Chapter Seven THE VALUE OF LIFE

Chapter Seven

THE VALUE OF LIFE

The Sixth Commandment

“You shall not murder”—Ex. 20:13.

An Inbuilt Reluctance

Murder is the one crime that horrifies nearly everyone except the culprit. To murder someone is not an easy thing to do. There is a natural reluctance to kill another human being. When it comes to thoughts of killing another human being, it is like the unwritten law of “do unto others what we would have them do unto us” grips people’s inner being much stronger than when violating people’s other rights. For example, in a shopping mall, there is more likelihood of a person snatching a bag from our hands than there is of a person carrying a gun suddenly deciding to shoot us.

Warfare

History informs us men were compelled to go to war, and they were ordered to kill other human beings; yet this was not their desire. In the Second World War, both opposing sides had many men who did not really want to kill other people. However, being confronted with the belief, that unless they killed the other person first, they would themselves be killed, men shot at each other and asked questions later.

There are stories of horrific crimes committed in war, where people were killed in gas chambers, shot by firing squads, blown up, buried alive, tortured and starved to death. Those committing the killings and war crimes were just following orders and often did not really want to do what they did. Even though they may have found the act repugnant, the fear that they may be numbered among the victims became the motivator for them to carry out these heinous crimes against their fellow human beings. Whatever the case, the perpetrators would still have to justify their actions somehow when they killed another human being, even in war, and this requires people to sear their consciences as they harden their hearts.

The Pacifist Position

Not all people have felt compelled to go to war with the threat of death. There have been those who were genuine pacifists, who protested and were prepared to die rather than take another human life; many have been imprisoned instead. In many countries, pacifists aid the war effort by being employed in support operations as civilians rather than enlist in the forces. Many others join the armed forces with the aim of being trained and obtaining employment, but not expecting to go to war or do any active duty where they might actually have to kill someone.

Cultural Influence on Individuals in Warfare

Some individuals actually look forward to being able to kill people legitimately without retribution and enjoy the idea of being in the armed forces and killing other people. These individuals are considered to have a psychological issue that needs to be addressed; many of them are mercenaries who are more than willing to shoot for a share of the loot.

 In many instances, soldiers have been programmed by their culture to see the enemy as those who are not the same as them. In which case, killing someone who is an enemy is not the same as killing another human being. This is evident in Africa where armies of boys are enlisted to kill the enemy. One African refugee told me that he shot down a helicopter at the age of thirteen with a hand-held, surface–to-air missile and, as a result of this, became a commander in the rebel army. Another refugee told me that Idi Amin personally slaughtered his father, and he was enlisted in the rebel army at ten years of age. These men grew up as boys with hatred for those that killed their families; they themselves did not see killing the enemy to be the same as killing another human being. The atrocities that these men witnessed and participated in as boys are difficult to imagine for the sanitized western mind. Yet God is a witness to all.

The western academic elite reject the notion of an all-seeing, omnipresent God. They like to believe that they rule, and humanism is king—many like to claim they reject God because of the atrocities of warfare. Nevertheless, these haters of the true God are embroiled in a different type of warfare to those in Africa. This warfare is being played out in the halls of power and waged in the minds of secularist anti-Christians; whose god—if they are not atheists—is Gaia, the Earth Mother. These people want all Jews and Christians to be stamped out. To foster their aim, they create religious vilification laws to be enforced by the courts on people who are merely telling the truth. These haters of the true God declare the God of the Bible is a mythical tyrant, whose followers must be exterminated or silenced; along with the teachings from the Bible. Merely quoting the Koran at a public Christian rally is sufficient to be declared a vilification of the Islamic faith, as a celebrated case in Australia (between March 2002–June 2007) has demonstrated, involving Sri Lankan born Pentecostal Pastor, Danny Nalliah and his associate, Pakistani born Danny Scott, when they faced imprisonment.

Many governments in the West are introducing hate laws. These laws can pose a problem for even reading out of the Bible, let alone quoting offensive passages from the Koran that encourage the killing of infidels and refer to Jews as pigs and monkeys.[i]

Inconsistencies in the Decalogue

The Decalogue teaches, “You shall not kill.” Many people find this ironic, and even hypocritical, when a few chapters later God is telling Israelites that they are to kill anybody who is an adulterer, a homosexual, a murderer, a sorcerer (anyone who practices witchcraft or consults the dead)—even people who devote themselves to God as a ransom are to be put to death (Leviticus 27:29). Besides this, God decreed the death of all who did not live according to His requirements, and is on record Himself as having sent plagues and disease upon people, even killing one individual for having committed the act of masturbation (Genesis 38:9-10), and King Herod for accepting adulation from a crowd (Acts 12:22-23).

Many people like to deride the Bible because of the fact that God, on the one hand, says that we are not to murder humans, but, on the other hand, seems to kill people for all sorts of reasons. Many people find (who is in their eyes) the murderous God of the Old Testament difficult to reconcile with the profile of the Christian God of love. The letter of John tells us:

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” (1 John 4:7-16).

When we read about the God that Christians talk about as a loving being who desires to bring about in humans the best attributes of life, it is difficult to reconcile such a loving Creator with the One spoken about in the Old Testament. The God of the Jews seems to be such a blood thirsty, vengeful, and wrathful ogre that we would not want to know Him. From a limited human perspective, it is difficult to reconcile the Old Testament view of God with the New Testament view of God; although, this is not the case when we understand God’s love emanates from righteousness.

What needs to be taken into account is life has many paradoxes. Many things are seemingly contrary to common sense at first, but make sense when understood within the scope of the bigger picture. We can compare this to the difference between being a spectator of a ball game and being a player. The player does not see what the spectator can see—especially if the spectator has a bird’s eye view. We are limited in our knowledge of what is happening around us, like players in a game of sport. As players, we will not see everything that happens on the field. There will also be things that occur of which we will not understand the reasons at the time, even if we understand how to play the game. Understanding how to play the game means learning the rules, and there is no difference when it comes to the rules of life. We need to understand God’s rules—and not make up our own—if we are to become victorious in overcoming sin and death.

Jainism

Jainism is a Hindu offshoot that has been compared with Judaism because adherents are mostly educated and wealthy. Unlike the religion of the Israelites, blood and death are something the Jains eschew, with some going to extreme lengths to avoid killing any creature or life. Jains are commonly seen sweeping the path on which they are about to walk, lest they step on an ant or some other very small creature and kill it. Some Jains wear a covering over their mouths, lest they inhale microbes and kill them. Jains value life as precious and therefore believe that it should not be destroyed. Yet the futility of this thinking is seen in that they are vegetarians and have to kill plant life (with all its microbes) to survive themselves, although, plants are not considered to have souls, whereas all creatures do. According to Jainism, the reason for avoiding the killing of breathing creatures is all souls are on an evolutionary journey from some ethereal state of being to another ethereal state of being. Jains believe killing souls, in any form, will delay the journey.

What the Bible Teaches

This is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that God is the Creator of the Universe, and He bestowed on humans the right to exercise their own volition. The original aim was that as a spirit being, placed in a biological body, humans would choose to be obedient to wise counsel and enjoy life in Paradise. Unfortunately, one of the previously created spirit beings, the archangel, Lucifer, who had been given charge to watch over humankind, thought the humans were getting too much attention and became jealous. Lucifer then conspired to cause the humans’ downfall by inveigling them with trickery into breaking faith with God.

Eve’s Temptation, Adam’s Rejection

The seed of evil was planted in the mind of Eve, who began to doubt Adam’s instruction concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam that he could eat of any fruit within the Garden of Eden, except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam told Eve. Eve decided to give in to the natural tendencies of her biological nature and ate the fruit. Adam saw her eat the fruit and could not believe that Eve had not died. God had told Adam that the day he eats of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil he would die. Since Eve did not die, Adam ate the forbidden fruit. Had Adam eaten of the fruit from the tree of life, he would have never died; instead, he saw Eve eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and still live—contrary to what God had told him. In utter unbelief, Adam did the same. Adam thus rejected the authority of God’s voice to heed the voice of Eve and the archangel, Lucifer; who had deceived her, by putting doubt in her mind, when asking her how she knew God had told them that they were not to eat of the forbidden fruit. The truth is God had told Adam that he was prohibited to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil before Eve had been created (Genesis 2:16-18). Since Eve was not around at the time, she could not be completely sure that Adam was telling her the truth.

Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden—paradise on Earth—as the consequence of their actions.

Lucifer, now the Devil, also found himself outside the favor of God because he deceived those who were in his charge, so they would disregard God. Lucifer committed, what can be construed as the first act of murder, or attempt at murder, since Adam and Eve were not completely cut off from God. —Although, it is worth noting that Jesus made a point of stating to the Jews, who were seeking to find a reason to have Him killed, that their father was the Devil, who was a murderer, and they honored him rather than God (John 8:44). 

Lucifer became a murderer because of his intent to destroy Adam and Eve’s relationship with God. While he did not completely succeed, there have been major ramifications for the first parents and their descendants. One of those ramifications is we are all enveloped by a world that is permeated by sin and governed by death. Unfortunately, even the good we do is often clothed in self-righteousness, which does not honor God. However, if we genuinely let our lights shine and perform good works in the power of the Holy Spirit, we honor our Father in Heaven, because people will see them and give Him the glory (Matt. 5:14-16; Eph. 2:10; Acts 10:38). But if we do evil, we honor the Devil—even if this is done in our ignorance.

Angel Rebellion and God’s Mercy

Fortunately, God in His mercy overlooks people’s ignorance and has put in place a means by which every human being can be redeemed from having been separated from Him. Nonetheless, Lucifer the Devil still has charge over the Earth and the human race, but he has lost his pre-eminence in Heaven and was cast out from his position as an archangel. Lucifer was also able to lure many other angels to join him in his rebellion against God, when they saw that the daughters of men were fair and there was a possibility of them creating their own race. The Bible implies that the women copulated with the angels and gave birth to offspring, who were designated as Nephilim.

There has been much speculation about the Nephilim. However, it is possible their offspring were giants, very strong physically. It is probable that they had no spirits but were massive ape-like creatures that had the ability to imitate, but not the intellect to be able to create or speak a human language or exercise reason. Nevertheless, it is also possible that these creatures were able to breed and produced a hybrid being: the Neanderthal. Because God did not put a spirit in them, these massive creatures were unable to reason and resorted to violence. And because there was so much violence on Earth, God decided to destroy all, except Noah and his family, since Noah found favor in His sight.[ii]

The First Human Murder

The first recorded human murder happened when Cain killed Abel. This murder also came about in a similar way to which Lucifer decided to bring about the fall of Adam. Cain was born before Abel, just as Lucifer was created before Adam. Cain was jealous because he was the firstborn, yet Abel found favor in the sight of God, just as Lucifer became jealous because Adam was the Creator’s latest delight. Cain’s response was to eradicate Abel, so he would be the one who would be pre-eminent. Lucifer did the same. Cain sought to cut Abel off from life by slaying him, and human blood was shed for the first time when he was killed. God declared that—from that time onwards—a life would be required for a life.

Jealousy: Motive for Murder

Jealousy is very much at the heart of people killing other people. Lucifer consumed with jealousy tried to kill Adam by causing him to disobey God and cut himself off from the very source of life—the Life-giver Himself; the One in Whom Alone there is life and immortality; the One Who exists. This is the One who the Hindus, the Jains, and many Buddhists perceive to be the Atman or All Soul, because they have a very different concept of the Lord God as revealed in the Sacred Scriptures of the Bible—the very Scriptures that have been penned by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. The biblical version of Creation contains the purpose of humankind’s existence, and the reason for the fall of the first man and woman from their exalted position in the Lord God’s Creation. The Bible also tells us death came into the world through jealousy, and God has had to use death as the means to show His favor towards the man and woman whom He made in His image. This can be construed as bringing about a balance of justice, or a balance of energy, nevertheless, it is the workings of a righteous God, who shows mercy and justice and establishes good faith with all His Creation.

It is no real surprise that when the police are investigating a murder, they always look for a jealous motive. Jealousy is the cause of a significant percentage of murders. Revenge is a jealous response, because a jealous person will avenge another to restore any perceived integrity that might have been lost, and to preserve faith in a name that is perceived to be honorable. This is why many feuds occur between families and tribes. People are jealous about the perceived honor they have in the same way Muslims are known to conduct honor killings of those whom they believe bring disgrace to their family or community. The same also applies to men enlisting for war. The men need to feel personally affected in some way; sufficiently so to become jealous of the perceived integrity of their country being betrayed, or dishonored, or harmed, or under threat in some respect. This way, killing other people makes sense, because the other nations need to understand the extent that nationals will go to protect their country’s honor by placing their own lives on the line.

The Jealousy of God

God yearns jealously over the spirits that dwell in human beings. This is what the Bible says:

“Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’”? (James 4:5—cf. James 2:26; Hebrews 12:9, 23).

God longs for us to call upon his name. We did not ask to be born, but we can ask to be born again—spiritually. God longs for us to give Him every chance to demonstrate to us His mercy and grace.

Even when we return to God, we still have the right to exercise our own wills. God gives us strength to survive temptations and protects us, but does not override our wills.

The story of Satan attacking Job with every known disease, but not being allowed to take his life, exemplifies how God protects us while we are going through trials of temptation. Once Job learnt his lesson that God Alone is the One Who is able to save, he repented and Satan fled. God does not let the god of this world (also known as Satan, Lucifer, and the Devil, among other names) reign when we who desire a relationship with the Lord of Life are innocent of the Evil One’s charges because of our ignorance.

While the Devil would attempt to destroy believers, God uses the Evil One’s attempts to harm believers to glorify His name. Once a person becomes a true believer, every prayer offered to God is heard; that is, providing there is no sin in the person’s life. This is why Jesus said that if anyone has anything against us to go and reconcile with him or her before bringing our gift before the altar of God. To sin against another believer is the same as cutting him or her off. Sin is a breaking of faith, which equates to lawlessness: a disregard for others.

God’s Persistence with a Disobedient People

Because the Israelites persisted in breaking faith with God, at one stage, they were all going to be destroyed in the wilderness. Moses interceded on behalf of the people:

 “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people; for you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that we promised when we spoke, saying, The Lord is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children to the third and the fourth generation.’ Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now.” Then the Lord said, “I do forgive, just as you have asked; nevertheless—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it” (Numbers 14:13-24 NRSV[iii]).

Moses’ and Aaron’s Intervention

Not too long after having granted a reprieve to the people because of Moses’ intercession, not only were the Israelites again breaking faith, this time some of them, led by one man, challenged God’s holy character and were intent on dishonoring His name. God was going to annihilate the Israelites. But Moses and Aaron pleaded with God to spare them, putting forward an argument that it is not right that other people should pay for the sin of someone else. This is recorded in the book of Numbers:

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: ‘Separate yourselves from this congregation, so that I may consume them in a moment.’ They fell on their faces, and said, ‘O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one person sin and you become angry with the whole congregation?”’ (Numbers 16:20-22 NRSV).

The Israelites had broken faith as a whole nation, except for a few exceptions—obviously not all the people were totally caught up in the rebellion at this time; otherwise, God would have wiped them all out. Therefore, God heeded Moses and Aaron’s words as they presented their reasons—take note of this fact, it is very important—for God wants us to come and reason with Him.

One Man’s Sin

There is a very important point made by Moses and Aaron in the argument presented to God. Why should God destroy everyone because of the sin of one man? There is more implied in their short reasoning with God than meets the eye. Just like there is more implied in the statement when God says to Moses that He is the God of Abraham, of Jacob and of Isaac.— Jesus pointed out the hidden meaning in the implication (Matthew 22:32[iv]). —As implied by Moses and Aaron, Adam sinned and, because of this, it is not right that others should pay for his sin, even though all men have been born into sin. That the Lord God has seen fit to continue dealing with men and women born into a sinful world can be puzzling. However, God is wise and righteous. Everything God does is designed to accomplish the plan He established before the foundation of the world. Adam’s sin was not part of the plan and therefore was not intended.

Sin is a state of existence that is effectively separation from God. Sin originated within Lucifer and was committed by Adam who lost control of Earth—when it was Paradise. This planet exists in a state of sin and the god of this world controls the affairs of humans. Before we are born, biologically, we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the sanctuary of our mother’s womb. At birth, we enter the sinful domain of Lucifer, the Devil, the god of this world—but not of the original Creation. When we are born, God also places our spirits within our physical bodies. The spirit is not tainted with sin until we actually sin; usually by willfully breaking faith with our parents when we disobey them in some manner. Sin then becomes the sting of death, and we are born to die as the consequence of sin.

Our blood comes from our father, and this traces all the way back to Adam, who as a biological being needed to eat of the tree of life in order to live forever (Genesis 3:22). Our blood has been infected by the sin of Adam, but more than this, it appears the phenomenon of cell death has come from Adam’s act of rebellion, which we have also inherited, hence we all die, even though we did not commit the sin of Adam (Romans 5:12-14).

The difference between Adam (created in a sinless world) and us is that we were conceived in the womb of a mother who lived in a sinful world and we were born into a sinful world. The temptation to sin is all around us, and our defenses against sin are weakened by our very relationships with people who are sinners. Even if we were to resist sin to the extent we sweated drops of blood in earnest prayer as Jesus did (Luke 22:44); it is doubtful we would have the strength to sustain the resistance. For our spirit might be willing, but our flesh will prove to be weak and let us down—just like the disciples who were with Jesus (Matthew 26:41).

Jesus’ blood is the blood of God (Acts 20:28). His blood is unlike Adam’s blood and our blood. Our blood is sin infected. Having the blood of God coursing through our arteries would have to make a big difference to our ability to sustain resistance against sin. Fortunately, we can be cleansed from sin by the eternal blood of Jesus, when we have fellowship with each other and the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit (1 John 1:3-7). Because of the blood of Jesus, we are now able to overcome the Devil.

A World Beyond The Mere Physical

While we might understand this world in a physical sense, it is to our advantage that we realize there is more to this world than what we can see. The mere fact we cannot see bacteria, and it exists, or we cannot see viruses that are even smaller than bacteria, and we believe these exist, testifies to the possibility that there could be an infinity of smallness beyond what we can conceive. The same applies to the size of the universe and the many solar systems and galaxies that exist within its boundaries. Fractals also testify of the endlessness of a given thing and how there could be an infinite number of worlds or spheres of existence within the world in which we live and move and have our being. When this is taken into account, it is not too difficult to understand that there may be many different dimensions of existence occurring in what we might perceive to be the space in which we live. Not only does this help us to understand that we ourselves are three-dimensional beings, with a spirit, soul and body, but angels and other beings can be watching our every move, as God weighs up the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Rev. 2:23; Heb.4:12-13).

The Origin of Sin and the Spirit World

Sin came into this world through one man, Adam (he gets the blame, even though Eve was the first to break faith), but, through Jesus Christ, grace, peace and mercy have been extended to all who have been born into this world, even though we exist in a state of separation from God.

From all accounts, it is reasonable to assume that once a being breaks faith with God, a virus-like condition takes it over. It cannot exude the light of life anymore, and enters into a diseased state where darkness starts to consume every atom of the being’s existence. The angels that have rebelled against God have been committed to deep darkness, and they roam around in some world, which could possibly be in the confines of the space occupied by Earth—this is what the ancients believed about the Nephilim that were destroyed in the flood. However, it is also possible that there are demonic beings, fallen angels that are not committed to deep darkness, since people have testified of seeing many different kinds and colors of beings that are from the spirit world and not from the throne of God. For instance, Satan is capable of manifesting himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), so why not some of his agents.

The reality is the Bible warns against the occult and having anything to do with beings from the spirit world. We have one mediator between God and us, and this is Jesus Christ; therefore, there is no need for anyone to seek out the dead. Any attempt at seeking out occult beings, ancestors, or loved ones who have died, from the other side of the chasm between this temporal world and the eternal world of the spirit, as those who claim to have contact with the dead say they have, is tantamount to making a pact with the angel of death. Even though beings from the spirit world might seem to be alive, they are dead in their sin—alienated from Lord God Almighty, the Source of Life.

God does not kill angels. For the Creator of life to kill angels, would make Him a murderer. God can kill humans in this temporal existence, and then destroy the souls (Matthew 10:28), but this does not make him a murder. This is because the spirits of men are not killed. It appears God is not prepared to kill (that is annihilate) the spirits of men who have rebelled against Him, instead they are thrown into the Lake of Fire, which has been created for the Devil and the angels that have left their positions of authority. There is then a difference between killing (as in annihilation) and the second death, which is alienation from life. In addition to the spirits of men and the angels who left their positions of authority before the flood of Noah, we can expect this second death experience will apply to the seventy angels who were given authority to look after the seventy nations, separated by language when God confused the languages of men at Babel.

“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God” (Deuteronomy 32:8).

Or as the Contemporary English Version[v] states:

“That God Most High gave land to every nation. He assigned a guardian angel to each of them.”

These angels, like Lucifer, were assigned as guardian angels responsible for overseeing a nation each, when God separated the nations according to language groupings. Instead of fulfilling their responsibilities, they appear to have become arrogant and proud among themselves. Many of the wars and territorial issues among nations and ethnic groups on Earth are a consequence of these angels fighting one another. The influence of evil permeates all the sons of disobedience.

Jesus Confirms Satan and Demons Exist

When Jesus was on earth, He spoke of the house of Satan being divided (Luke 11:17-18). Satan has authority over the planet Earth and whatever happens on it as a natural consequence of Adam forfeiting his God-given right. This is now Satan’s world, his house, and those that have joined him, are members of his household. These include the angels that decided to take women as wives, before the flood—and presumably their offspring, the Nephilim. Besides the Nephilim, there is a host of spirits that Lucifer was able to influence other than the seventy angels, who were given positions of authority over each of the language groups created by God at Babel and have rebelled against God. These seventy angels are known as the princes of the nations. They are princes who appear to have decided to do what they like and sometimes they are on God’s side and other times they are opposing God. Then there are the times they are just warring among themselves. These princes were originally known as the Heavenly Council and the Host of Heaven.[vi] But when they realized the power they had, it appears, they decided to go their own way, just like Lucifer; that is, Satan. While they have authority in Satan’s kingdom, they do not have authority over him. Satan appears to have a degree of authority over them because he has authority over the Earth. Even though Satan does not have complete authority over these angel princes, they are very much a part of his kingdom. These princes are now known as princes of darkness.

Book of Daniel Fingers Princes of Darkness

The book of Daniel refers to these princes, and the fact that God is waging spiritual warfare with them. They all have their own armies, which fight each other over who is going to rule what regions. God has to work with all this and engineer his purpose while allowing everyone free will.—Our Heavenly Father is amazing!

When Gabriel was sent to speak to Daniel (Daniel 10:12-21), he was opposed by one of the princes of darkness and was delayed in answering the prophet Daniel’s prayer. The Archangel Michael, who heads-up God’s warrior angels, was required to come to Gabriel’s aid, because he was waging a battle with the Prince of Persia. The archangel was not in battle with a human prince, but the angel, who had authority over Persia. Gabriel also tells Daniel that the Prince of Greece (another angel, who is now a prince of darkness) was preparing a campaign against the Prince of Persia, which later came in the form of the Macedonian, Alexander the Great.

These murderous campaigns of war have occurred, not because God condones murder, but because of political plays that are being made in what is the spiritual realm of existence. Spiritual warfare even affects us and we are encouraged to put on all the spiritual garments and equipment of war to protect and defend ourselves (Ephesians 6:11-13).

Deeds of Darkness or Love of Light

Many humans see killing as barbaric because to take another man’s life devalues each one’s own life. This is the same reasoning behind why it is thought God cannot kill a spirit, but has to confine them to prison. However, the physical death of a human being is not the cessation of existence, and neither does it automatically mean entry into eternal life, because much depends of each one’s relationship with God. The Bible tells us that there is such a thing as eternal punishment, originally created for the angels who departed from their positions of authority and trust, but which also will be for the reserve of those whose deeds are evil and hate the truth. Evidently, this is a decision that is made by us; because if we love the light, and delight in truth, we come to the light that our deeds might be seen to have been worked out in the goodness of God. If we are not so willing to do what God wants us to do, we will hate the truth, and flee from the light because of our personal fears, and the terrifying thought of being shamefully exposed for not doing what we knew we should have done, when it was in our power to do what was right (John 3:19-21).

Contemporary Legal Inconsistencies

Today people are always fighting about rights in courts of law. Many of the rights of the citizens in the West have been stripped away. People defending themselves, when being assaulted in their own homes, have been convicted of committing a crime when killing someone in self-defense. Meanwhile, murderers in many jurisdictions escape punishment while their victims’ offspring, partners and relatives suffer, or they receive very light penalties rather than have their own lives taken. This is because many people in positions of power (politicians and the judiciary) see killing another human as a barbaric act and believe that they are lowering their standards by sending a convicted murderer to the gallows or the guillotine or electric chair. God has no such illusions and stipulated that a human life murdered, shall require the life of the murderer—a clear-cut expression of justice—a life for a life.

God’s Ancient Cities of Refuge

When the Israelites were to set up their citizenship in the Promised Land of Canaan, they were to set up cities of refuge, where a murderer or someone who was suspected of murder could find refuge and would not be killed in the event of an accidental slaying, for his crime, or supposed crime, or unintentional crime. The cities of refuge allowed the accused to live his life in a protected environment, but if the accused were to move outside the boundaries of the protectorate, then he could be killed on sight. What this shows us is God wants mercy and justice and faith to be part of society, not corruption, distrust and fearfulness; yet violence is on the increase in the cities of the world, and the police are powerless to curb it, because of the laws that restrict their powers and the leniency of the judicial system. In fact, it appears that those who want to terrorize others seem to be able to do so with impunity. This is especially the case with juvenile criminals. However, the sense of impunity flows over to the frustrated youth (even females) who go to clubs and pubs looking for a fight, or prowl the streets looking for some defenseless person to bash and rob, not to mention the bullying and bashings that occur within school precincts. Consequently, career criminals develop their careers when they are young because of the lack of proper punishment and rehabilitation to curb aggression and violence.

Emasculation of Parental Authority

The irony of the law today is that it is considered unlawful to murder another person, assault people or commit a crime of violence, yet juveniles who commit these heinous acts go unpunished. Unfortunately, it is also unlawful for schools and parents to use appropriate disciplinary measures that include the use of minor corporal punishment and enforced rehabilitation measures, which have been proven to correct the behavior of children and teenagers who are looking to stray. An instance of this is evident concerning the sport of boxing.[vii] Boxing is considered barbaric by many who want the sport banned, but the numerous testimonies of young men who have become less violent, as a result of learning the discipline that is required to become a competent boxer, bears witness to the worth of the sport. The authorities need to find answers to curb the frustration that exists because young men are not getting supervised and disciplined outlets for their energies. Unless they can find an alternative to sports like boxing that develop the personal disciplinary habits of a rigorous sport, violence is only going to become more prevalent in the cities of the world, as evidenced by the proliferation of gang violence.

The Bible has some very clear instructions on how to curb violence and bring young people to task. Much of the problem occurs because children are not taught about sin and what it does to people. People today do not like using the word “sin”. Regardless of this, sin is still the very act that separates us from God. Sin also creates fear of each other here on planet Earth. Sin separates us from what is good. Sin brings forth death.

God’s Perspective on Sin

When the Israelites were given the land of Canaan by God, it was because the nations occupying the land at the time had developed their sinful practices to such an extent that their sin had become so intolerable that God could rightfully issue the command to destroy them. This was not something God delighted in doing, because He takes no delight in the death of anyone. However, God, living outside of time, is able to see what paths we are taking and whether we will repent. Sin can be like a snowball in motion, and it is downhill all the way. Regardless of the efforts to stop it, once the snowball has reached the point of no return, the die is cast and it is going to create an avalanche. God likewise is capable of predicting the future of a nation and knows whether a course of action is irrevocable or whether people will have a change of heart and call upon Him to save them. The story of Jonah and Nineveh testifies of this (N.B. Jonah 3:6-4:2). God does not want us to reject Him, but the decision is always up to us.

God had told Abraham that there would be four generations pass by before the Amorites’ sins would be complete, and then his descendants would be given the land (Genesis 15:12-20). God is righteous and abides by His own code of conduct, which unlike any human code of conduct has much more authority because, even though His instructions might appear simplistic to human lawmakers, they are well thought out and come from the One and Only Omniscient Mind—not from politicians on the run. God says capital punishment and corporal punishment are needed as an appropriate punishment for those who commit intolerable acts of ungodly behavior. Sin against God is a capital sin for human beings in their biological state—without mentioning anyone’s eternal state.

Murder or Killing: Any Difference?

The difference between murder and killing arises out of the passion of the flesh. Murder is motivated more from emotive reasoning, while the other is merely the act of exterminating a person. A murderer is killed for his crime, not murdered. The commandment is not “You shall not kill” but as translated in the most literal[viii] versions of the Bible, “You shall not murder.”  This makes sense, because murder incorporates intent, whereas a person can be killed unintentionally, due to negligence, or in an accident, and this is never considered to be murder.

Hatred is the same as Murder

There is a modern movement targeting violence in families—especially against men beating their wives. Wife beating is contrary to the spirit of love that God actually desires humanity to enjoy, and especially in a marriage relationship. Men who bash their wives have often already committed murder in their hearts. Often the only reason they do not murder their wives is that they are afraid that they might be imprisoned. On occasions, some men may not beat their wives, but simply murder them with their own hands or pay someone else to murder them instead. Nevertheless, murder can be committed when a person simply hates the other person. Tragically, many people have lived in a relationship where murderous thoughts have predominated and hatred has turned hearts cold towards each other. Hatred is the same as murder (1 John 3:15).

Love and Reconciliation in Marriage

Women are known to stop loving their husbands when they have children. While there are men who are violent toward their wives and live-in partners, there are also numerous women who treat their husbands with contempt once they have a child or two. Marriage relationships are being killed off at a rate approaching fifty percent in western societies. Some say that wife beating is the main reason these marriages end; but it does not seem probable that thirty-three percent of the marriages of people claiming to be born-again Christians end in divorce because of wife beating. There have to be other reasons, and at the heart of the reason is the sin of murder—hatred. Hatred is murder in any form. If two people cannot learn how to love each other, it is reasonable to assume that they will be unlikely to love another person. However, if a man beats his wife, it is understandable that she would want to murder him. Why should a wife suffer being beaten up and have to live in fear because of an unloving husband? In which case, God says, “a life for a life.” Hence, if the husband does not love his wife, he is guilty of murder. Likewise, if a wife does not love her husband, she, too, is guilty of murder.

Divorce and Jesus’ Teaching

Jesus said that Moses gave the ruling about divorce because of people’s hardness of heart.  Divorce is always meant to be an act of last resort, when all hope is gone. God hates divorce, because it is tantamount to murder. God also knows that people’s hearts can harden and be filled with hatred; therefore, men who were not pleased with their wives could divorce them. It was hard on the wife, but at least the wife was free from being beaten and treated cruelly. Hence, today, if one person in a marriage refuses to love the other person, then it is not right that the one, who is effectively guilty of murder, live with the other one whom they are hurting with their hatred. If there is no hope of reconciliation, it is better for the couple to separate.

In respect to women not being able to divorce men in bygone days, what needs to be realized is that society in those days was different to that of a First World economy today. These people had a different lifestyle to modern society and, when fully understood, what was found in the laws given to Israel through Moses was fair and equitable and provided justice for the people. The mere fact the people themselves failed to comply with God’s requirements is not an indictment of the laws provided to the people. These laws (or rules, if you like) were provided so each could live a healthy, prosperous and meaningful life on Earth—as the saying goes, “The rules are the tools, and only the fools blame the tools.” The tools do not make us do things against our will.

Preservation from Social Disharmony

The reason why people who sinned, or introduced sin, into the Israelite nation were to be put to death was so the nation would be preserved from social disharmony, as is so common today. Those who deride the biblical injunctions to put to death rebels who break faith with God, do not live for the good of the community but for their own self-interest. When we understand the spiritual influences that are at work to destroy humankind, then we will appreciate why God says that homosexuality, lesbianism, sexual perversion, immorality, licentiousness, witchcraft, consulting the dead, praying before statues and the like are all punishable by death. These practices do not lead people towards knowing God and His purpose; rather they lead people to the eternal torment of their ways; an existence void of love—God is love..

Abortion, Suicide and Euthanasia

Humans in their wisdom say that it is a crime punishable under the Charter of Human Rights Act to use any form of corporal punishment as a means to bring children or any citizen into line because he or she refuses to listen to reason. Yet at the same time, abortions can be performed at will, because this is not a crime. Suicides, on the other hand, must be prevented at all cost, because this is a waste of life, yet those attempting to commit suicide are exercising their own volition. Euthanasia, on the other hand, is permitted in certain instances because this is sometimes perceived to be in the best interests of the persons who are being killed (or they have run out of medical insurance). The death penalty cannot be administered because this is barbaric and unbecoming of a human. Meanwhile, more and more people are becoming violent, and people are seeking to live in communities that have guards at the entrance to the housing estates. Because they are afraid, people cannot live as they once could without fear.

A Prohibition on Hatred

The sixth commandment is not just about prohibiting the slaying of people but more a prohibition against hatred of the other members of the human race. Life is sacred, yet in order to preserve a community of people that are able to live free from fear and enjoy relations with each other, understanding why God prohibits murder is essential; especially, when God instructs us that people who violate certain regulations and requirements of this faith covenant are to be slain.

The sixth commandment, when studied in the light of the other requirements of the Mosaic Law, provides an understanding of how corporal punishment and capital punishment can be used to better society today.[ix] God has made provision for people who accidentally commit manslaughter as distinct from murder. However, today, the courts and the lawmakers should not dismiss the concept of a life for a life all too readily —especially in the case of premeditated murder. Forgiveness is one thing; justice is another; but justice does not distort clear-cut laws that ought to be enforced without corruption.

Positive Action and Boundaries

The sixth commandment highlights the need to love one another rather than living in relationships where murder in the form of hatred infests the inner person and creates social disharmony, even on the home front. What we need is an open community where people understand the risks of violating the commandments of God. Once the evidence is conclusive, violating the commandment regarding murder should be acted upon swiftly in the context of a life for a life. Contrary to secular thinking, such a community would be a deterrent to murder and violence.[x] This is because people could bring issues into the open and discuss them freely in the light of God’s requirements knowing that true righteousness would reign and justice would be executed. Once people are convinced that the goal posts are not shifting and action is going to be definite, the boundaries become clear and there is no confusion.

Switzerland has a very low crime rate. Guns are kept in every home, and the householders are trained in using them. Moreover, it comes as no surprise that those counties within the USA where people are required by law to arm themselves with guns have low crime and murder rates. Now, imagine if this were a global law. There just might be peace on Earth. Any fear about wrongfully killing an innocent man could be avoided by providing cities or communities for people to flee and find refuge; where they could live a meaningful life, just like the cities of refuge that God required the Israelites to build.

The sixth commandment is about being educated in the sanctity of life and why people should love one another. This is not a negative commandment as many people would tell us. This is a positive commandment that points people to where the boundaries exist; so each one of us might know what is right, what is wrong, why life needs to be valued, and why we should value each other.

Death to the Devoted

Among the heathen religions of the world, people could devote themselves as human sacrifices to their gods. Scoffers like to point to the Bible and claim that God sanctions human sacrifices by referring to this Scripture:

 “None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 27:29 AKJV[xi]).

Nearly everything that was devoted to the Lord could be redeemed for money. However, when it came to a person being devoted to the Lord as a sacrifice, this person would be put to a second death. This meant that the person would have to go to hell. This is strongly implied in the words “shall be surely put to death”. Unlike the heathen religions around the Israelites, the Bible teaches human sacrifices could not appease God. The idea of appeasing God suggests that even though a person sacrifices his or her life in the flesh, the person lives on in the spirit.  Whoever thought that he or she might be able to appease the Lord God, Creator of the Universe, as a human sacrifice, could not—instead the person would be eternally forsaken. God declared this statute to warn people off from thinking they might like to devote themselves to Him as a human sacrifice—that is, commit the unforgivable sin[xii] (1 John 5:16).

However, for this statute to be fulfilled, the person acceptable to God as an appeasement had to be without sin, and would have to believe that if he went to hell, he had the power to rise from the dead.

Jesus of Nazareth believed He would be raised from the dead (John 10:17-18). Jesus believed He had nothing to fear as a human sacrifice, because He fulfilled the requirements of living a life without sin—by the way, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and descent into hell was not a picnic that He was eager to enjoy (Matt. 26:39; Is. 53:4-6; Job 18:13; 1 Pet. 3:18-20).

Jesus became the ransom that appeased the cry for justice, which has gone up from the Earth continuously since the fall of Adam, and more particularly from the death of Abel (Genesis 4:10-11). Jesus was able to appease God’s requirement for justice on our behalf. In fact, Jesus was the only person born of a woman Who was able—or Who will ever be acceptable—to be devoted to the Almighty God on behalf of the sin of us all (Hebrews 10:12; 12:24).

The centurion and those with him saw what took place when Jesus became sin. Unlike the two criminals being crucified with him, Jesus’ body was consumed by death as his skin became leprous in an instant (Job 18:13). The company of soldiers present cried out, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

Academic scoffers, who like to think that they are erudite in matters of religion, scoff at the Scriptures being inspired by God and point to this text in Leviticus about those who are devoted to the Lord being put to death. Yet they miss the truth about the second death (Revelation 2:11), and the fact that Jesus is now Judge of all the Earth, because as the only devoted human sacrifice that was acceptable to God, He also conquered destruction in Hell and rose from being among the dead triumphantly. The Son of God was slain by the firstborn of death at Calvary, but conquered him in Hell (the second death) to become the firstborn from the dead of many brethren (Rev. 1:5; Col. 1:18; Heb. 2:10-11). The Apostle Peter made the following statements regarding Jesus descent into Hell:

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water….With respect to this they [we can include here academic scoffers and their ilk] are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does” (1 Pet. 3:18-20; 4:4-6).

Only Jesus has been without sin, and He Alone has fulfilled the just requirement of the Law. By offering His life as an acceptable offering, Jesus has fulfilled the just requirements of the law on every person’s behalf. Through the sinless Son of God, the Eternal Father has bequeathed an inheritance of eternal life for all who believe in Him.

The death of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary is the only death that has upheld the righteousness of God and pleased the Father. Our Heavenly Father does not desire that any person should perish and suffer the second death. Instead, He desires all men and women to come to knowledge of the truth and be saved through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who possesses the power of an indestructible life.

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[i] Killing infidels Sura 2:191; 2:216. Monkeys and pigs 2:65; 5:60.

[ii] Archeologist, Jonathan Gray, in his book Dead Man’s Secrets, cites numerous finds of evidence of giant human skeletons and massive violence having occurred on Earth before the flood of Noah’s time.

[iii] New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.

[iv] Anyone reading the text in Exodus 3:6 that Jesus refers to here, would not realize that God was saying that He is God of the Living, unless he had a personal revelation from God, or someone who had such a revelation alerted them to the truth and it was part of the teaching of the synagogue.

[v]Common English Version (CEV) American Bible Society Copyright 1995 Used By Permission.

[vi]  Psalm 82:1-2: “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:” (RSV). God •is in charge of the great meeting [takes his place/presides in the great assembly/or the assembly of the gods/divine council;  the angels (powers and authorities; Eph. 6:12) are here called “gods”]; he judges among the “gods” [John 10:35–36]. (The Expanded Bible, —Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.) (cf. Job 1:6, 2:1, 15:8; 2 Chronicles 18:18-30.)

[vii] This is not to say that boxing is not brutal. This is just an observation. And talking about observations, cage fighting which is more brutal than boxing—vicious, even—with less regulations, has been growing in popularity.

[viii] Young’s Literal translation and The Emphasized Bible.

[ix] It needs to be noted, this is exemplified in Singapore, where the death sentence is carried out and the dreaded rattan is used to execute corporal punishment much to the horror of civil libertarians and human rights groups. While Singapore has the highest per capita rate in the world for corporal and capital punishment, it has near the lowest crime rate. The Vatican is purported to have the lowest.

[x] It is noted that many studies have been produced to support non-violence as a better option towards achieving a less violent world. After sixty years of implementation of non-violent policies for punishment in the courts, the results tell a different story.

[xi] AKJV is the KJV updated but not changed. The word “devoted” according to Jewish sources ought to be “condemned” and the verse should read, “No one who has been set apart to be condemned shall be ransomed, but shall surely put to death.” In other words, those who willfully sin, will be held accountable for their sin and cannot be ransomed, for they have chosen to rebel against God and the community. This, of course, does not allow for repentance and mercy, which are explicit in the weightier matters of the Law (Matt. 23:23). However, it does conform to the principle of crucifying the Son of God and holding Him up for contempt on one’s own account (Heb.6:6). This was seen in Korah’s rebellion (Num. 16:32; Jude 1:11). The text explains the idea of the second death as viewed from someone offering themselves as a sacrificial offering. Either way, whether a self-righteous sacrificial offering of oneself to be burned on behalf of others or a matter of absolute rebellion against the sacrificial offering that incorporates God’s grace and mercy, the result is eternal separation from God: the second death.

[xii] This is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit or rejection of Jesus, even by disregarding one’s own life.