Torah Class - Day 6: Statutes 388-396 & Commandment 6

 

Today we finished our study of the Sixth Commandment, which says "Thou shalt not kill". We also started studying the first of the Statutes which relate to the 6th Commandment.

We specifically looked at whether or not the Commandment is that human life cannot ever be taken. 

Here are a few highlights from class today:

Nahum 1:3-9 "Yahweh is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: Yahweh hath His Way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His Indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His Anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. Yahweh is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. But with an overrunning flood He will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies. What do ye imagine against Yahweh? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time."   

In fact, God's ability to Judge and purge the world of wickedness, restoring it to its Edenic purity is one of the greatest demonstrations of His Great Strength (Revelation 18:8). The idea that God cannot bring this about, nor deal with the unrepentant wicked on His Own is a terrible misrepresentation of His Character and Strength. God does not need the devil! The pagan idea that yin balances yang and that white is counter-balanced by black is borne out in this teaching that God merely turns His back on the wicked and the devil is the hit man who actually slays them.

It makes God out to be a weak "mafia boss" type, who is - in effect - in collusion with the devil. Worse yet, God is portrayed as being ineffective and unable to do what needs to be done. But this isn't God's Character at all. God, Who works to save everyone, can and does take life, when it is warranted. And He is an all-powerful, complete "package" kind of God, Who needs no one, outside of Himself, to accomplish the destruction of the wicked:

Deuteronomy 32:39 "See now that I, even I, Am He, and there is no god with Me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of My Hand."

Thus, we see that the story of Jael perfectly fits the Character of God. He isn't a trickster, Who foretells the destruction of the evil Sisera through the hand of Jael, inspires Jael to take Sisera's life, and blesses Jael for doing this work, having instructed her to break His Law.

It isn't out of God's Character to justly bring an end to a rebellious life. It is out of God's Character to commit unjust murder. And this is something He will never do, nor will He ever command His people to do it. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

This is the loving, powerful, and wonderful Character of God.

Today we completed Worksheet 2.

Completed worksheets from this class are viewable and printable at the following link:

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The following is our upcoming class schedule for September, 2024:

Monday, September 23 - No Class -There will not be a Torah class on this day, as announced in class. We will seek to make up this class at a later time.

Wednesday, September 25 - No Class -There will not be a Torah class on this day, as announced in class. We will seek to make up this class at a later time.

Monday, September 30 - Torah Class will meet, as scheduled, live on Zoom. 

Wednesday, October 2 - Torah Class will meet, as scheduled, live on Zoom.