made
them.
8. Angry Judge Frees Hatted Man
Judge John A. Weeks spotted a man sitting in
the rear of his Minneapolis courtroom wearing a hat. Disturbed by this
disregard for courtroom decorum, he ordered the man to leave.
Then the clerk called for the burglary case of
George A. Rogde, who had been freed on bond. Rogde didn’t come forward.
“Your honor,” said the prosecuting attorney, “that
is the man you ordered from the courtroom.”
Police are still looking for Rogde.
—Minneapolis Tribune[12]
9. Hate:
1 John 3:15, Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know
that no murderer has eternal life in him. [13]
John echoes Jesus’ teaching
that whoever hates another person is a murder at heart. Christianity is a religion of the heart;
outward compliance alone is not enough.
Bitterness against someone who has wronged you is an evil cancer within
you and will eventually destroy you.
Hatred keeps you from growing closer to God and from helping others to
do the same.
10. The Devil’s Lane
Two of our neighbors had a falling-out over
the boundary line fence between their farms. Feelings became so intense that
each built his own fence. These fences were built about four feet apart. Not
only were they added expenses, but neither of the neighbors had the use of the
four-foot strip of land—it rightfully belonged to neither of them. For lack of
a better name, this four-foot strip was called “The Devil’s Lane.” I guess it
was rightly named because Old Beelzebub did take control of it. At least he
controlled the men involved.
—Carl C. Williams[14]
11. Victim Had Died Beforehand
An aged physician was found dead in his bed
with finger marks around his throat and a knife wound in his chest; his house
had been plundered. Soon after, an upholsterer in a neighboring town was
arrested with some of the stolen property in his possession. He made a full
confession, telling how he had killed the aged physician in his sleep.
The case seemed perfectly clear, but at the
trial, the doctors who made the autopsy testified that the physician died that
night of apoplexy and must have been dead for some time before the burglar
broke into the house.
Therefore, in spite of his murderous intention
and attempt, the burglar could be punished only for burglary.
—J. H. Bomberger[15]
12. Booker T. Washington once said, “I am
determined to permit no man to narrow or degrade my soul by making me hate him.”[16]
[1] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures.
Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[2] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures.
Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[4] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures.
Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[6] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An
exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[7] Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes,
facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible
Communications: Garland TX
[11] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary
[12] Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes,
facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible
Communications: Garland TX
[14] Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes,
facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible
Communications: Garland TX
[15] Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes,
facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible
Communications: Garland TX
[16] Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes,
facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible
Communications: Garland TX
