A Romans 1 World Pt. 13 A World filled with Murder

Murder in the World

Romans 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 

Murder. "Murder" is from a Greek word that implies use of force or violence when a murder is committed. Sometimes it is translated "slaughter" which shows the violent aspect of this word. Murder is on the list of terrible sins that come out of a reprobate heart (Matthew 15:19). 

God's holy law is very clear on the matter of murder. "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13).

Acts 8:3  As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 

Acts 9:1-2  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 

Saul was a leader in the hyper conservative religious sect called the Pharisees. It is ironic that they claimed zeal for God and yet were so quick to seek to kill their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Saul thought he was doing the work of God in raising intense persecution against the early church. He consented to murder by stoning Stephen to death (Acts 7). He began  attacking the church, and entering into people's homes in order to arrest born again believers, men and women. 

In Acts 9, Saul acted like a man possessed by the devil. He spewed out violent and hate filled threats against the church of God. He was murderous in heart and threatened to kill any believers that he could find and he obtained permission to travel to Damascus to arrest them.

Accidental Death or Negligence

Exodus 21:28  If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. 29  But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. 

God declared that there were different types of murder that require different kinds of punishment and He did this long before human courts established varying "degrees" of murder. In this text, we have an ox that gores a man or woman. When this happened, the ox was put to death and the owner suffered the loss. 

However, if that animal had a habit of going after people with his horn and owner was aware, then this creates a different punishment. If the owner failed to keep the ox in an enclosure and he got out and gored someone, then the owner was guilty of murder and was also put to death. 

Accidental Death or Premeditated Murder.

Numbers 35:11  Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. 

God also commanded Israel to build cities of refuge for any person who accidently caused the death of another person. In this case, there was no intent to cause the victim any harm. The person who caused the death of the victim was unaware of the presence of the victim. Rather than being tried and put to death, this person could flee to a city of refuge and live there safely.

An example is given of a man who is clearing his field of stones and in the process of throwing stones away, he accidently hit a man with the stone, causing his death. He did not see that man when he tossed the stone and he had no hostility toward him. He will be taken to live in a city of refuge and will not be put to death (Numbers 35:23).

Accidental death of another person.

Deuteronomy 19:4-5  And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; 5  As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: 

In this text we have an example of two neighbors cutting wood for building or for fuel. In the process of of cutting timber one of the men swung an axe but the iron head of the axe came loose and flew off, striking the other man and killing him. This is a terrible accident that resulted in a man losing his life. The man who swung the axe will flee to a city of refuge and dwell safely. 

Premeditated murder.

Deuteronomy 19:11-13  But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: 12  Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13  Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee. 

This text gives the conditions that define murder. First, there is premeditation, thinking and planning the act of murder. This particular  example is fueled by a man who hated his neighbor. He lies in wait which means he set up a place to ambush his neighbor and when his neighbor walked by him, he came out and violently killed him. This man will be put to death and no one shall have pity for his execution.

Abortion or Infanticide

Leviticus 20:1-3  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2  Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3  And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.  

Deuteronomy 12:31  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 

Molech was a god of the Canaanites and they killed their infants by superheating a large iron bowl held up by a stature of Molech. They threw their babies into the red hot bowl as an offering designed to placate Molech so that his anger toward them abated and he would bless them.

God clearly forbid this diabolical practice but in spite of the law of God, Israel often fell into the idolatry of Molech and sacrificed their babies. This is a heinous sin. If any Jewish person was caught doing this, they were to be put to death and their family would be cut off from the covenant promises of God. 

Exodus 21:22-25  If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23  And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, 24  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25  Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.  

This is a text that indirectly addresses abortion. The woman in this text is pregnant and she got into a physical altercation with a man. The phrase "her fruit depart from her" means that in the course of the struggle, she lost her unborn baby. The man in this example was to be punished according to the sentence of the judges and whatever her husband determined was appropriate punishment.

However, if it was determined that foul play was involved then the man who fought against the woman was to be executed for the loss of her unborn baby.

Thoughts to Ponder...

Globally, about 500,000 people are murdered each year and this is a staggering number of homicides. About 17,000 people are murdered each year in America. 

862,000 unborn babies were aborted in 2017 in America. This is the most current year for statistics available. 

The Guttmacher Institute says that there are 73 million abortions each year globally. In addition there were about 5 million infants were victims of infanticide. 

What these numbers tell us is that there is an awful lot of murders taking place all around the world. They also tell us that unborn children are being murdered in the womb and many infants are being killed. 

This is what it is like to live in a Romans 1 culture. It is a culture of death but God has called us to new life in Christ. Our hope in in the Lord. Our future awaits us in heaven and Christ will set all things right when He returns. 

We should tell others what God says about murder, abortion and infanticide. We should share the life giving truth of the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe, both Jews and Gentiles. 

May the fear of God descend on all these places where murders are taking place, especially murders of unborn children and infants. May the Spirit of God convict and change the hearts of men, women and children around the world, that their lives are transformed and they choose to live for the glory of God. May God give us courage to be salt and light in a decaying world. 

Bob