The Sixth Commandment

Thou shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)



Murder is the unlawful taking of a human life. 


We see murder first introduced in Genesis 4:8 where Cain murder his brother Abel.


 The primary reason God hates murder is that out of all creation, only human are made in the image of God  (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:4-6).


The Torah speaks to the issue of premeditated murder both in Exodus and in Deuteronomy. 
 if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die (Exodus 21:14).
But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities (Deuteronomy 19:11).


In Hebrew through the verb "harag." However, the verb that appears in the Torah's prohibition is a completely different one, "ratsah" which, it would seem, should be rendered "murder." This root refers only to criminal acts of killing.

 "Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him treacherously, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. Whoever steals a man, whether he sells him or is found in possession of him, shall be put to death. Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death" (Exodus 21:12-17).          

                                

"Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:15).

Wow so murder is not just  intentional or premeditated performed by physical violence toward another, but in fact we can murder with our tongue with the words that we can say to one another, for our mouths have the ability to give life or take it.

Now I'm pretty sure that most of you, have not taken a weapon in your hand with the intent to murdering another.  Yet many of us are guilty of  having used our tongue as weapon to destroy another.  Each day in a high school here in America  teenage kids are being slain by the harsh words of others.  Let us be like Christ, to bring healing, joy and peace and life to all that we come into contact with. Otherwise how can we introduce them to Christ? Unless we first show Him to the world.