Commandment Number 6
My son brought up a valid point on the way to school this morning. Steadfast, born again Christians are renown for adhering to the literal word of the bible. The ten commandments are a foundation on which the fundamentalist Christian builds his house of faith. Yet one commandment, Thou Shalt Not Kill, is repeatedly ignored, overlooked, dismissed for some areas yet applied with a swift hand to others. The commandment does not have an appendix or amendments. It does not have fine print. Thou shalt not kill is it. Now, if I were to take this literally I would have to apply it to ALL living things – not just unborn babies and upstanding citizens. I would have to apply it to my enemy, perpetrators of crimes, minorities and ANIMALS. That’s right. It doesn’t say Thou Shalt Not Kill…people. It literally means you can’t kill anything living. The death penalty? Sorry! Breaking the commandment. Casualties of war? Oops. Broken commandment. Senseless slaughter of creatures of this planet? Busted commandment. God gave the creatures of this planet, all the creatures, entitlement to live in their environment unimpeded by outside forces. He applied this commandment to us because we have reason. Animals, especially carnivores, kill to live. God knew that, inevitably, we would end up trying to justify the imprisonment and slaughter of billions of animals. He put this reminder upon us in the hope that we would abide by it. Not just applying it to ourselves and each other, but to those in our care as well.
So. How we doin’?

Comments

Anonymous said…
"Thou shalt not kill." Exo.20:13
What does it mean? A proper understanding of the sixth commandment should come from the Bible & your pastor. The living Word invites investigation. Do not fall in the trap of relying on your own understanding. STUDY!!
[tools: Bible (NKJ, NAS, NIV); Dictionaries (Vine's, Unger, Nelson's); Concordance (Strong's, Young's); Atlases (MacMillan); Study Guides ("Living by the Book" by Howard Hendricks); Commentaries (Victor Books, Wierbe); Basic Bible doctrine ("Basic Theology" Charles Ryrie). Hope that helps!]

There are ten different words in the OT that are translated "kill." They have various meanings (i.e. to kill, to slay, to pierce through, to slaughter, to make die, to smite, to cut around, to strike deep so as to wound, to murder).
The verb used in Exo.20:13 (rasach) is used 49 times in the OT, and in every relevant use means "to murder." This terms occurs 36 times in the Pentateuch & Joshua and all are referring to murder and manslaughter. The term is used abstractly 2 times in Psa.42:19 and Ezk.21:22. The term is used 2 times quoting the command in Jer.7:9 and Hos.4:2. The remaining 9 times the term rasach is used are all references to murder.
The sixth commandment does not prohibit the killing of animals. The term rasach is never used of killing animals. The Mosaic Law also contained provisions for killing & sacrificing certain clean animals (Exo.29;32;Lev.3-13).
There is a general principle laid down before the law, applicable to all mankind, and unchanged by NT teaching found in Gen.9:3. Speaking of animals, God told Noah, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you." The Bible does not prohibit hunting & fishing. In fact, the Lord commanded Peter to kill and eat (four-footed animals, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air...Acts 11:7).
The sixth commandment does not prohibit killing enemies in battle (a war). The term rasach is never used of killing soldiers in a war. Since rasach is never used in the context of war, no one can legitimately condemn engaging in a war on the basis of the sixth command.
The sixth commandment does not prohibit capital punishment. Capital punishment is commanded by God in Gen.9:6. This principle is laid down before the law, applicable to all mankind, and unchanged by NT teaching. According to Gen.9:6, murder is to be punished by death. The reason for this command is that man was made in the image of God, and murder is an outrage against God and a violation of the sanctity of life.
5:12 PM
Penny Barrett Hornsby said…
Oh dear! Someone needs to get out a little more often. You can slice it and dice it up any way you want, darling, thou shalt not kill means exactly that. I don't care to complicate something that is so blissfully simple.
But there is always going to be a need for all of us on this earth, and the special gifts each of us has to offer. So rock on, research guy!
9:16 PM
Not relevant said…
Straight up! Thanks for superb clarification!
11:00 PM
Not relevant said…
Not "caring to complicate" is equivalent to zero research. I'm sure our Father has more in store for the "research guy" than educating those who don't care to complicate.
Just saying...
11:03 PM
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