You Shall Not Murder (7 of 11)
Series: The Ten Commandments
Scott Maze
Exodus 20:13
Contrary to many people's thoughts that civilization is more civilized, evidence suggests that murder is on the increase. In 1963, in Scotland, two people were convicted or murder. In 2000, there were 128 reported homicides in Scotland. In 1960, the District of Columbia reported 81 murders. In 1991 there were 482, and in 2000 the figure was 230. These figures are only indicative of the magnitude of death over the past century. In the twentieth century, murder was accomplished on massive scale. The national security director for the Carter Administration characterized the century with the word ''mega-death.'' If you just accounted for four human beings alone, you could count as many as 175 million deaths: Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao. Even today, we have people with tattooed numbers, etched on their forearms, numbers than marked them for death.
Yet, murder is not new. The Bible's opening plot lines show the first born man, Cain, killing his brother Abel. Think of it: the first born person in the human race was a murderer. History's first born killed history's second born in jealousy. And to prevent anyone from thinking there is such a thing as the perfect murder, God Himself says: ''What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground'' (Genesis 4:10). The taking of a human life has always been viewed as a serious crime in every civilization. And yet today, the average eighteen year old has witnessed 80,000 murders via television, movies, and video games. Whether it is the Columbine massacre of 1999, Pan Am Flight 103, or the 9/11 terrorist attacks, are lives are interwoven with the fabric of murder. Whether it is ethnic cleansing in Darfur or brutal killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer or Charles Manson, murder has been a heinous crime.
Today's Scripture
''You shall not murder'' (Exodus 20:13).
Unlike the fifth commandment, no reason ...
Series: The Ten Commandments
Scott Maze
Exodus 20:13
Contrary to many people's thoughts that civilization is more civilized, evidence suggests that murder is on the increase. In 1963, in Scotland, two people were convicted or murder. In 2000, there were 128 reported homicides in Scotland. In 1960, the District of Columbia reported 81 murders. In 1991 there were 482, and in 2000 the figure was 230. These figures are only indicative of the magnitude of death over the past century. In the twentieth century, murder was accomplished on massive scale. The national security director for the Carter Administration characterized the century with the word ''mega-death.'' If you just accounted for four human beings alone, you could count as many as 175 million deaths: Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao. Even today, we have people with tattooed numbers, etched on their forearms, numbers than marked them for death.
Yet, murder is not new. The Bible's opening plot lines show the first born man, Cain, killing his brother Abel. Think of it: the first born person in the human race was a murderer. History's first born killed history's second born in jealousy. And to prevent anyone from thinking there is such a thing as the perfect murder, God Himself says: ''What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground'' (Genesis 4:10). The taking of a human life has always been viewed as a serious crime in every civilization. And yet today, the average eighteen year old has witnessed 80,000 murders via television, movies, and video games. Whether it is the Columbine massacre of 1999, Pan Am Flight 103, or the 9/11 terrorist attacks, are lives are interwoven with the fabric of murder. Whether it is ethnic cleansing in Darfur or brutal killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer or Charles Manson, murder has been a heinous crime.
Today's Scripture
''You shall not murder'' (Exodus 20:13).
Unlike the fifth commandment, no reason ...
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