We’ve been studying
the 10 Commandments, and this week it’s #6 - "Do not murder." Ex. 20
There’s
not much commentary available on this. It’s a God-thing, one of those things
that everyone already knows. Even if there were no Ten Commandments, we would
know that we shouldn’t murder, we shouldn’t steal, and we should stay away from
our neighbor’s spouse. Paul says that God has written these things on our
hearts.
Some
older Bible versions read, “Thou shalt not kill,” while most of our modern translations
refer to the prohibition as “murder.” There’s a huge difference between the
two words, which we can sort out by understanding the character of God.
We have
been commanded to “love our neighbors” so much that we would give our lives for
them. That’s what Jesus did for us. Sometimes we may have to defend our neighbors,
our families, our property, or ourselves, or we may find our country at war.
Unfortunately, these scenarios may involve killing. God’s people need to
protect themselves, and while I don’t believe God ever really likes killing, he has called us to mount an appropriate response to
whatever sort of evil is coming our way.
What is
prohibited in this commandment is the capital crime, maliciously taking the
life of another. Murder is what is prohibited.
Next
week: Family Values – God’s Master-plan.
Norton Lawellin
We’ll worship this Sunday, March 3, 10:30am, Jesus in the City
Fellowship (JICF), in the North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th
Street & Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis. Jesus lights a lamp, calms a storm, and describes
his true family as we continue in Luke Ch. 8.
NL
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