The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/deuteronomy/5.htm

First Commandment – Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Second Commandment – 8‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9you shall not bow[c] down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, [d]visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and [e]keep My commandments.

Third Commandment – 11‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him [f]guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Fourth Commandment – 12‘Observe the Sabbath day, to [g]keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Fifth Commandment – 16‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

Sixth Commandment – 17‘You shall not murder.

I started to write that this Commandment is misunderstood by many, but then I thought, “Silly fool…they’re all misunderstood”.

Many people take this Commandment to heart and think that it means we can’t “kill” anything. But there is a difference between the word “kill” and the word “murder”.

Merriam defines the word “kill”, as it applies here, as “to slaughter (an animal) for food” and “to deprive of life : cause the death of”. There are other definitions that apply in context to things such as “I killed the engine on the car” or “I killed those mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving”, but that is not in the context of this Commandment.

On the other hand, Merriam defines the word “murder”, as “”to kill (a person) unlawfully and unjustifiably with premeditated malice”.

Of the people that think God means not to kill anything, I ask, have you ever killed a fly, or a mosquito? Have you ever caused a family pet that was suffering from a terminal illness, to be euthanized? All those things mean “to kill”, as well.

But God didn’t oppose killing. What did they do to animals when they were sacrificed to atone for sin? Did Jesus allow those in Sodom and Gomorrah, who refused to repent, die from fire and brimstone. Did God allow those sinners who refused to repent die in the flood? Yes, God gave them chances. God always gives chances. Everyone who dies because of flagrant and intentional sin is given a chance to turn back to God and repent, and if not, God removes his hedge of protection and allows Satan to do with them what he wishes. And Satan wishes to kill each and every one of us so we become angry with God and turn against him.

But this Commandment does not say, “Thou shalt not kill”, as many interpret it, it actually says, “Thou shalt not murder”.

Even more, In God’s Commands, He outlines the difference. He specifically talks about accidental, unintended killings; that is why he create the cities of refuge. But He plainly outlined the punishment for murder.

Cain murdered, but God forgave him.

Moses murdered, but God forgave him.

We will see where David commits murder, and God forgives Him as well.

But is this Command limited to the physical act of murder? We will study later when Jesus says, and I’m paraphrasing, “If you’ve become angry with someone in your heart, you’ve committed murder”. Who hasn’t been angry before? I’m angry that Charlie Kirk, a godly man who was spreading the gospel, was killed for his beliefs. I’m angry that Stephen was stoned to death. Does that mean I’ve committed murder in my heart?

The Bible also says the punishment for someone who murders another is death. So if I’m angry in my heart with someone who has committed murder, am I justified?

I’m angry that millions of babies are murdered each year in the womb. If I’m angry with those murderers, am I justified?

Only God knows. God knows my heart, and he knows my anger isn’t one of malice, but of one that is about things that are not right. Beside, the Bible says no one sin is greater than another, and I’ve certainly committed sin other than murder, so I’m a sinner.

All I know for sure is that if you kill someone intentionally in anger or with malice, I’ve broken the Sixth Commandment.