The Sixth Word

Deuteronomy 5:17 You shall not murder.

This is a very short commandment. In the Greek and the Hebrew it only amounts to two words. On the surface it seems like something that you could keep pretty easily. This commandment is specifically against illegal killing. The executioner and the judge don't stand guilty of this commandment when they rightly put a criminal to death. The soldier doesn't stand guilty of this commandment when he kills the enemy in war.

Those who wage unjust wars do violate this commandment. Abortion kills more people each year than have been killed in any war. Many don't realize it, but birth-control pills cause an unknown number of abortions. Despite the church-world's relatively recent acceptance of birth control, most in the church see nothing wrong with birth control in any form.

Perhaps you have read this far and concluded that your are completely innocent of committing murder. In Matthew 5 Jesus says that anyone who is angry at his brother without a cause is guilty of breaking this commandment and worthy of God's judgment. If you call your brother something like "numskull" or "fool" then you are worthy of the fires of hell. Driving on the highway could lead you to the fires of hell. Jesus goes to the heart of the matter and shows how your very thoughts are what make you guilty of murder and worthy of hell. In fact, failure to help your brother and failure to promote your brother's welfare makes you guilty of murder.

The ultimate act of murder was committed against the Lamb on the Altar. The Lamb was completely innocent. But the civil government and the church joined together to murder Him. They murdered Him because their heart's desire was to murder God--and they did. But don't fool yourself by thinking "those stupid Jews" or "that weak Pontius Pilate." Ultimately it was your sin that murdered the Lamb on the Altar. It was your hatred against God. It was your desire to kill God that murdered the Lamb on the Altar.

The Lamb suffered the punishment for your murder by being murdered by you, so that you would be declared innocent at the judgment.