Probably one of the more familiar commandments that everyone is aware of is the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not murder” (Ex 20:13; Dt 5:17).
The reason for this is that many assume that murder is the worst sin that a person could commit.
Perhaps the idea of snuffing out the life of another person conflicts the conscience of most people simply because all people know they are created in God’s image and that murderously lashing out at a fellow human being is an indirect lashing out at God as well.
Ironically, those who engage in the premeditated act of murder are to have their lives taken, and has been a mandate handed down by God from the beginning.
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Gen 9:6).
God is the giver of life, and only God is worthy to take a life back.
This is not to say that the accidental killing of another human being or the government mandated execution of a murderer are on the same par with what is directed in the Sixth Commandment.
Numbers 35:9-ff. provide a catalogue of conditions and directions that were to be followed if an Israelite happened to accidentally kill a human being.
Cities of Refuge were provided where the “manslayer” could flee to prevent vigilante type action against him.
Moreover, later, rather than a family being allowed to exact vengeance upon a premeditated murderer, the civil government carried out that role for society’s “good” (Rom 13:1-5).
Murder, or the thoughtful planning out of the execution of another human being, is a serious offense against not only humanity, but against the very person of God himself.
It could include cunning and deceit, as in the case of when Cain murdered his brother Abel (Gen 4) or it could involve more violent means, such as using weapons made of iron, stone, or wood (Num 35).
Sometimes, murder could be achieved by using mere words, as was pointed out by Jesus when he taught:
You have heard that it was said of those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire (Mt 5:21-22).
So much for “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
According to Jesus, making malicious comments toward someone is equivalent with not only attempting to murder that person, but in some cases, murder actually takes place, simply because the words used affected the person being maligned to the point where further action results in his or her death.
Anti-bullying advocates know exactly what that means, most of them just do not want to give Jesus the credit for pointing it out first.
Nevertheless, whether or not a brick, a gun, or mean-spirited words are used to murder someone, God has made it perfectly clear that taking the life of another human being is totally off-limits, except for the conditions mentioned before.
Again, it is a curious thing that anyone would not want such a commandment posted in public, much less on school walls where so many young people are influenced to do just the opposite on a daily basis and in a variety of ways, whether it is from television, social media, or simply in gang activity.
To cry “foul,” for whatever reason, over posting such guidance is to actually encourage murder itself.
Then one has to wonder who ultimately is behind the rancor to prohibit posting the Ten Commandments, anywhere, since Jesus also made it clear that the devil “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (Jn 8:44).
Therefore, why would his followers be any different?
The answer is, they are not any different.
Which means the problem is not with posting the Sixth Commandment; it is with those who are the murderers and its accomplices who “scream bloody murder” over the insistence to be posted.
And that being the case, maybe they should be rounded up and put in prison before they commit an act of murder that they signaled in advance through their hostile and murderous protests.
