In our humanistic times, murder is determined by degrees. Humanism determines murder by a subjective standard rather than an objective one. They never consider the result. What is the result of murder? Life can only be taken on God’s terms and never apart from it. The Lord Jesus Christ said in John 7:24, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." We are not to judge superficially or subjectively but by an objective standard which is God’s law. We know that the sixth commandment states very clearly in Exodus 20:13, "Thou shalt not kill." Murder is taking of life outside of God’s exceptions.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
There are four exceptions, self-defense, war, accident, and the death penalty. Self-defense is found in Exodus 22:2, "If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him." We can take life within this specific parameter. War is found in Numbers 1:2-3, "Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; 3From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies." God told Moses who was to go to war. Therefore, God says that war is at times permissible. Of course, the Bible gives the death penalty for certain offenses. It is the death penalty for the guilty. Genesis 9:5-6 gives us truth, "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. 6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." The civil government has been given the authority to man to kill those guilty of offenses that God has prescribed.
Numbers 35:16-21 reads, "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. 17And 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. 18Or 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. 19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; 21Or 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." There is no listing of murder in degrees here. The Bible is emphatic on this point of murder. The Bible gives specific instances of what is clearly murder. When someone uses a weapon, their intent is clearly to murder someone. The Bible does not say this is first degree or second degree murder. It says they are murderers. While we cannot determine the subjective intents of someone, we can objectively. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us this principle in Matthew 7:17-20, "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." We can determine accurately by someone’s outward actions what the intents of their heart are.
The apostle John talked about what a murderer is in his first epistle. 1 John 3:11-13 reads, "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." Based upon these scriptures, it is clear that murder comes from hatred. Murder is the not the source. Hatred is where it all begins. Murder is an end result and not a source.
John further wrote in 1 John 3:14-15, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." Love is equivalent of life and hatred is the equivalent of death. Love can only be defined by the law of God. To define it in any other way is to argue for murder in degrees. In other words, the humanist refuses to acknowledge the truth and call something what it is. Murderers manifest the true condition of their heart right out in the open. Some hate others but control themselves from actually physically murdering someone. This does not mean that they are not still murderers. If they hate anyone, they are murderers.
Conclusion
The Lord Jesus Christ corrects many misconceptions in His Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:21-22 reads, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Everything must have a just cause. Just causes can only be defined by God’s objective law. To determine things subjectively is to try and become one’s own god. Anger is permissible with a cause. We should be angry at murderers and give them what they deserve, the death penalty!
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