Re:Verse passage – Exodus 20:13 (day two) You shall not murder.
This negative command is intended to establish a clear directive regarding the sanctity of life. We are not to take a life, but there is so much more inferred in this command. We should NOT murder, but what SHOULD we do. If we look further into scripture with the command to “love our neighbor as ourselves” it gives a clear indication of how we are to interact with each other. This command does not say you can get to the point of taking a life and then stop, no it implies that if we treat each other as image bearers of our Creator our interactions will be much more fruitful. As you look at the days ahead don’t just reach for the low-hanging fruit. Don’t murder….yes, but go further. Treat your neighbor as a fellow journeyman to Jesus. It will certainly change the narrative.
God created men in His own image and commanded that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. If we “murder”, we are not loving and caring for His creations.
This verse, in my view, implies that we should do all we can for the ease, the peace, and the preservation of the lives of men. The term “murder” comes in various forms, in my view. It may refer to any thoughts, actions and behaviors that will cause harm to other humans physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, organizationally, and so on. If we intentionally hurt someone for our personal gain, or if we intentionally hurt the reputation of someone due to our jealousy or selfishness or we intentionally cause harms to someone to gain a competitive advantage over the one who is being harmed, we are a murder!
I see this commandment as God’s strong desire for us to live in peace with one another, loving and caring for one another, and to honor and respect for human lives in general! Can we live in peace and respect human lives? Yes, we can!