In recent years, the United States has witnessed a dramatic rise in murder cases. According to the International Business Times, “The total number of people killed last year (2020) stands at 21,500 and the majority of them were in the nation’s largest cities. Some like New York City had 500 murders in 2020 versus 319 in 2019.” Also, Fox News reported that, “The 2021 United States murder rate is estimated to be nearly as high as it was 25 years ago, when more than 19,600 people were killed nationwide.”
The United States experienced possibly the highest surge of all time in mass shootings during 2022. The Insider reported that “The Gun Violence Archive recorded 647 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022. More than 44,000 people died due to gun violence overall in 2022, according to the Archive.”
There are many reasons given for the continuous rise in the number of violent deaths. However, whatever the cause may be, taking the life of an innocent person is totally unacceptable and is offensive to God!
Seung-Hui Cho, a student at Virginia Tech, gunned down 32 innocent people—27 students and five faculty members—on the college campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, on April 16, 2007. An additional six others were injured while attempting to escape his rampage by jumping out of windows. It is the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. Cho committed suicide before police could reach him.
Adam Lanza, after killing his mother in their home, shot and killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012, before taking his own life.
Nikolas Cruz killed 17 students and injured 17 others in a shooting spree at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. He was apprehended, found guilty, and is serving a sentence of life without parole. At the time, this was the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in U.S. history.
Salvador Ramos shot his grandmother during a fight, and then drove to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, and fatally shot 19 students and two teachers, injuring 17 others. Ramos was killed during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement.
Payton Gendron, an 18-year-old white male, drove 200 miles on May 14, 2022, to the East Side neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. Stopping at the Tops Friends Markets supermarket, he opened fire in the parking lot, killing three and wounding a fourth. Upon entering the supermarket, he continued firing until he had fatally shot ten people, all of them African Americans and injured three others. He was able to livestream part of his attack, but the service provider was able to quickly shut it down. He was tried and found guilty of all New York state charges, and is serving 11 concurrent life sentences without parole. However, federal charges are still ongoing and federal prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty.
Do Not Hate …
The act of murder—hands that shed innocent blood—is the third deadly sin that God hates.
The sixth commandment teaches, “Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13. The Hebrew word for kill—ratsach means literally “to dash in pieces (a human being).” So, the hands that shed innocent blood belong to a person who cherishes a murderous and cruel disposition; a person who, rather than see their plan frustrated, will kill even those who have done them no harm.
To the rich young ruler who wanted to know what was required of him in order to be saved, Jesus made plain to him the obvious meaning of the sixth commandment.
“Jesus said, ‘Thou shalt do no murder,’ ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ ‘Thou shalt not steal,’ ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness.’ ” Matthew 19:18
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave the clearest understanding of the sixth commandment, “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: But 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.” Matthew 5:21, 22
Here, Jesus seemed to contrast what His hearers had been taught by their religious leaders with what He had imparted to them. However, there was no difference in what they were taught as stated in the Old Testament concerning the sixth commandment except that their teachers failed to emphasize the far-reaching import of “Thou shalt not kill.” The Jewish teachers restricted their teaching to the actual act of murder—the taking of a person’s life unlawfully. Jesus, who wrote and gave the law to Moses at Sinai, stood before these Jews on the Mount of Beatitude to remind them of the broader meaning of the sixth commandment.
More Than an Act
“Ye have heard … But I say unto you.” The Jewish rulers taught the people that murder, which would violate the sixth commandment, was only an action. But for Jesus, murder is not limited to just the physical act. Murder has more to do with the intent of the heart, the evil motive that oftentimes is born out of the spirit of jealousy, revenge, anger, and hatred—all characteristics of our sinful nature.
For this reason, God commanded the Hebrews, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart …
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:17, 18
Jesus describes murder as first existing in the mind. The malice and revenge which would delight in deeds of violence are themselves characteristics of murder. Jesus goes further still, and says, “Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
“All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life; the spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm (for ‘whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer’); a selfish neglect of caring for the needy or suffering; all self-indulgence or unnecessary deprivation or excessive labor that tends to injure health—all these are, to a greater or less degree, violations of the sixth commandment.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 308
Why is it that we are commanded not to hate, be angry at, or carry a grudge in our hearts towards our fellow human beings? John the beloved gives us at least three reasons.
“But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:11
“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3: 15
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 1 John 4:20
Webster’s Dictionary defines murder as: “to kill a person unlawfully and with malice.” Thus, the actual or literal act of murder is in most, if not all cases, preceded and therefore precipitated by a degree of evil cherished towards a person. Consequently, this actual act of murder is the end product of a series of events.
“Envy is the offspring of pride, and if it is entertained in the heart, it will lead to hatred, and eventually to revenge and murder. Satan displayed his own character in exciting the fury of Saul against him [David] who had never done him harm.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 651
Why Does God Hate Murder?
God hates murder because it originated with the devil who “was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). God hates murder because it’s a satanic trait which corrupts the human mind and separates the person from God. God hates murder because the murderer has no respect for the sacred gift of life. God hates murder because it is an offspring of pride.
Speaking specifically to Seventh-day Adventists, Mrs. White wrote, “The members of the church are to be faithful one to another. It is a sin to cherish anger against anyone. Christ looks upon anger as murder. … A man may think he has occasion for feeling angry, but his passionate [spoken in anger] words are a savor of death unto death. He who utters them is under the control of Satan. In heaven, his wicked railing is placed in the same list as swearing.” The Southern Watchman, January 1, 1903
Is there any occasion when the Christian is allowed to be angry, and if so, when? The apostle Paul counseled the Ephesians, saying, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Ephesians 4:26
“There is an anger that is not of this criminal nature. A certain kind of indignation is justifiable, under some circumstances, even in the followers of Christ. When they see God dishonored, His name reviled, and the precious cause of truth brought into disrepute by those who profess to revere it, when they see the innocent oppressed and persecuted, a righteous indignation stirs their soul; such anger, born of sensitive morals, is not a sin.” The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 2, 220
The experience of Moses when he threw down the tables of stone (Exodus 32:19) is a perfect example of this kind of anger. The servant of the Lord informs us, “The breaking of the tables of stone was but a representation of the fact that Israel had broken the covenant which they had so recently made with God. It is a righteous indignation against sin, which springs from zeal for the glory of God, not that anger prompted by self-love or wounded ambition, which is referred to in the scripture ‘Be ye angry, and sin not.’ Such was the anger of Moses.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 101
God Means What He Says
God is abundantly clear that murder is more than the act of snuffing out the life of another.
“Those who at any supposed provocation feel at liberty to indulge anger or resentment are opening the heart to Satan.” Mind, Character, and Personality, Vol. 2, 516
“If we indulge anger, lust, covetousness, hatred, selfishness, or any other sin, we become servants of sin. ‘No man can serve two masters’ (Matthew 6:24). If we serve sin, we cannot serve Christ.” Ibid.
The Bible clearly states that there will be no murderers in the kingdom of heaven.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers … shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
“If one murderer were permitted to go unpunished, he would by his evil influence and cruel violence subvert others. This would result in a condition of things similar to that which existed before the flood. God must punish murderers.” Sermons and Talks, Vol. 2, 186, 187
“The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan, and it led him to put to death the Son of God. Whoever cherishes malice or unkindness is cherishing the same spirit, and its fruit will be unto death. In the revengeful thought, the evil deed lies enfolded, as the plant in the seed.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 56
“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers … .” Revelation 22:14, 15
It is not the raised hand alone that does harm or brings death to our fellow man, making us one who sheds innocent blood. If we harbor negative and hate-filled thoughts and emotions against our neighbor, then murder lives in our hearts and will keep us from heavenly fellowship. But if we surrender our lives to God, allowing the work of transformation to be done, then we can work with Him in purity of mind and heart.
“Is there not a miracle performed every time a soul who is at enmity with God is converted, and learns to love God and to keep His commandments? Is it not a miracle that we can break from the bondage of Satan? Enmity against Satan is not natural to the human heart. It has to be put into the heart by the manifestation of divine power. It is a miracle when the heart is changed, and we love Jesus, and desire to do those things that please Him. We then want to come into close unity with Him … .
“Let us elevate our souls by faith in Christ, for He alone can cleanse us from sin, and purify us from all unrighteousness. Without Him we can do nothing. Let us be true to God; let us pray that the Holy Spirit may be poured out upon us.” The Signs of the Times, April 11, 1892
[All scriptures are from the King James Version]
Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at 718-882-3900.