Apologetics
Does God Murder?
The sixth of the Ten Commandments forbids murder. But does God violate that command when He takes life? It must be recognized that God, indeed, executes men. Deuteronomy 32:39 says, “There is no God besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” Many Scriptures attest to this (Genesis 6:7; Exodus 12:12; Ezekiel 14:12-21; 2 Kings 19:35; Matthew 10:28.) But the question is not, Does God kill? The question is, is God justified for this terminal action?
First, let’s identify the three types of killing that Scripture sets forth:
· Accidental killing, which is known as involuntary manslaughter.
· Justifiable pre-meditated killing, which occurs in acts of war or when lawbreakers are sentenced to death.
· Unjustifiable pre-meditated killing, which is murder, and placed within the context of the Ten Commandments that prohibits this action.
Thus, all killing cannot be classified as murder. Does God kill? Yes! Does God murder? Never! God never violates His command to capriciously or unjustifiably extinguish the life of men. But what helps us conclude that God does not murder? God’s moral perfection, the glory of His character, helps us understand that He never murders those “created in His image”!
It is important to form all theology and investigate God’s actions from His self-revelation. And Scripture asserts that God is love; He is good; and He is righteous. Because God is morally perfect He always acts, responds, and deals with creation appropriately—even when He executes men. Yet, Ezekiel 33:11 reveals that this action does not come without divine reluctance. The prophet wrote, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live” (NIV).
In understanding why God terminates human life consider Scriptural references:
1. First, God is the Supreme Judge of the Earth. As is the case with human courts, God’s Court is not without determinations or consequences. The Sovereign Judge possesses executionary rights and, at times, His judgment is the sentence of death.
2. Second, consider the casualties of Noah’s Flood. When man’s wickedness, violence, and rebellion proceeded unabated and without repentance, God destroyed mankind with floodwaters. However, God’s love and patience waited 100 years for men to repent as Noah constructed the Ark and warned mankind of God’s wrath. But man’s stubborn heart and seared conscience prevented God’s mercy.
3. Third, the Great Tribulation described in Revelation reveals the loss of human life in astronomical proportions. The Tribulation is not Satan’s vengeance against man’s rebellion; it is God’s vengeance against man’s rebellion. Eschatological writings indicate that 3/4 of earth’s population die directly from God’s hand during this time of distress.
Finally, consider that there is something worse than physical death—it is eternal death in hell. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, invite Him into your heart today. Jesus loves you and will forgive your sin if you will ask with an honest and sincere heart.
Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today
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