Ten Commandments Part Three

Commandments 6 and 7

Exodus 20:

13 Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

"Thou shalt not kill."

First, the translation here is poor. It should be, Thou shalt not commit murder. We kill things all the day long. Weeds, Trees, Mosquitoes, Ants, Animals for food, etc. What God is concerned about in this Commandment, is the taking of a Human life. In....

Genesis 9:

1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

So you see, God makes a very clear distinction between two things here. First, the killing of anything but man, is OK with God. He gave us all things to meet our needs. He also is the one that set up the Death Penalty. He who sheds man's blood, shall by man, his blood will be shed. That is how important God sees the life of human beings. Remember, in Genesis 1, God tells us this.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

We are made in the imagine of God. Our Mind, the thing that makes us, us. Our intelligence, will, emotions, desires, reasoning, ETC. fashioned after God the Father. Our flesh, after Jesus, the flesh of God. Then our Soul. What lives on when the flesh dies, after the Holy Spirit. Three, yet one.

Now remember, we all sin and come short of the glory of God. We were so evil that God sought to destroy us all and start over, until He found Noah faithful. He sets up this death penalty, this cost for innocent life, AFTER the flood. He, in essence, tells Noah, Hey, I'm not going to destroy Human life anymore, so YOU are not going to do it either. Pete's paraphrase of course.

There are four primary ways to end a human life.

Premeditated Murder
Justified Killings
Accidental Death
Abortion, Yes Abortion is the Murder of an innocent life.

In...

Psalm 139:

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Remember, God made us. He created us. He created YOU. You were fashioned per God's Will. You are, the way you are, for a reason. You are the most important thing on Earth to God. YOU are.

Premeditated Murder

In...

Numbers 35:

16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

Pretty clear cut here. If you murder someone intentionally, for the purpose of them dying, you are guilty of Murder, and God says, you should be put to death.

Accidental Death

22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

So God understands, stuff happens. He understand that you may place yourself in a position that you cause the death of another, unintentionally. By accident. So he set up the Trail by Jury system.

29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

Now when ever I teach this particular Commandment, someone is always curious, do I believe in the Death Penalty. Uh, YES. God set it up. However, do I believe in the Death Penalty in it's current form here in America? NO. There are way too many innocent people being put to death. We are seeing this now, more than ever, with all the advancements in DNA research. People who have been found guilty of Murder, and on death row for tens or more years, are being found innocent. We have gotten away from God's plan.

Videos, photos, and evidence, can be altered and doctored to appear to be something else. Circumstantial Evidence, once disallowed, is more and more being accepted as actual evidence. It is no longer who is right or wrong, but who can tell the better story. The Rich, CAN and DO get away with Murder. Our Justice System is broken. God said, by the mouth of more than one witness, one can be found guilty of Murder. That is also one of the main reasons for Commandment number nine, Thou Shalt not bear false witness. So in our current form? No. I do not agree with the Death Penalty. I say let God be the Judge. However, it is pretty clear where he stands on Murderers.

So what is this City of Refuge thing. Lets say you are driving down the road. A child, say 9 years old, darts out in front of you. You are doing everything right. Going the speed limit. Wearing your seat belt. Being observant. But the child runs right in front of your car. There is absolutely NOTHING you can do. You strike that child with your car, and you kill that child.

Now the police come, investigate, and find you innocent of any wrong doing. You are not even arrested for anything. There was nothing you could have done to prevent that death of the child. I can not even imagine that. You are indeed innocent. However, the family of that child, may not be forgiving towards you. They may indeed seek to kill you, even though it was an accident. So God set up cities, where someone in this type of situation, could go to escape the wrath of the family of the lost loved ones. If they killed you, would they be guilty of Murder? Of course. You are innocent. So they would be arrested and charged with Murder and would indeed be guilty and worthy of death themselves. That would not change the fact you are dead already.

So God, in His wisdom, set up places that you could go, free from this, some may even say understandable, wrath of the Mother and Father of the child you killed. So you would not be Murdered yourself. In today's world, you may have to take it upon yourself to move. I would. Far away from the family of the child I struck. Even though I would be guiltless.

God understand, and makes a very CLEAR distinction between Accidental Death and Murder. He also lets us know, that the taking of the life of a Murderer, IS a justifiable killing. 

Abortion.

Yes, Abortion IS the Murder of an innocent life. I understand some to do not want to accept that. I understand that we had a group of people in Black Robes, in the sixties, say that a woman can "chose" to Murder her child. That doesn't make it right. Just because something is legal in the country, doesn't mean it's OK. No one has the "right" to Murder an innocent child. No one.

God knows you, before you are you. You are YOU, because God said so. Remember the five steps of an Anointed Life? God foreknows you, sets up a destiny, a plan and purpose for you, calls you to accept it, justifies you, and then glorifies you.

We talked about this before. You are fashioned according to God' Will. Remember...

Psalm 139:

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

You are created the way God wants you to be. You have blue eyes, brown eyes, you are this tall, you are Right Handed, Left, you are the way you are, because God fashioned you that way for a reason. When does life begin? I say BEFORE conception. No doubt, at conception. You are a plan. Then conception happens, you become physical life.

Think about this. We are all born into sin. We all sin and fall sort of the Glory of God. Now picture that child that has not been born yet. It is Murdered before they get the chance to be born. They are completely sinless. They are PURE. Completely innocent. God takes this very seriously. In...

Exodus 21:

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

So accidental death of an unborn child is even punishable according to God. Of course, if the intent IS to harm the unborn, then one is guilty of Murder. Here is one of those passages that is constantly misunderstood. In many cases, is taught incorrectly.

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

God is talking about an unborn child here. God says that if men strive to hurt a woman with child, or does so with the intent to harm that child, they are guilty of the Murder of the most innocent of life. If they interfere with God's plan, then the price is simple. If God said, you will have two legs and two arms, and man interferes with that, causing the child to be born with only one arm, then the one that caused it, is required to give up theirs. That is how important that God sees the unborn. His greatest gift to us, save Salvation itself, is Children. Of course Abortion is Murder. The Murder of the most innocent of all life.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."

Again...

Genesis 2:

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Marriage is now, and has always been, one Man, and one Woman. Doesn't matter what we say about it. That IS God's plan of marriage. One Man and one Woman, for LIFE. In...

Proverbs 5:

1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Also in....

Proverbs 6:

20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.

27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

"But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul." When you find the one you love. Your soul mate. The one you love more than anything else on Earth. They are part of you. You are one. To go out and give yourself to another, in the most intimate way, that should be reserved for only your spouse, you are not just playing some kind of game. It's NOT just sex. It's not just fooling around. It is the deepest hurt you can possibly cause, to the one, you claim to love the most.

Is it just sex? How about if I told you, you do not even have to commit that actual act to be guilty of Adultery in God's eyes. In...

Matthew 5:

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

So what is Jesus saying here? Sin always starts in the heart, mind, then deeds. He is telling you that if you start looking at another, undressing them in your mind, or fantasizing about them, it's not harmless, normal, behavior. It is planting a seed to be harvested later. You have committed adultery already.

So what about Divorce? Is Divorce legal in the sight of God. Jesus tells us there is ONE reason, that Divorce would be recognized by God. Adultery. If you really want to get technical, there are three ways Divorce is recognized in the Word. 

Death. Obviously.
Fornication. Adultery.
And then you have this....

1 Corinthians 7:

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

Now notice the first thing I want you to understand it THIS. "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord" Paul said this. Makes sense. I understand it. If you are the Child of God in your home, and even if your spouse doesn't believe, you cover them. They become "Clean" because of you. But if they leave, Paul tells us we should let them go. So that they do not corrupt the whole house.

Accept what you want when it comes to Divorce. Jesus said, Adultery? No problem. Anything else is sin. Regardless of what man says. 

Until next time, be blessed, and Jesus IS Lord!