Devotionals
The Basics of Social Order
This is the sixth Commandment. Scholars have argued on what this verse means. We will not concern ourselves with such dialectics. Suffice it to say that killing is from the Hebrew, ”ratsach”, which means to dash in pieces or to murder. It is to cause the death of another or end the life of someone or something. Mention of killings in war appears not to be covered by the phrase, especially if it is in a ”just” war. God created man in his image. So murder is an affront to Gods creation. In the New Testament, Christ expanded this verse to include hateful feelings: ” Anyone who hates a brother or Sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him”.(1John3:15 ). The other complication is in manslaughter, where a killing is done accidentally. Here, refuge cities were created for such people(Deut.19:4-6). That is grace in action. The discourse will continue, but we have enough values from God to live by.