Exodus 20:13
~17 min read
TRANSCRIPT
Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus 20:13: "Thou shalt not kill," which is also the title of our message. This is the sixth commandment, and it is one of the shortest of all the commandments. In English, it is only four words of all the Commandments. Most people will feel that they have obeyed the sixth commandment; obviously, they have not killed anyone. And if you were to ask which of the Ten Commandments is controversial, the answer is almost all of them. People who strongly object to the first commandment, which excludes all other gods; people would have different understanding about dishonouring the names of God. People would find it pointless in keeping the Sabbath, but everyone would agree with the sixth commandment because no one approves of murder.
When we hear of people being slain or children being killed, we all agree that it is a terrible thing. It is wrong. Every culture or government has some sort of prohibition against murder. Now, having said all this, it would be nice to congratulate ourselves that we have all kept the sixth commandment and then move on to the next commandment. But we cannot do that because when we study this commandment carefully and try to understand the full implication, we find that this commandment is still blatantly violated by many people today, including Christians. This is what we want to learn for today's message.
I. What Is Forbidden In The Sixth Commandment?
Firstly, let us consider what is forbidden in the sixth commandment. The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 69 asks, ‘What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?’ The answer is: ‘The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life and the life of our neighbour unjustly or whatsoever tendeth there unto.’ The basis of this answer is found in Genesis 9:6: “Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” The Bible is very clear that taking the life of another is forbidden, and there are three main reasons.
Firstly, God is the source of life. God gives life. He is the sustainer of life, and He alone has the authority and the right to determine when a life will end. When someone takes the life of himself or another, he robs the sovereignty of God over life and death.
Secondly, man is unique because he's created in the image of God. So when you attack a human being, you are attacking the one in whose image he is made. John Calvin said, ‘Our neighbour bears the image of God. To use him, abuse, or misuse him is to do violence to the person of God who images himself in every human soul.’
And thirdly, life is precious. God has given us life and breath so that you and I may live for His glory. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. So to take a life unlawfully is to rob God of His glory. So this commandment would include abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, or mercy killing or even committing suicide. Abortion is where a pregnancy is humanly terminated and infanticide is where an infant is allowed to die or actively killed because of birth defects. Very often, abortion and infanticide occur when parents want a perfect child. So when they perceive that the child is not perfect, they choose to kill it rather than to bring it into this world to face difficulties. Of course, there are occasions when the mother's life is in danger or something has gone wrong or all the other efforts to preserve the baby's life have failed. But we are talking about abortions where parents perceive the baby is going to have a lesser quality of life, perhaps because of disability, or it is deformed, or it is less than perfect. Or worse still, the gender of the baby is not the right choice. They want a baby boy, not a baby girl. God forbids.
Christians have always believed that an unborn baby in the womb is a person made in the image of God. But sadly, today in our society, people have been taught otherwise. There's much debate about abortion. Some people say as long as the baby still dwells in the womb, as long as the baby is not delivered yet, it can be considered for abortion. Quite some time ago, a renowned professor wrote a book stating that it is acceptable for parents to kill their severely disabled infants. He was talking about infants that are out of the womb. And this is what he said: ‘If they are going to have a lesser quality of life in this society, they would be better off if their parents just put an end to it. Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person.’ This professor went on to say, ‘Sometimes it is not wrong to kill at all.’ And listen carefully to what he said: ‘Children less than one month have no human consciousness and do not have the same rights as others.’
I was horrified when I read what he wrote. And I wonder how he knew that children under one month old have no human consciousness. As parents, when our children were born, they opened their eyes and they tried to recognise the surrounding and especially their parents. When we played with their little fingers, they would try to hold onto ours, all because they wanted connection. If that is not human consciousness, then what is it?
Do you remember the story of John the Baptist in the Gospel of Luke 1:15? The Bible tells us that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit even when he was in his mother's womb. And in verse 41, when Mary, the mother of Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist, the baby rejoiced by leaping in the mother's womb. That is human consciousness.
By the way, the professor that I mentioned a moment ago is a lecturer in the Monash University of Melbourne. Can you imagine our children being influenced by this kind of secular teachings? As parents, it is our duty to ground our children in the word of God, as Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the way he should go:” - so there is a way the child should go - “and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Today, there are protests all over the world and on the internet from those people who call themselves pro-choice. They argue that everyone has a right and a woman has the right to choose what she wants to do with her body. I find it difficult to comprehend how a woman can choose to live with a man and she can choose to risk pregnancy and then she can choose not to face the consequences of those choices.
Consider yourself: you choose to drink and drive, let's say, and because you are drunk, you killed a family in a car crash. Does it make sense that you can argue since I did not intend to kill anyone and therefore I don't have to face the consequences? That would be foolish. Those people who call themselves pro-choice, in reality, they are pro-death. Yes, they are making a choice, and what they are choosing is not life but death for the individual who has life.
The baby is the most helpless of all human beings. It cannot defend itself. It should be protected, not killed. You and I are not free to eliminate the life of another simply because it is more convenient for our lives. Abortion and infanticide are forbidden in the sixth commandment.
What about euthanasia or mercy killing? It is sometimes known as doctor assisted suicide. It is the act of painlessly killing those who are old, severely sick, or disabled to reduce their suffering. So you look at those people and say, ‘It is better to pull the plug. It is better to give them an injection because they are not having the quality of life that they ought to have.’ The argument is made on the basis that when a person's quality of life is no longer good, then they should be helped to die if that is what they wish. And often times, the request for euthanasia comes from the family rather than the patient himself because the situation seems hopeless - no more cure. On one hand, there is the high cost of healthcare, on the other hand, they do not want it to be a burden for the family, so they choose to kill rather than to prolong the life. Mercy killing may sound noble and good, but it is truly an abomination unto the Lord.
The question we need to ask is: Who is the one who determined the quality of life? God says all life is precious. Are we going to argue with Him? Who defines that a life is no longer worth living? Who makes the decision as to when a person ought to live and when a person ought to die? The doctor, the family member, or the government official? Only God alone has the authority and the right to determine the length of our days on this Earth.
But what about those people who are on life support machines? Today, we have the medical capacity to keep a body functioning or provide extraordinary artificial life support even after all the organs have failed. There is a difference between terminating life and terminating treatment. Sometimes terminating treatment is a way of turning to God and trusting that life into God's hand. But we have to be very careful and prayerful so that we will not cross the line because sometimes people may not know the difference and they have crossed the line that should never be crossed.
Let me share with you the testimony of a Christian sister who was in such a situation some years ago. Doctors said that she was no longer conscious, no more cure, and they asked the family to consider terminating treatment, which means immediate death for her. The family had to make a very difficult decision: to follow the advice of the doctor or to fight for the mother's right to live. The children decided that the mother ought to be given a chance to live as long as God would allow it, so they fought for her. I was very touched by the children's love for their mother. But one thing struck me: it was about a week after that decision was made, God took her home. God is all-knowing; He knows all the decisions we make, every single one of them. Can you imagine if the children had decided otherwise? What if the children had decided to terminate treatment for their mother? They would have to live with that decision all the days of their lives, and their conscience would weigh heavily down on them. God knows, and He allows them to make the right decision and then took the mother home so that they would not be weighed down by this guilty conscience. That is why we must be very careful as well as prayerful when it comes to making difficult decisions.
What about committing suicide? Life is tough; all of us would agree. We have encountered different trials and tribulations. Sometimes it seems that it would be a lot easier if we could just end everything. That is why people contemplate suicide. But remember, man is not the lord and master of his own life; God is the one who determines the moment of death, and man must accept it only when it comes. Though we sympathise with those people who attempt suicide due to psychological reasons, depression, or for whatever reasons unknown, we sympathise with them, but it cannot justify the solution that they have chosen to deal with their problems. When you and I face the trials of life, we must run to Jesus. We must tell our problems to Him. We go to Him for He is our refuge and hope, not suicide. Please do not ever contemplate suicide. We are not the master and lord of our own lives; God is. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill."
But what about capital punishment, soldiers fighting in the battlefield, or even killing the animals? It is interesting to note that here the Hebrew word for kill is never used in the legal system or in the military or in hunting and killing of animals. There are other Hebrew words for those kinds of killings. In other words, the phrase "Thou shalt not kill" does not simply forbid killing but it forbids the unlawful killing of a human being, murder, or premeditated taking of an innocent life. So it cannot be applied to capital punishment or soldiers fighting in the battlefield or hunting and killing of animals. It is always wrong to take the law into our own hands. If justice is to be done, it is to be justly administered by the governing authorities. So when a judge sentences an offender to death, it is not murder; it is justice. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:4, “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” The execution of a murderer stops him from killing again, and it deters other criminals from doing the same thing. So the ultimate purpose, the ultimate goal, is not the destruction of life but the preservation of life. In the case of war, it is the same principle but on a larger scale. The purpose of having an army is not to kill people, but it is to preserve a country's safety. It is also for the preservation of life.
II. What Is Required In The Sixth Commandment?
Let us move on to our second Point. What is required in the sixth commandment? The Westminster Shorter Catechism question 68 asked: What is required in the sixth commandment? The answer is: The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavours to preserve our life and the life of others. So, the sixth commandment not only forbids the taking away of a life unlawfully but it requires us to preserve the sanctity of human life.
Perhaps the best biblical example of preserving the sanctity of human life is illustrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when He spoke about the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke chapter 10. I think all of us are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan. Remember there was a man who was robbed by thieves, and he was left to die on the streets. If nothing was done, the man would die. But the thieves were not the only ones who violated the sixth commandment on that day. There were two respected religious leaders who also broke the sixth commandment not by killing but by leaving the man to die. The priest and the Levite saw that the man had desperate need, and yet they pretended not to notice. They looked the other way. Maybe they were late for worship, or maybe they did not want to inconvenience themselves. But whatever be the reasons, they made a deliberate decision to avoid a man, and then they walked on the other side of the road.
It was most shocking for religious leaders to behave like that. Today we may call these people pastors, ministers, elders, or deacons. In a sense, the worst thing that had happened to the victim on that day was not just being robbed but being rejected by his own spiritual leaders. They were too busy or they couldn't care less to save his life. Martin Luther said, ‘What this story shows is that sometimes all it takes to break the sixth commandment is to do nothing at all.’ So, the sixth commandment is violated not only when a person actually does evil but also when he fails to do good to his neighbour.
You and I are required to preserve life. We are called to be like the hero of the story of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan took time to see what the man needed. When he saw the need, he was filled with compassion. He got involved and invested his own valuable time and money, and he made sure that the man would be taken care of and would be restored. But what is more remarkable about this Samaritan is that he did all these for someone outside his own group. In those days, the Jews did not associate with the Samaritans; they despised the Samaritans. Yet, this Good Samaritan treated this Jew the same way he would treat his friend.
Do you realise that this story was told because Jesus wanted to illustrate the true intent of the Ten Commandments? Because in the preceding verses, Jesus said, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." And then a certain lawyer tried to justify himself, and he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" So in response to his question, Jesus told this story. And just like many of the stories Jesus told, He always used the stories to provoke the heart. So Jesus, when He finished the story, He said, ‘Which one of these three was a neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?’ And the lawyer said, ‘He that showed mercy on him.’ Then said Jesus unto him, ‘Go and do thou likewise.’ In other words, go and be the Good Samaritan and love thy neighbour as thyself.
Keeping the sixth commandment means more than just not murdering someone. It means loving our neighbour. It means showing kindness to strangers and mercy to our enemies. Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is not how many people have we murdered. Obviously, we have not killed anyone. But what about those people who are in need, whether emotionally, spiritually, or physically, or financially? What about those strangers who stroll into our lives and need our help, and then we pretend like we do not see them and walk the other way? We sing the hymn "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour," but how many people who are in desperate need have we passed by? One day you and I would have to stand before the Almighty God. Some will be reckoned as the priests or the Levite. Praise be to God if we are reckoned as the Good Samaritan.
Up to this point, most of us may think that we have obeyed the sixth commandment. We have not killed anyone physically. We may have helped others who are in desperate need. But let us consider the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:21-22. Allow me to read for you Matthew 5:21: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” So instead of being one of the easiest commandments to keep, "Thou shalt not kill" is actually one of the hardest because we may not have killed anyone by our actions physically, but we have killed them oftentimes with our words and even in our thoughts.
A boy once asked his father, ‘How did war begin?’ His dad replied, ‘Well, take the first World War; it started when Germany invaded Belgium.’ Immediately, the wife interrupted him and said, ‘Tell the boy the truth; it started because someone murdered someone else.’ The husband felt his authority was undermined. He got angry and shouted back, ‘Keep quiet, you fool! Am I telling the story or you?’ The wife was offended, and she screamed back, ‘You are the bigger fool!’ And she marched out of the room, slammed the door. There was an uneasy silence that followed. Finally, the boy said, ‘Daddy, you don't have to tell me anymore how War started. Now I know it begins in the heart.’
Do you realise that when you are envious of someone, it is not simply desiring to have what he has but having the desire to have it taken away from him so that he can be hurt in the process. When you hate someone, it is not just a grudge but having the desire to get back at the person. It is really a way of wishing he was dead. That is the reason why 1 John 3:15 says, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.” Are you not a murderer? Have you ever said anything hurtful to anyone? Have you ever hated someone so much that you wish the person would disappear? Do you have an enemy whom you are out to get? Do you want to get back at someone to make the person pay for what he or she has done?
John Calvin said this is the murder of the heart. We are all murderers in the eyes of God. We are all guilty of the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," at some point in our lives. And just like all the other Commandments, if we are found guilty, it will be eternal hell. None of us can keep the laws of God perfectly, including the sixth commandment. Only Jesus Christ has kept all the laws of God perfectly on our behalf. And when Jesus died on the cross, he forgave the murderers as well as for others as well. Remember he said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Apostle Peter preached in Jerusalem to the very people who had crucified Jesus Christ. Of all the sins, Peter specially accused them of murder, killing the one who came to be their Saviour. When they realised what they had done, they desperately wanted to know what they could do to save themselves. That was when Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.’
Dear friend, if you think that you have always obeyed the sixth commandment, think again. If you believe that you have broken the sixth commandment; you are always prone to get angry, you have always had these murderous thoughts in your mind - there's murder in your heart. If you have killed someone in your word, thought, or even you have committed the sin of abortion, infanticide, or euthanasia, and you think that I am finished, there's hope for you because Jesus came for you. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He will provide the forgiveness of sins. Jesus said, ‘Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’
Let us look to the Lord in prayer. Our Father in heaven, indeed this is one of the Commandments that many people would feel that they have obeyed, but when we study this commandment carefully and try to understand the full implication, we find that this commandment is still blatantly violated by many, including ourselves. Though we may not have committed the act of killing someone physically, but surely Thou knoweth we have done so in our hearts, and this is the murder of the heart. But praise be to God, just as we have violated all the other Commandments, our Lord Jesus is able to provide the forgiveness of sins, including the sixth commandment. Some of us may even have committed the sins of physically killing someone. It could be abortion; it could also be euthanasia because we have made certain decisions in regards to our elderly parents or even grandparents. There's hope for us because of our Lord Jesus Christ. We repent and we turn to Him, the one who died on the cross, shedding His precious blood and rose again from the dead on the third day. He is able to provide the forgiveness of sins. For those who are still lingering outside Thy kingdom, oh Lord, convict their hearts of their sins, for we have violated all Thy commandments so many times. But Thou are able to save. Convict their hearts so that they would turn to Jesus Christ and believe in Him and have salvation. Oh Lord, be merciful, be gracious. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodThe Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodExodus 22:25-31
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
Let Your Light So Shine Before MenLet Your Light So Shine Before MenExodus 25:31-40
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
