AntiChrist RZ 12/02 - Tomorrow's World

The Sixth Commandment
manded them to kill or execute those guilty of major crimes
(Exodus 21:12–17). Also, the instructions in Numbers 35:9–34
show that accidental killing was not regarded as murder. Even here,
though, manslaughter was obviously a terrible offense—and the
careless or unwitting slayer had to remain in a city of refuge for perhaps
many years until the high priest died. Just as God commanded
capital punishment for serious crimes under the letter of the law, so
the commanded wars of Israel should be viewed not as acts of
wholesale murder but the carrying out of the divine will through
human instruments. Notice in Deuteronomy 7:1–2 that God directly
commanded Israel to exterminate the heathen tribes in the land of
Canaan. This was not humanly devised warfare nor was it personal
vengeance or malice. It was the express will of Almighty God who
gives life—and who alone has the right to say when it shall be taken.
Incidentally, it should be noted that the history of the time
indicates that these nations occupying Canaan were absolutely
wicked in the extreme—and were burning alive their own children
in human sacrifice to their pagan gods. This was part of the intelligent
reason why the Creator ordered their extermination at that
time. Notice that in all these cases where God permitted human
beings to take life, it was only as His agent—at His express will.
God’s original purpose was that mankind should learn not to kill.
And although it was permitted in certain instances to the carnal,
unconverted people of Israel, we shall see that God is now developing
in His Spirit-begotten children the character to love, to
serve and to save life—not to destroy it.
The Source of Life
“Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to
Our likeness: let them have dominion…” (Genesis 1:26). Man is
given life by his Creator. He does not give it to himself. Neither may
he take it from himself—or from others. Life is sacred because it is
God-given. Mankind has been made in the very image and likeness
of God. Of all the physical creation, only human beings have the
type of mind that God possesses. God is the Ruler of all that is. But
out of human flesh He is forming literal sons who will someday
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