With the Death of Bin Laden

So he's dead, dead at last.  Osama Bin Laden has finally met his maker after 10 years of hiding out in Afghan and Pakistan safe houses.  For many individuals around the world Bin Laden's was a complete shock.  I woke up late in the night a few days ago to hear my cousin (who lives with my wide and I) tell me, "did you hear? Bin Laden is dead!"  


"Wow", I thought, "what will happen now?  I hope and pray that God remain first and foremost in the military."


So as I descended the stairs I glanced over at the television where I saw hundreds of people partying in front of the White House.  I could not help but to ask myself if any one of those happy people thought of God for vanquishing their enemy.  Yet, that brought another issue to my mind, should I be feeling good about the death of another human being, even one so evil as Bin Laden.  


Thus we come to the age old discussion is killing permissible in Scripture?  Honestly, my friends I do not know. For myself I think it is as Christ told us to love or neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:28:31).  Yeshua never gave a distinction between who is and who was not our neighbors, thus we are supposed to love one and all.  At the same time, I believe it is fair to feel a strong sense of relief knowing that Bin Laden can no longer cause any more pain and destruction on anyone.  And as for my self I know I definitely feel that.

Precious Eternal Father, I pray that you would stand with us, though sinful creatures we may be, as we hope to follow in the footsteps of Messiah Jesus.  Adonai, we thank you for the relief that many of us feel in knowing that many terrorist activities may now be nullified with the death of Osama Bin Laden.  I pray that we may come to a world wide peace with this death and from the truth that comes with the salvation that is in Jesus Christ.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Thou shalt not kill.  Exodus 20:13 (KJV)

When using the King James Version of the Bible, and I do use and believe in the truth of the King James Bible (for the New Testament) their really is no question about the sixth commandment.  You shall not kill, period.  But the reason I am not a true and devout follower of the KJV of the Bible for the Old Testament is that the Hebrew and Aramaic as strong as the Jewish TANAKH in the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) 1917 edition.  In the JPS the sixth commandment reads:

You shall not murder (emphasis added), Exodus 20:13 (JPS)

So we now fall back to the question, is it OK to feel happy at the death of Bin Laden?  

The distinction between the two is clear.  Scripture and God gives sanction for killing under the guise of war and capital punishment.  It is when killing is done in the form of murder, including manslaughter (unitentinal deaths) that there can be no allowance for.