Deuteronomy 5:17 - The Decalogue The Basis Of The Covenant, The Essence Of The Whole Law, And The Condition Of Life And

The sixth commandment. The religion of the temper.

If a preacher were to announce this as a text in one of our Christian congregations, some of his hearers might be disposed to say, "Such a text might be appropriate enough if the preacher were expounding the Word of God to Zulus, but for us civilized, not to say Christianized, people, it is out of place!" Obviously such a remark would be based on an acknowledged fact, that murder is one of those sins against God which are also a crime against human law, and that no one in a congregation of ordinary character would be likely to dream of committing it. That is so. But we are apt to forget that even among Christian congregations it was not always so. When Peter is writing to believers, he deems it needful to say, "Let none of you suffer as a murderer ," etc. And even now, in heathen lands, in many an audience of men just reclaimed from barbarism, it might be necessary for a missionary to preach from this text, adhering to it simply in the negative form, "Thou shalt not kill ." In endeavoring now to "open it up" for pulpit use, we would recall to the reader some elementary principles concerning the law already named.

1. That the Law was first given in infantine form. God laid down precepts rather than assigned reasons.

2. That the form in which the Divine Being could put the most effective guard around human life was by a stern and strong prohibition like this, proclaimed amid thunder and lightning, terror and flame.

3. That though the form of the precept is negative, yet it has a positive significance, of such depth and breadth that, even though we may shrink with horror from transgressing the former, it is by no means an elementary stage of Christian character which any one has reached if he attains to the latter. So far were the Jewish rabbis from catching the spirit of this command, that they dealt with it as if the negative prohibitions of the act of murder were the whole of its meaning. Our Lord, in his Sermon on the Mount, shows us how much deeper than this the precept goes (see Matthew 5:21-26 ). And the Apostle Paul, in Romans 13:9 , Romans 13:10 , indicates what positive virtue must be cultivated, the maintenance of which will make it impossible to transgress the sixth commandment. If we include in our Homily a notice of these later teachings, it may appear that, even with all our advances, there is something here for us to study, some holy practice for us yet to strive after, urged upon us by weighty reasons, which, though not presented in the world's childhood, are set in full force in "these last days." Let us, then—

I. LOOK AT THE MEANING OF THIS COMMAND . It is sixfold.

1. It forbids the taking of human life from passionate vindictiveness. The Hebrews had, as we have, two verbs with the distinctive meanings of "to kill" and "to murder." We see in the quotation in Matthew 19:18 , and from the reference in Matthew 5:21 , that the Savior regards the command as a prohibition of passionate lawlessness. But even had we not that light from Christ's teaching, the legislation of Moses himself would shut us up to the same conclusion. For in the administration of justice and in necessary war, the taking of life was commanded (see Numbers 15:35 ; Numbers 35:31 ; Exodus 21:12-14 ). So that, unless we regard the lawgiver as setting enactment against enactment, there is in this commandment a prohibition of passionate outbreaks, but neither of capital punishment nor necessary war.

2. It forbids any carelessness by which the life or zeal of our neighbor would be risked ( Exodus 21:28 , Exodus 21:29 ). Wherever human life is risked by insufficient precaution, there is a breach of the sixth commandment.

3. It forbids that anger which takes the form of a revengeful spirit. So Christ teaches. This precept strikes at the thoughts and intents of the heart. Every time a schoolboy angrily lifts a hand to hurt his school-fellow, he is breaking in spirit this commandment.

4. It forbids that indifference in our life to the power of example which would put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in a brother's way (see Matthew 18:1-3 ; Romans 14:5 ). If by careless living we "destroy" him for whom Christ died, we are breakers of this law.

5. It forbids dislike and hatred to our brother, and also a selfish isolation and neglect of him ( 1 John 2:9-11 ; 1 John 3:14 , 1 John 3:15 ). If we are merely pursuing our own ends in life, and are not caring whether our brother is saved or lost, this law condemns us. If we even refrain from helping our brother in difficulty or trial, we are guilty ( Proverbs 24:11 , Proverbs 24:12 ; Isaiah 58:6 , Isaiah 58:7 ). We may "kill" by withholding the help which might save!

6. It requires, therefore, the cultivation of that kindly spirit of genial benevolence, which would seek in every way to promote the gladness and safety of the society in which we move, and of men at large. Negative in form, the sixth commandment is positive in intent. "Thou shalt not kill" is but the elementary form in which God asserts the great law of mutual dependence and interdependence. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law." Would we keep the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill"? Let us read it in the New Testament light, "Thou shalt help thy neighbor." "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law."

II. WE WOULD THROW OUT A FEW HINTS AS TO THE GROUND ON WHICH THIS PRECEPT IS OR MAY BE ENFORCED .

1. The preciousness of man in God's sight. He who killed a beast had to make it good; but no satisfaction might be taken for the life of a murderer (see Genesis 9:6 ).

2. The spiritual nature of man.

3. The high and holy destiny designed for man forbids any tampering on our part with him or with it.

III. WE HAVE , MOREOVER , IN THE NEW TESTAMENT , A NEW SPRING OF ACTION DISCLOSED . This should actuate us in refraining from violating, and in seeking to fulfill, the law of love.

1. The incarnation of the Son of God is so touching a revelation of the greatness of man, and does of itself so elevate him, that no one realizing it can trifle with man.

2. The atoning sacrifice gives new views of man. After the Apostle Paul has been referring to the death of Christ, he says, "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh." Christ's death for every man has shown us a halo of glory around every man. We look at him no more according to the accidents of birth, position, color, clime; we judge all men thus: "Christ died for them ." Oh! it is this cross which teaches us that reverence for human nature, which else we had lost altogether.

3. The incarnation and the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God not only give us the moving spring whereby to rise to a proper view of the greatness of man, but also the supreme reason for devoted love to him, for Christ's sake ( 1 John 4:11 , 1 John 4:20 ; see Ephesians 4:31 ; Ephesians 5:1 , Ephesians 5:2 ). With what immeasurable strength does the gospel bind us to fulfill "the royal law," "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself!"

IV. THIS NEWLY ILLUMED PRINCIPLE OF LOVE WILL ENSURE THE FULFILLMENT OF THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT , AND WILL EVEN MAKE A BREACH OF IT IMPOSSIBLE . God would have us lifted up by his love to so high a level, that we shall learn to love like him, even with a love

This is the love which "is born of God." This is the Divine philosophy of obedience to law. Learn, in conclusion:

1. It is to revelation alone that we owe the clearest view of human dignity . It is not from philosophy, nor from natural science that we learn to appreciate man. Whatever science may have to say as to his physical organism (and what it can say must depend on its own appropriate evidence), it is the "image of God" which he bears, that is his true dignity, and around it is the Divine guard so stringently placed.

2. From God ' s revelation to man we learn respect for man as man . Human life is held very cheaply in lands where the gospel is unknown, and even in lands where it is known by men who reject it. There are some, indeed, who reject gospel light, yet borrow gospel morality, and call it theirs, while others who treat it as "a strange thing" are already darkly suggesting a "morality" gross as that of pagan days.

3. From God ' s revelation we gather the only guarantee for human security and peace . It is by the cross and by the cross alone that the unity of man in a world wide brotherhood of love will ever be secured.

4. It is only by the new life bestowed by the Spirit of God that we come to possess and practice this love to which the cross constrains . We may all of us have refrained from an open breach of the letter of the sixth commandment. Not one of us can stand its searching test in the light of God's pure Word! Ah! " this commandment fit for Zulus? " There is not a man amongst us who in the presence of its all-searching light, is not utterly condemned! ( James 2:10 .) "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law!"