“You Shall Not Hate” (Exodus 20:13)

What this episode covers

The Sixth Commandment: You Shall Not Hate As we get practical in our application of the commandments, we must always keep in mind the preface, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). These commands were given to a people who had been set free from their bondage in Egypt. Since entering the wilderness God had already shown himself to be faithful to preserve their lives in the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14), his provision of drinkable water (Exodus 15:22-25; 17:1-7) and bread from heaven (Exodus 16), as well as their defeat of Amalek (Exodus 17:8-16). This theme of redemption, ransom, and freedom is applied throughout the rest of Scripture in spiritual terms. Those who were once in bondage to sin have been redeemed by God. Through the substitutionary death of the Son of God, believers have been rescued from slavery to their corrupt natures, and they have been justified by faith alone in Christ alone. Last week I introduced the biblical principle: No human may take the life of another human whether physically or psychologically. The present polarization in the world represents our disregard for this fundamental moral principle. The political and social hatred that we see in the nation has entered the Church. We considered several examples of the physical application of the law including abortion, suicide, and negligence. We also pointed to some important exceptions to the commandment such as capital punishment, just wars, and self-defense. Scripture is clear on these matters, but unfortunately the Church has not always stood on the sure foundation. This morning I want to elaborate upon the psychological aspects of the commandment. What are those wicked thoughts that violate this commandment? What can we do to exchange those thoughts with love for our neighbors, including our enemies? It is not surprising that the way people describe feelings of bitterness and hatred is oftentimes couched in language of bondage. There is a sense of helplessness to set aside their feelings. Read Exodus 20:13 You Shall Not Hate Your Neighbor The answer to the Westminster Larger Catechism Question 136, after stating the physical examples and exceptions that we looked at last week, goes on to provide a list of mental attitudes toward others that leads to murder. These are not steps of thought that the authors devised on their own, but Scriptural proof texts are attached to each one. The first recorded murder in Scripture reveals Cain’s envy of the way God received the sacrifice of his brother Able. This envy gave way to sinful anger that had likely festered in Cain’s heart for awhile. Eventually, his anger became deep rooted hatred that led him to rise up against Able and kill him. We could point to several more examples of this sequence of murder in the Old Testament (Joseph’s brothers, Saul). Jesus recognized this mental progression and equated each attitude with the final act (Matthew 5:21-26). That is not to say that Jesus elevated the command, but that He rightly interpreted it. The murder had already begun in Cain’s heart when he was filled with envy for his brother (James 4:2). Any manner of excessive passions might have developed from there, but they all took him further down the road to murder. Hatred for our covenant brothers was forbidden under both the Old and New Testaments (Leviticus 19:17; 1 John 3:15). This was something to be avoided by patient reasoning with those we find ourselves in disagreement. When we feel like someone has slighted us, we should not contemplate how we might get revenge (Romans 12:19), but we should show them kindness. We know that God will bring true justice in his final judgment, so we do not have to ensure absolutely fair treatment in this life. In other words, we can suffer wrong and not retaliate. Notice though, while hatred is not an option, disagreements are inevitable. This is not requiring that

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.