The Ethies of Human Life Ly the conchision of this lesson the students will explain why ies unethical ta cause any harm ta human life “Text: Exodus 20:13, Background Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:41-43; Proverbs: ‘22:12, 13; Isaiah 1:10-21; Jeremiah 79-11; Hosea 6:9 i: Matthew 5°21, 22 Devotional Reading: Death for Premaditated Murder, Exo- has 21:12, 14 Introduction The time has come when most people toa perverted sense of the importance of le. Many people have ‘concluded that itis inappropriate for people to take the lives of ‘animals for any purpose. Those same people have generally ‘decided that itis acceptable to take human life under certain the world have come done quite carly in history. When Adam sinned by willfully eat ing the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God pro- ‘vided a covering for his sin. Adam and Eve had attempted to fhakedness. The animals were used for the benefit of mankind, Some time later. Cod permitted the use of animals for food (Gen. 9:3). Again, animals were used for the benefit of mankind. “The focus ofthis lesson is on the ethical treatment of human life. The Bible has a clear message about the treatment of other Jhurman beings. This begins with an understanding of the reason 0 that human life is special. In this lesson, the student will exam: Ine biblical teachings prohibiting the taking of human life, This will include a brief mention of a governments right to exercise its authority in punishing erime. Finally, the student will see why it is important to respect other people and their rights. This own should challenge every cid of Goel tourer stand 1 Why Is Human Life Special? The Bible dearly teaches the difference between human life land animal Ife Since both animals and humans have physical bodies, breathe, propagate, eat and sleep, what is thelr difer- tence? Why has God set the priority on human life over animal lifer The difference between kinds of life finds it bosis in the ere tation itself. Genests 1 recounted the creation narrative. Te began with the formation of che earth and its preparation for life. The plants began to grow. Then animal life wae placed ere in a certain order. After the animal cealogy was established, God determined to place a created being over the earth. That being created was Adam, The Lord had examined the earlier parts of creation and determined that every aspect of fe was food (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). As He brought His creative act close, He brought mai into existence. All the rest of ere= lation was brought into existence by the spoken word. The cre- ‘tion of man wae different. “And the Lon Cad ferred man of the dust ofthe ground” (Gen. 2:7). The word formed means “to shape by squeezing.” It carried the idea of a potter forming a vessel out of clay” God had a personal stake in forming. me God alse personally breathed life inte mars He "breathed in his noctrils the breach of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). Man was created differently than the animals, “More important then the method of creation was the special Image given to mar God seid, “Letts make man in aur meg, after our likeness” (Gen. 1-20). What does ir mean for man tobe Created in the image of Cod? Animals were created with physi- ‘al bodies and minds, Their minds are primarily governed by instinct. There is no eternal part of animals. Man was ereated with a physical body and mind, but he was also mace an eter- nal spire. There fs a part of man that continues to exist even ‘after the death of the body. The epirt of man lives eternally. "taking animal lie for necessary wes ‘ot wrong, On the other hand, the taking of a human life is the destruction of one who is made in the image of God. It is mur ‘deren is condemned by Godin Fix Wer 2 Why Is It Weong To Take Human Life? “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex. 20:13). That statement is so clear that tone should be able ta queation or deny it yet, some poe ple try to explain away God's prohibition on murder. Why is It ‘wrong to take human life? Tye creation af mars was shown to be special, He wan not just aan afterthought, Man was created in the image of God. Killing ‘a man is far more than merely snuffing out the physical life of ‘some animal. Its a desceration af the image of God. The mur- ‘der ofa person has been compared to killing Godin effigy. What hes that near? The Linited States nnd tx President are hated tn certain parts of the world, Occaslonally, the news broadcasts ‘yl air fotage of these people burning a mannequin with the Tice of the President om i They ars burning the President i ‘effigy. They show their hatred of the United States by this act, Murdering someane is akin to taking an image of Gad and burn Ing It in the town square. It makes a mockery of God. Murder is reps bexous i dentrye onc who wan rete in the sigs of “Murder is also wrong because God declared it tobe sin. “Thou ‘shalt net kill” In the Law, God set some special requirements ‘concerning the treatment of murderers. Several af the com- ‘mandments permitted the death penalty for breaking the Law. Imes ax murder, kidepping,eape, homosexuality strike Ing one’s parents, blasphemy and ethers could be punished by Fansom his life in certain ways. The penalty for murder was ‘always the death penalty. The reason for this wos that God ‘dernanded life for lf (Hx. 21:23). Cad wanted people to respact ‘the lives of ethers. ‘death penalty? Soon after the flood God gave instructions that ‘would be valid for generations to come. He told Noah, “Whosa ‘sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shel for in the image of God made he man’ (Gen. 9:6). This statement was made as God told Noah and his descendants te spread through fut the world and populate it. God knew governments would have to be established. Those governments would have to main= tain order, The murderer must be punished, God will take care of the eternal jurgment in time to come, but He wanted gov cecrments to handle wrong behavior while on earth, They were ‘commanded to execute the death penalty for the crime of mur~ er, Tndividuals do nat have the right ta determine when a person ‘should depart from this life, When a person rehels against the Commande of Ced and murders someone else, he is t be put to death, That is Gods demand. Low Should People Respect Others? pw epi, ths oes ea eh Be mane ot rut tr wha ate he eqn! eee he human beings? Jesus taught much about how we should treat other people. 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