• Exodus 9:8-12 handfuls of ashes
• There are so many TV shows and Movies about Murder. From ‘Murder she wrote” to “Murder Mountain’ TV shows and Movies about Murder are big business. People love to watch about Murder and killing. Law and Order, Forensic Files etc. Documentaries about Murderers. 
• People love Murder shows. Psychology Today says its because it gives people moral clarity (right and wrong) predictive narrative (bad people leave clues and gets resolved) reminds us of how good we have it compared to the killed and killer, and gives us participation in the forbidden. 
• Boils are bad. Killing is bad. False Gods are bad. Hating someone is bad. Murder is bad

1. The Plague

• Today we’re talking about the 6th plague of Egypt- the boils. God tells Moses and Aaron to throw ashes in the in the air from a furnace. The fine particles land on man and beast and produce sores (boils). It also fell on the magicians, and all the Egyptians. Once again, Pharoah did not heed any warnings. 
• This was a plague that the magicians could not replicate, because they themselves were covered in boils. 
• This is reminiscent of the boils that fell on Job, open sores, which in and of itself, is somewhat nasty, but I can’t imagine the physical pain and discomfort that it must have brought upon them. This plague is much different in that it falls on the humans, not the animals. 
• Boils become infected, they seep, they smell, they itch, cant sleep etc. Yuck. 

2. The false Goddess

• We’ve been juxtaposing the Plague, the False God and the Commandment
• The false God here is Isis. a deity in rites connected with the dead; magical healer, she cured the sick and brought the deceased to life; and as mother, she was a role model for all women.
• A spell, in a medical papyrus, “for the healing of all diseases”, states: Oh Isis, you great enchantress, heal me, deliver me from all evil as you did deliver and release your son Horus!
• Mistress of heaven, Divine mother, Queen of all gods, goddesses, women. The bestower of life.

3. The commandment

• The Commandment is the 6th commandment in Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder.
• The King James Version (KJV) translates the sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13 and Deut 5:17 as “Thou shalt not kill,” suggesting an absolute prohibition on taking human life.
• wording is overly broad and imprecise, confusing. The Bible itself acknowledges exceptions, such as the execution of certain criminals (Ge 9:6) and killing in warfare (1 Chr 19:18).
• Most modern translations, including the NKJV, correctly render the original Hebrew as “You shall not murder” (NIV) or “Do not murder” (CSB). AMP clarifies it as “You shall not commit murder (unjustified, deliberate homicide).”
• In Exodus 20:13, the Hebrew word used is “rasah,” meaning “murder.” Strangely, the KJV translates it as “kill” instead of “murder,” creating an inconsistency in its translation.
• The mistranslation has led to confusion and moral conflicts for Christians over issues like military service, the use of deadly force by police, and self-defense. The command “Do not murder” does not prohibit justified killing in the line of duty or in self defense
• This mistranslation has raised questions about the reliability of the Bible and God’s character, especially when God commands the Israelites to kill criminals and pagan societies.
• The Bible distinguishes between justified killing and murder, emphasizing that the commandment forbids murder specifically, not killing in general. Killing OK sometimes
• Capital punishment for murder was one of the first commands given to Noah after the flood (Ge 9:6), highlights biblical distinction between justified killing and unlawful, intentional homicide.
• Just as the Bible differentiates between justified killing and murder, the penal codes of nations historically recognize a similar distinction. Reading in Duet– Cities of refuge for unintentional. 

4. The Connection

• Isis is connected with healing and life. She is revered as the “giver of life” 
• Once again, God displays his power over this false God, by giving a disease that cannot be replicated and cannot be cured by this false Goddess. They think She’s life- She’s not
• God gives a plague that will kill people, because he’s the giver of life. ONLY HIM
• All of these plagues are a slap in the face to a false God- If you’re the giver of life, fix this! But they cant. Only God heals. Only God gives life. All others are false Gods. Boils not fixed
• God gives boils that will eventually kill upon humans to show that Isis does not give life
• Here’s the other part of this connection to the Plague, Isis, and the 6th commandment 
• Murdering is bad, but the reason it is bad is because it is God himself who decides when and how someone leaves this earth. That is not our decision, it is his decision. We do not get to stand in the place of God and unjustifiably kill someone. God decides who lives and dies. 
• to ‘not murder’ is a demand to ‘not get involved in things out of your pay grade’ 
• God knows who and what he is doing, and its up to HIM when someone leaves. 
• notwithstanding previously mentioned situations where killing is justified, MURDER is much different. It’s a premeditated action that aims to end another persons life for no justified reason. 
• THAT’S the point where you begin to play God, where you decide that YOU are going to be GOD.
• Isis does not give life, look at these boils I gave you that will kill you, don’t commit murder. 

How Does a Christian walk this out?

5. You can’t take your own life. 

• A boil is a boil. It happens. But part of the subtext of this story of a painful group of people is the idea of I’m sure that when you are covered with disease, you either want to die, or want someone to kill you. 
• But no measure of suffering is justification for the extermination of a life. Not in suicide or homicide. Look at Job 2:7-10 READ
• The boil becomes a means by which God induces a suffering that one cannot escape through the means of their own choosing, they must endure through the suffering and wait on God through it. God is the decider and giver of life and sometimes you suffer in this life. You do. 
• Job was suffering and was encouraged to curse God and die and escape the pain. He refused.
•  Deuteronomy 32:39 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
• Whatever phys or emot. pain you may be experiencing is not justification for killing yourself. 
• I’m not going to get into the nuances of suicide, mental health and such. Today, right now, you can agree, that God does not condone suicide in any form, that’s biblically true
• That’s why as Christians, we must reject assisted suicide. Its unbiblical to take your own life. 
• It brings to question ethical dilemmas about life and death and refusing treatments as well
• But natural death by natural means is natural. Accelerating the process is not. Not your job. 

6. You can’t support abortion

• Any Christian that supports Abortion in any form is biblically illiterate and believing against very clear admonitions of scripture. God gives life and God takes away. Abortion is Murder. 
• Abortion is not a health care issue. Its not a rape issue. The political pundits have framed it away from what it truly is in America- Its birth control. People get pregnant, and don’t want the baby and they kill it. They escape the responsibility of their actions through murder. Its wrong. 
• Christians cannot support abortion and live out the 6th commandment. (or be moral people)
• Psalm 139:13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
• De30:19I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death,blessing and cursing;therefore choose life,that both you and your descendants may live; Deut 19:10 lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you. Pro 6:17 says God hates the hands that shed innocent blood. 
• If you murder a baby in the womb you are a murderer according to the Bible. 
• People redefine words to make what it is more palatable, and that’s wrong. 
• I don’t even need the bible to speak against abortion. Its just morally repugnant and disgusting. 
• I said this before, and I’ll say it again. I know there are women and men who have had abortions in this Church. God can and will forgive you if you ask him. No matter the circumstances. 
• You do not have to live in despair, guilt and shame for your past actions. Our God is a God who forgives, restores and sets free. Walk in the forgiveness that God provides. Its real. You’re free. 

7. You can’t kill someone for no reason

• You shall not murder is pretty clear. Do not plan or work to Murder someone
• Leviticus 24:17 ‘Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death.
• Deuteronomy 27:24 ‘Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.’
• I think this might be the most universal truth that exists in modern society
• But this truth is a Judeo-Christian Ethic. It comes from the Bible and the truth that God creates and runs this earth. We let people live. Life is a precious thing. Its great to be alive! 
• We have a Justice system that becomes an arm of the Justice of God. It takes the honus of justice out of our hands, and puts it in another. We don’t avenge ourselves. 
• Deuteronomy 19:11-12 outlines the elders of the city shall avenge the murdered. 
• Justification for the death penalty Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.

8. Biblical self defense

• Self defense and killing another is allowed according to the Bible. 
• Not only are we to take care of our bodies and the life contained. We have an obligation to preserve the body and life of other people. We are called to be protectors. 
• Psalm 82:4 cites an obligation to protect those who are in danger:
• Psalm 82:4 Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. 
• Proverbs 24:11, says we have a duty to preserve the lives of those who are harming themselves:
• Proverbs 24:11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
• Ezekiel 33:6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
• If you know danger is coming to others, and you deliberately fail to warn the others of the danger, you are guilty of harming the victims. By whatever means, we are to protect others. 
• You can kill to protect others, protect yourself, your home. Not your property. (standing idly by)
• Ex 22:2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. ( we will dig deeper into biblical self defense when we get here)

9. Don’t be a murderer with your heart

• You love all those murder shows to give you a sense of moral superiority, while having murderous thoughts in your mind, and speaking murderous words with your mouth. 
• 1 john 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
• You don’t want to be covered with boils and you don’t want to murder. 

• as Christians, we are demanded to LOVE and FORGIVE the brethren. ALWAYS walking in LOVE
• Matthew 5: 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
• The NT standard is always higher than the OT. The fact that you have a heart condition against another brother puts you in danger of the hell fire. Have a mouth of LIFE and LOVE
• If you find yourself upset with someone in your heart with murderous thoughts, you need to quickly go to God and have it changed. You cannot have hate in your heart and be a Christian. 
• You must watch your heart and keep it with all diligence. You also must keep your tongue. Its not just what you speak, its what you THINK about someone you. 
• Do not sit on your spiritual high horse and say “I’m not a murderer” but you murder people with your thoughts and mouth. Trying to destroy someones witness is no better than murder. 
• Here’s a connection- often times the outpouring of someones pain is manifested in anger and destruction upon other people. Your boils cause you to lash out on someone else. Don’t. 
• Work on you! Get your relationship with Jesus correct. Get rid of your addictions. Work on your relationships, health and finances. Often times people lash out because of where THEY are at
• Its not quantifiable, but I think most would agree that how you feel about others affects how you treat others. When you are not squared away, its easier to lash out to someone else. 
• Don’t be a murderer. Don’t do it with your heart or your mouth. Walk with Jesus. 
• God is the giver of life. We worship him. We defend others. We let him avenge. We speak well.