Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20130428.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Deuteronomy: Moses' Great Appeal For Israel To Obey God For Blessing
Part IV: The General Call For Loyal Obedience, Deuteronomy 4:44-11:32
A. The Ten Commandments, Deuteronomy 4:44-5:21
6. The Sixth Commandment: Avoiding The Sin Of Murder
(Deuteronomy 5:17)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    The sixth commandment, Deuteronomy 5:17 KJV that asserts, "Thou shalt not kill," is one of the most debated phrases today:

    (1) On the one hand, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on NBC's "Meet the Press" last Sunday claimed "Surveillance video from the Boston Marathon attack shows one suspect . . . took the backpack off, put it down, did not react when the first explosion went off then moved away from the backpack in time for the second explosion. It's pretty clear about his involvement and pretty chilling, frankly.'" (Republican-American, April 22, 2013, p. 4a, AP "Video shows suspect planting bomb."

    The death that occurred when that bomb exploded violated Deuteronomy 5:17 -- everyone but jihadist terrorists would agree.

    (2) Yet, how to handle the surviving terrorist is greatly debated:

    (a) The Allen G. Breed and Steve Peoples story, "Brothers prepared for other attacks," Ibid., p. 1A, held, "The younger Tsarnaev could be charged . . . [with] the use of a weapon of mass destruction to kill people, which carries a possible death sentence."

    (b) However, some say Deuteronomy 5:17 KJV opposes such capital punishment, arguing, "Two wrongs don't make a right!"

    (c) The same Connecticut paper ran a lead story by Paul Hughes, "Ruling could spare killers," Ibid., noting, "Contract killer Eduardo Santiago . . . is asking the state Supreme Court to rule that he cannot be executed because the legislature and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy abolished capital punishment last year . . . If Santiago wins, his victory would spare the lives of any defendants accused of capital crimes that occurred before the law repealing capital punishment officially took effect on April 25, 2012." The story added that this "man's appeal could save 10 inmates on death row" from being executed.

    (3) Nevertheless, the debate on the sixth commandment only heightens when we consider the issues of abortion and war:

    (a) Some believe that abortion is murder, the act of taking human life, while others do not think the fetus is a human being while still others debate when abortion becomes wrong as they differ on the issue of exactly when human life begins in the womb.

    (b) Some say killing in war violates Deuteronomy 5:17.

    Accordingly, we ask, "What does the command, Thou shalt not kill' actually mean, and how are we to apply it today?!"

    Need: "What does God's Deuteronomy 5:17 command, Thou shalt not kill' actually mean, and how are we to apply it today?!"

  1. Moses' general Deuteronomy 4:44-11:32 call for loyal obedience to God in the suzerain treaty format of Deuteronomy repeats the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:6-21, and its CONTEXT reminds Israel of God's deliverance of her from Egypt's oppression (Deuteronomy 5:6), revealing WHY Israel should HEED the Lord.
  2. Thus, the SIXTH commandment not to "kill" (Deut. 5:17 KJV) was given to GUARD Israel from OPPRESSION for God's BLESSING:
    1. The sixth commandment must not outlaw all acts of the taking human life; otherwise, Israel would be left defenseless from unjust attackers opposite the context of the Ten Commandments that claims God gave these commands to guard Israel from oppression! (Deuteronomy 5:6)
    2. Studying the Hebrew verb behind the King James Version's word for "kill" in the sixth commandment in Deuteronomy 5:17 and Exodus 20:13, we note it is rasah, "what English Common Law has called, man slaughter,'" Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, vol. II, p. 860.
    3. Though rasah appears in Numbers 35:11 to describe "unpremeditated, accidental killings" (Ibid.), when it is used in the absolute, unqualified sense as in the passages containing the sixth commandment, it means "murder," B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 953-954.
    4. Indeed, noted scholar Gleason L. Archer, Jr. claims "the verb rasah is a specific term for murder, and is never used of executing a criminal or slaying an enemy in battle," Zon. Pic. Ency. Bib., v. One, p. 1032.
    5. Thus, the Bible's teaching on capital punishment, abortion and war is entirely consistent with the sixth commandment that prohibits the sin of murder , that is, the unlawful taking of human life (as follows):
      1. Capital punishment by due process under secular government as commanded by God in Genesis 9:6 and in Romans 13:1-4 for the Church era, is therefore not murder!
      2. However, abortion in any trimester IS murder, Exodus 21:22-23:
        1. Exodus 21:22-23 claims if a man injured a pregnant woman and she miscarried, if death followed, the man was to be executed.
        2. This directive must not address only the case of the mother's death, as if her fetus is not a human life, for murdering her was already prohibited back in the Exodus 20:13 commandment, and God is not a vainly redundant deity, cf. Exodus 20:7! Exodus 21:22-23 must then present a case that adds insight TO the Exodus 20:13 command, meaning that if EITHER the fetus OR the mother dies, a human being has died, so the one who caused it must be executed! (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 141)
      3. Taking human life in war is not murder, for God has established secular government, even the pagan Roman government that crucified Christ (Matt. 27:24-35), to be a "minister of God" to bear the "sword" to punish evildoers, Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-15!
    6. However, Jesus held that the "internal attitude behind the act" was murder, that hatred was murder, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 30:
      1. Matthew 5:21-22a records Christ's claim that though the sixth commandment forbade the physical unlawful taking of human life, He as the Son of God and Messiah (John 20:31) held that to harbor anger without just cause, the attitude of hatred, was also murder!
      2. In fact, Jesus added that expressing hatred by using disparaging words toward another indicates a lost heart, that such behavior is evidence that one is headed toward hell, Matthew 5:22b! (Ibid.)
      3. Yet, going even further, Jesus implied one can express hatred in a passive-aggressive way -- letting another hold a grudge against him so that God must punish him! Thus, it is necessary for one to try to clear up another party's grudge against him to be sure he himself was guiltless of passive-aggressive mental murder, Matt. 5:23-25!
      4. [2 Timothy 3:1-5 teaches a practical limit to applying Matthew 5:23-25: if one who has a grudge against us stays "irreconcilable" (v. 3 aspondos , Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 116), we must "turn ourselves away for our benefit" from him (apotrepho, Ibid., p. 99-100, middle voice [for one's benefit]). God does not want us to keep ourselves exposed to abuse!]
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ for salvation from sin (John 3:16) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9. (2) May we then rely on the Holy Spirit to love and not hate all men while holding to Scripture's directives on the just taking of human life. (3) May we try to reconcile with our foes to avoid being guilty of passive-aggressive hatred ourselves, but yet prohibit our exposure to those who remain irreconcilable to our efforts of reconciliation.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 Josh McDowell's book, A Ready Defense, 1991, p. 457-459 gives the testimony of a death row prisoner, Ernest Gaither, a 23-year-old African American who had been convicted of murder and imprisoned in an Illinois prison, awaiting execution for his crime.

He entered prison as an atheist, and when a woman whom he describes as being "of my own race -- Mrs. Flora Jones, of Olivet Baptist Church -- invited me to attend a prisoner's gospel service," he replied, "Why, I don't even believe there's a God."

Mrs. Jones replied, "Just try this little experiment. Before you go to sleep tonight ask Him to awaken you at any time; then ask Him to forgive you your sins."

Later that night, Ernest decided to try her experiment, and reports he mumbled, "God, wake me up at 2:45 if You're real."

It was winter and the windows he reported "on the inside were frosted. For the first few hours I slept soundly, then my sleep became restless. Finally, I was wide awake. I was warm and sweating, although the cell was cool . . . Then I heard footsteps outside my cell. It was a guard, making his regular check. As he was passing, I stopped him. What time is it?' I asked.

"He looked at his pocked watch. Fifteen to three.'"

Ernest claims he got out of his cot, sunk to his knees and asked God to be merciful to him, "an evil murderer and sinner. He saved me that night I know. I've believed on His Son Jesus ever since."

Ernest as a new Christian knew that the state of Illinois had to execute him for murder even though he knew God had forgiven him of that sin, for that is what the Bible taught. Accordingly, just before he was put to death, he had Pete Tanis, a prison-gate missionary from Chicago's Pacific Garden Mission read to him from Philippians 1 these words: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain . . . For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.'"

Later, Ernest Gaither was led to the execution room, and, as he walked down the hallway, he comforted his nervous guards! He went home to be with Christ that night at 12:15 a.m.

The unbiblical, hateful taking of human life is murder, but the lawful taking of human life in accord with Scripture pleases God. Just ask Ernest Gaither when you see him in heaven!