Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
Our Heavenly Father brings forth life, HE is the Creator of all life. To take a life is to potentially an attempt to override HIS will. In the end, HE has the power over life and death, justice and mercy. Justice is provided to us to deal with any problem or inequity that arises among people. Justice will first rectify the issue at hand. It will make right the “wronged”. Secondly, justice will balance out the inequity by exchanging something equivalent to the infraction. This is the essence of restitution by the guilty. Our Heavenly Father provides a framework by which we can determine an appropriate restitution by the guilty party. Bloodthirsty men always want a greater payment for lawlessness than what is provided for in the Law of Our Heavenly Father. This creates unequal weights and measures. Bloodthirsty men think that if 40 stripes is good, 60 stripes is even better. Their attack on life provokes a judgment as well. You can see how any attack on life spirals men down the path of death and destruction. Who has the right to execute death over another? Who has the right to exalt himself above Our Heavenly Father?
On the other hand as you promote life you will participate in prosperity and increase. Instead of conflict, you promote peace. Instead of being oriented to scarcity, you empower abundance. Instead of destruction, life is expanded. Division promotes scarcity; reconciliation and restoration promote life. Scarcity-oriented people look at prosperity of other people with envy because they think they will be denied or deprived. They think those limited resources could have been theirs and now there is not enough to go around. On the other hand, those who understand the fundamental Kingdom principle that Jesus revealed, the Law of multiplication, will rejoice at others’ prosperity knowing that it is also available and accessible to them as well. They will support life.
How often do we kill a dream, talent, purpose, direction, etc. of another person? Are we “murdering” life by our “stinkin’ thinkin’”? Our bloodthirsty attitude is what kills the aspirations of another. How much of the population is drawn to mass fatalities? News channels thrive on this bloodthirsty attitude. What would happen if this murderous attitude was gone?
Fear of invasion of personal interests causes men to attack others. This fear is based on the scarcity doctrine of limited opportunity. Fear hinders expansion and promotes death to anyone or anything that would encroach on the current system of scarcity. Countries start wars over perceived limited resources. Instead, they could redirect their financial resources to develop alternatives. They don’t trust Our Heavenly Father’s provision for mankind. Killing off the enemy satisfies their agenda of scarcity. Separation of the two parties often resolves differences. In Scripture when one party has expanded beyond the perceived resource, distance was placed between the two parties. Wiping out the other party was not the solution.
Our Heavenly Father emphasizes the sanctity of life. So should we.