Bible Question:
EX20:13 You shall not murder. A command from God. Then the people get out of control in Ex 32:27 He said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.' " Question is Why would God Say not to Murder then turn around and tell them too? |
Bible Answer: IMHO, "murder" is an attitude of the heart. It is the attitude that one will "be like God" and determine life or death on their own. When God commands Israel to kill, then Israel is not guilty of murder just as capital punishment or war does not equate to murder. By ordering Israel to kill, God bears all responsibility for the loss of life, not Israel. In fact, when Israel failed to obey God's order to kill, they were punished. Think to King Saul and the chastisement he got from Samuel after letting that king live after they conquered that people. (Sorry for the lack of specifics, this is from memory.) |