Focus: The sixth commandment calls Christians to uphold life, and to use the sword in two ways: to protect the innocents and to punish the evildoers.
Function: To move the people to uphold life and to use force with special discernment.
Confession: Lord’s Day 40
Statistics seem to indicate that the twentieth century--with its two world wars, its numerous national conflicts, ethnic cleansings, and religious persecutions—was the bloodiest century since the birth of Christ. This trend of violence and death continues as we have entered the 21st century. Did anyone hear the voice of God in the 6th commandment these last few weeks, when so many people in Muslim nations died at the hands of terrorists and insurrectionists? Does anyone today hear God saying “You shall not kill” as the world is engaged in a protracted war against terrorists and countries who harbor them? In the midst of global conflict, how do we take seriously God’s will for us in the sixth commandment?
World history proves that the sixth commandment is not an easy commandment to apply in our lives. For example, what do you do when criminals threaten your life? What do you do when terrorists kill indiscriminately? What do you do when your government calls you to wage war against the enemy?
Church history, likewise, proves that there is no unanimous approach to the sixth commandment. For example, Catholic and Protestant Christians have fought each other in the name of God. And though the Bible calls for loving our enemies and thus promote peace among people, it is nevertheless true that Christians have turned against each other with violence. Two weeks ago, Nigerian Moslems went on a rampage against Christians in some villages; they killed a number of them. In response, a group of Christians went on a rampage against Moslems; and they too killed many. And what do you make of pacifist Christians, who can be just as patriotic as you and I, yet refuse to take up arms?
There is plenty of finger pointing to go around; and there are many unanswered questions. In theory we may have worked out our answers. But in practice, living with the realities of war and peace is far more difficult. “You shall not kill” is a commandment open to lots of different interpretations—even among Christians.
So what do Reformed Christians hear
God say in the sixth commandment? In light of scriptures I hear God call us to
uphold life, and to use the sword in two ways: to protect the innocents, and to
punish the evildoers.
The book of Leviticus is filled with O.T. prescriptions, regulating the lives of God’s people. These prescriptions enable God’s people to live holy lives, separate from the nations of the world. Christians must approach the book of Leviticus through the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since Christ fulfills the Law of God, and since Christ is the reality of the shadows we find in Leviticus, for example, the Christian church today can no longer apply literally all the legal rules and regulations found in Leviticus. However, Christians are bound to the many underlying principles found in Leviticus. And that’s why we still read with profit—as well as Christian discernment—the book of Leviticus.
Leviticus
19:16-18 is part of a chapter that is arranged in three sections. The first
section (vs. 2b-10) consists of four paragraphs, each concluding with the
clause “I am the Lord your God.” The second section (vs. 11-18) builds
up to a climax in “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and it also concludes
with the clause “I am the Lord your God.” The third section is longer
and uses both “I am the Lord” and “I am the Lord your God” as a
refrain (cf.
Wenham, p. 264).
Now verses 16-18 fall into the second section where we learn about HONESTY (vs. 11-12), about the prohibition of EXPLOITATION (vs. 13-14), about JUSTICE IN COURT (vs. 15-16), and about LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR (vs. 17-18). All of these teachings find their source in God’s will as expressed in the 10 commandments. Some of these commandments are explicitly mentioned in vs. 11 “Do not steal. Do not lie” And it’s not hard to discover the sixth commandment (“You shall not kill”) in vs. 16-18: “Do not go about spreading slander among your people, do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. Do not hate your brother in your heart….” Surely, in these verses we find an application of God’s will as expressed in the sixth commandment.
The Heidelberg Catechism is very good at picking up on these applications. As Reformed Christians considering God’s will in the sixth commandment through the eyes of the Lord Jesus and his accomplished work on the cross and in the tomb, we see how deep and wide the 6th commandment goes. Consider, for example, how we must learn to define “killing.” There are many different forms and ways of killing. For example, belittling, insulting, and hating my neighbor is a form of killing. And murder weapons, according to the Catechism, go beyond bullets and swords: thoughts, words, looks, and gestures, and the desire for revenge. These are all tools that can be used for killing.
In fact, the Catechism goes deeper yet and explores the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, and vindictiveness—all these vices contain the deadly poison of murder. Watch out! Let’s not use them against our neighbor.
The Catechism helps us to hear God’s voice in the sixth commandment by placing it in the larger context of loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Listen: “Is it enough then that we do not kill our neighbor in any such way?” Answer: “No. By condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to him, to protect him from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies.” Clearly we must uphold life, and with the Holy Spirit at work within us, we must love our neighbor as ourselves.
Now here is a thought worth pondering: God loves life so much that he protects our lives—not only with the shield of his commandment that says “You shall not kill,” but also with the avenging sword of justice given to governments. In other words, the sixth commandment calls us to use force or the sword in two ways: to protect the innocent, and to punish the evildoer. This thought is on the mind of the Catechism when we read that seemingly “dangling” sentence at the end of answer 105: “Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword.”
Most Reformed Christians support the use of military might in certain cases. And Reformed Christians have never taken a collective stand against the governmental use of the death penalty in certain cases. This is because we believe that God gives governments the use of a two-edged sword. On the one hand governments must use force to protect life from those who wish to inflict harm and death on the innocent. On the other hand governments must use force to punish evildoers who kill the innocent. The sword, including military force, then, serves as a tool to uphold life of the innocent and to punish justly those who inflict death randomly and for their own purposes.
The sixth commandment fits in the larger context of God’s covenant with Noah, the head of the human race after the Flood. Speaking to Noah and his sons, God said: “…for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.’”
Here we note that God holds people accountable for needless, pointless, unjust killing. And God provides this accountability in societies through the establishment of governments. That’s why the apostle Paul, in Romans 13, speaks of the governing authority as a “servant.” When the governing authority uses his God-given power rightly, we must see him as “God’s servant to do us good.” But, says Paul, “if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
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Today the free world is engaged in a war against terrorists and groups of people who support them. It is not for me to make a case for or against war. But together we must discern God’s will for us in the 6th commandment as we face the reality of a long, protracted war.
I know that God’s people are not
free from warfare and death. I know that God has used warfare to accomplish his
purposes. Jesus, the Son of God, for example, died at the hand of soldiers. And
ever since the Spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead, the world has not been
the same. For God is at work. God will establish his rule of peace over all the
earth in due time. But until that time Christians must live in the midst of
injustice, violence and warfare, pursuing the will of God as expressed in the
sixth commandment: “You shall not kill.”
APPLICATION
Let us then together do four things in the days to come:
And thus we must help our political leaders to sort out the motives we use to kill and punish the enemy and those who are bent on destroying our country. And yes, supporting our government and troops, and loving our country also includes using the voice of reason, the voice of caution, the voice of critical self-examination and the voice of faith. Let’s temper, then, our passion with caution that is fueled by faith in Christ and love for God and neighbor, including our enemies.
4. Practice: Practice the politics of peace and grace by refraining from using weapons such as thoughts, words, looks, and gestures, and the desire for revenge. When people wrong us, will we strike back with knee-jerk reactions, or will we practice forgiveness and model to them the way of love and respect and patience?
“You shall not kill” calls for discernment, caution, prayer and practice—so that we shall uphold life, and use the sword only to protect the innocent and to punish justly the evildoers. May God give us all strength and grace to live in peace and harmony. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.