The Ten Commandments: #5

Hey folks! As we begin our journey through Lent, our kids are transitioning into a series of lessons about the Ten Commandents.

The Ten Commandments and the moral vision they espouse form the foundation of Christian moral teaching. With a little consideration one can see this everywhere, from the way we think about worship, to the way we think about the value of human life, humility, jealousy, and so on.

Read our introduction to the Ten Commandments (along with a bit about the first commandment) here.

This week, we’re looking at the fifth commandment, “Thou shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13).

This commandment is one of the most famous, perhaps because it is easy to remember! Murder is, in general, universally regarded as an evil across human culture. Nevertheless, there is a particularity to the Christian meaning of murder and the reason for its prohibition. 

Note that the command is not, as is sometimes repeated, “thou shall not kill.” The Hebrew word in Exodus 20:13 is ratsach, which refers specifically to unlawful killing.

That is, killing that is, in some sense, unjustified and unsanctioned. Of course, prohibiting the unlawful version of something implies that there is, in fact, a potentially lawful or accidental version of that thing—in this case.

Thus the commandment is prohibiting murder, and not necessarily killing that occurs in, say, war, or as punishment for crime, or by accident (e.g., manslaughter). With respect to those actions, the commandment itself is silent.

Nevertheless, the Scriptures as a whole express two fundamental commitments that are also relevant with respect to the “Fifth Word” here. The first is the sanctity of life. Killing for the Old Testament people of God was strictly regulated and allowed only under certain conditions, conditions which were themselves relatively unique in Ancient Near Eastern culture.

Life—all life—is a holy and mysterious thing that is to be honored and respected.

The second Scriptural commitment that is related to, though not directly commented on by, the Fifth Commandment is the way they describe the nature of the human being. Humans are made in the image of God, thus to deface in any way unlawfully that image is to dishonor God.

This commitment is operative far beyond the question of murder: it is the basis for the Scriptural commitment to justice, fairness, and mercy. Therefore killing is not an option for Christians except in very specific circumstances.

We are, in the end, duty-bound to honor our neighbors, to offer ourselves to them, to serve them, or, in word, to love them. 

Scripture to consider:

• Exodus 20:13

• Luke 10:25-37

  
  

Question for your kids

• Why does God not want us to murder other people?

• What does it look like to love our neighbors? Who are the neighbors around us God is inviting us to love? (cf. Luke 10:25-37)

Peace,

Danny+