More Than Just Rules Pt.6

The sixth commandment comes right in the middle of God’s law and says it plain: “You shall not murder.” The commandment says murder, not kill, because every murder is a killing, but not every killing is murder. The distinction matters because taking a life in battle, self defense, or an accident carries real weight, but it is not the same thing as willfully taking innocent life out of anger, revenge, or without cause. God’s word makes that recognizable difference, and that difference can bring healing to people carrying burdens from war, service, or tragedy.

Abortion stands under this commandment because Scripture treats life in the womb as life before God. Exodus says life for life when an unborn child is killed, and the unborn John the Baptist leaps in the womb when Mary comes carrying Jesus. The law of the land may shift, but God’s word does not shift with politics, parties, or culture. The call around abortion is not to weaponize the Bible and beat people down, but to tell the truth, help the vulnerable, support mothers, call men to repent too, and point every guilty conscience to forgiveness in Jesus.

Genesis 4 shows murder from the beginning, when Cain rises up against Abel because anger and jealousy had taken root. God warns Cain that sin is crouching at the door, but Cain must rule over it. Abel’s blood cries out, and God shows himself as defender of the defenseless and father of the fatherless. The blood sacrifice that God accepted in Abel’s offering also points all the way forward to Jesus, the Lamb of God, whose blood atones once and for all.

Matthew 5 takes the commandment deeper. Jesus extends murder beyond the physical act and brings it into the heart, the mouth, and the way a person tears another person down. Anger, insults, calling someone worthless, and words that cut can become murder spiritually. David did not swing the sword that killed Uriah, but David murdered him through manipulation, lust, cover up, and abuse of power.

The heart posture is key in keeping the commandments. Psalm 51 gives the right cry after exposure: “Create in me a clean heart.” Luke 23 shows a hardened society choosing Barabbas, a murderer, over Jesus. Christian identity must sit above culture, country, ethnicity, attitude, and personality. Jesus tells the broken, “I don’t condemn you, go and sin no more,” and Jesus also forms self control so anger does not get the final word.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Murder begins in the heart Jesus takes the sixth commandment past the physical act and puts it under the light of the heart. Anger that dehumanizes, insults that call someone worthless, and words meant to cut all reveal something deeper than a bad mood. The issue is not just what the hand has done, but what the heart has already agreed with. [22:06]
• 2. God hears innocent blood Cain’s story shows that hidden violence is never hidden from God. Abel’s blood cries out, and God stands as defender of the defenseless when no human court is speaking yet. That truth gives weight to innocent life, but it also calls guilty people toward repentance instead of denial. [16:47]
• 3. Truth must not become a weapon The commandment names abortion as murder, but the call of Christ refuses cruelty toward people crushed by shame, pressure, or fear. Love does not pretend sin is fine, and truth does not need to destroy the person it is trying to rescue. Jesus gives his people a way to speak clearly and still help carry someone toward healing. [12:32]
• 4. A clean heart keeps commandments Psalm 51 shows that exposure can become mercy when repentance is real. David’s sin was ugly, calculated, and deadly, yet the cry was not self defense, but “Create in me a clean heart.” Commandment keeping starts where God cleans what anger, lust, pride, and control have polluted. [29:59]
• 5. Anger needs Spirit-filled control Scripture allows anger, but it never gives anger permission to rule the mouth. Self control can look like silence, prayer, a shower, a pause, or waiting until the heart is no longer ready to wound. The goal is not winning the moment, but hearing “well done” instead of discovering that words became murder.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:39] - Reviewing the Ten Commandments
• [05:01] - You Shall Not Murder
• [05:31] - Murder Versus Killing
• [08:37] - Abortion and Innocent Life
• [12:32] - Forgiveness After Abortion
• [15:00] - Cain, Abel, and Murder’s Beginning
• [17:34] - Blood Sacrifice and Atonement
• [21:43] - Jesus Fulfills the Law
• [22:06] - Anger as Spiritual Murder
• [23:21] - David, Uriah, and Hidden Murder
• [31:38] - Hardened Hearts Choose Barabbas
• [37:34] - The Lord’s Army and Wounded People
• [40:25] - Be Angry and Do Not Sin
• [42:53] - Create in Me a Clean Heart

Bible Reading

Exodus 20:13
“You shall not murder.” [04:57]

Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” [22:15]

Genesis 4:1-10
“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.’ And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.’ Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?’ And the Lord said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.’” [15:00]

Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” [30:11]

Exodus 21:22-23
“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,” [09:07]

Observation questions

1. In Genesis 4, what emotions showed up in Cain before he killed Abel, and what warning did God give him before the murder happened? [15:41]
2. In Matthew 5:21-22, what kinds of words and attitudes does Jesus connect to the commandment against murder?
3. What difference is being made between killing and murder, and what examples help make that difference clear? [05:31]
4. In Psalm 51:10, what does David ask God to create and renew in him after his sin is exposed? [30:15]

Interpretation questions

1. If Jesus takes the commandment “You shall not murder” into anger, insults, and contempt, what does that reveal about how seriously God takes the inner life, not just outward behavior? [22:22]
2. Cain was warned that sin was crouching at the door and that he must rule over it. What does that suggest about the moment between temptation and action, especially when anger is growing? [15:57]
3. Abel’s blood cried out from the ground, and later Jesus shed His blood once and for all. How do these two themes help show both the seriousness of sin and the hope of forgiveness? [17:34]
4. David did not swing the sword that killed Uriah, yet he was still guilty. What does that show about hidden, indirect, or manipulated forms of murder and responsibility before God? [23:21]

Application questions

1. Jesus says anger and tearing words can become murder spiritually. Where is anger most likely to come out in a damaging way right now—in the home, at work, online, in traffic, or somewhere else? What usually sets it off? [28:39]
2. A clean heart is key to keeping God’s commandments. When the heart starts running on empty, what changes in attitude or speech usually show up first? How can that be noticed sooner this week? [26:30]
3. Truth must not become a weapon. When talking about hard sins or painful situations, what helps a person speak clearly without becoming harsh, proud, or crushing? [12:44]
4. Some people carry deep weight from war, tragedy, abortion, manipulation, or words they cannot take back. Where might there still be shame, self-accusation, or a refusal to receive God’s forgiveness? [42:49]
5. “Create in me a clean heart” is a prayer for people who know they need God to do heart work. What specific part of the heart needs that prayer most right now—anger, bitterness, sarcasm, jealousy, contempt, pride, or something else? [43:19]
6. Being angry is not the same as sinning, but anger must not rule the mouth. What would self-control look like in a real situation this week—staying quiet, stepping away, praying first, delaying a conversation, or asking for help? [40:25]
7. Christian identity must sit above culture, personality, family patterns, and public opinion. Where is there pressure to excuse sinful speech or attitudes by saying, “that’s just how I am”? What would it look like to put allegiance to Jesus first in that area? [35:31]