Suicide - the Murder of Oneself

As we continue on His Path we gain understanding and learn how to apply His Instructions to modern day affairs. Many questions arise over time in regards to various topics concerning daily life.  One of the commandments from His Book of Instructions in particular is not to commit murder which has raised the question: "What about suicide?"  How does this affect one's salvation, or was one truly saved at all if they entertain the idea of ending their own life?  Please read my study Always Saved and also take this into consideration as we read Jude 1:5 - Let me remind you that Elohim, after once rescuing the people from Egypt, again destroyed them who did not believe.  Every one who left Egypt that day did so because of 'the blood of the lamb' which saved them from death yet not everyone kept the faith and some stopped believing in Yahweh.

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who endures temptations so that when he is proved he may receive a crown of life which Elohim has promised to them that love Him. 

Is it temptation that leads one to murder oneself? We are told to resist temptation so that the devil will flee from us. Giving in to suicide is giving in to temptation and in doing so we give up that crown of life. Remember how horrible life became for Job who once was living so comfortably yet never gave up and never blamed Yah for his miseries. By staying committed - faithful - and steadfast Job was rewarded with more than he had before.  So shall it be for us as we endure 'life' and whatever comes our way.  If we stand strong in our faith and remain committed to our Creator and abide by the terms of His contract we shall be rewarded with much more than what we once had.

Revelation 2:10 - Be not terrified at any of the things you are to suffer. The Accuser/Satan will throw some of you into custody (prison) that you may be tried and there will be trouble for you ten days (tortured). Be faithful (right up until the day they kill you) and I will give you the crown of life.  

If we keep our faith in YHWH then death loses its sting; we will not even think about killing ourselves regardless of the state we find ourselves in.  If we are not full of the Word of our heavenly Father then Satan will find ways to fill those empty places allowing demons to do his dirty work.

Scriptures is full of stories that involve killings, murders, accidental deaths, wars etc.... although only a few people are noted as suicides, depending on which version of Scriptures you read from. And in reading Scriptures we find these weren't all suicides. Lets take a look:

Saul

1 Samuel 15:35 = YHWH regretted making Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 28:6 = Yah stopped talking with Saul and Saul goes as far to break his own law and inquires of 'spirits' by visiting the witch of En-dor.

1 Samuel 31:4 = Saul has been severely wounded in battle and tells his arms-bearer to draw his sword and run him through so that the 'uncircumcised' Philistines wouldn't have the chance to finish him off and make sport of him.  His arms-bearer, in his great awe, refused so Saul grasped the sword and fell upon it.  When his arms-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

The next day the Philistines came to strip  the slain and they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped him of his armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the news in the temples of their idols and among the peoples. They placed his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth and impaled his (head) on the wall of Beth-shan.*

The Amalekite  (Note: this young man's account is a bit different than what is recorded in 1 Samuel 31:4).

2 Samuel 1:1-16 = After the death of Saul, David was in Ziklag when a man, an Amalekite, came from Saul's camp and told David what had happened. He was at Mount Gilboa and saw Saul leaning on his spear. Saul called to him and told him to finish him off, and he did.  He took Saul's crown and armlet to bring back to David.  Later in the evening David says to the Amalekite, "How did you dare lift your hand and kill Yah's anointed?" and he ordered one of his attendants to strike him, which he did, and the Amalekite died. 

I noticed that the Amalekite said he knew Saul would never rise from where he was lying, so maybe he used that as an excuse to 'say' that he finish him off even though Saul was already dead. Because his story is different than what is first recorded in 1 Samuel 31:4 I can imagine this young man watching the battle from afar.  He saw Saul become severely wounded, kill himself and saw his arms-bearer commit suicide soon after.  He saw an opportunity and maybe thought he could win favor with David and save himself from the Philistines so he grabbed Saul's identification (crown and armlet) and headed to Ziklag where David had been hiding out from Saul, and told his version of story. Either way he ended up being killed because of it.

*1 Chronicles 10:8 ~ The next day the Philistines came to strip the slain and they found Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa.  They stripped Saul and carried off his head and his armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the news to their idols and among the people. They placed his armor in the temple of their god (Ashtaroth) and impaled his head in the temple of Dagon (at Beth-shan).

Ahithophel

In 2 Samuel 15:31 David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom.

In 2 Samuel 16:22-23 Ahithophel had advised Absalom to have sex with his father's concubines in full knowledge of all Israel.  In those days Ahithophel's advice was accepted like an oracle sought from YHWH, and Absalom did have intercourse with David's concubines on the roof of the palace. (This also fulfilled one of the things Yah said he would cause to happen).  And we read in 2 Samuel 17:23 that Absalom got a second opinion this time and does not take Ahithophel's advice.  When Ahithophel saw his advice had not been followed he packed up and went to his native town, settled his affairs and then hanged himself.

Abimelech
Judges 9:24

He did not kill himself but his pride and arrogance held true to his end.  During an attack on the tower in Thebez a woman dropped an upper millstone which fell and cracked Abimelech's skull.  He didn't want the world to know he was killed by a woman so he cried out to his attendant to finish him off with his dagger, and he did.  Abimelech knew he was dying and asked his attendant to finish the job.  

Samson 
Judges 16:25

I don't read his story ending as a suicide as I don't think Samson planned to kill himself.  He had been in captivity long enough for his hair to grow out and he was regaining strength. The event that brought him out of the dungeons to be made fun of gave him the opportunity to seek the revenge he so desired. The collapse of the building did kill him, but this wasn't a planned suicide.  He was consumed with revenge and didn't care if he died along with them or not.

Zimri
1 Kings 16:18

When Zimri saw that the town of Tizrah was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set it afire.  He remained inside and the place burnt down upon him.  And so he died because of the sins which he committed and caused Israel to commit, doing what was displeasing to Yah and following the way of Jeroboam.

Judas Iscariot 
Matthew 27:3-5

He regretted betraying Y'shua but wasn't able to handle his remorse.  He did confess that he had shed innocent blood but the same religious leaders who paid him to betray Messiah turned him away, and in his despair he hung himself. 

2 Peter 2:20 - For if, when they have escaped the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of our Master and Redeemer Y'shua (aka saved), they again become involved in the same (old ways) and are vanquished, their latter state is worse then the former. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after having known it, to turn back from the Set Apart Commandment that was delivered to them.

Having read the examples found in Scriptures I see that these are some of the thoughts and feelings one may have prior to killing themselves (and the reasons affecting people today):
Deep regret, lasting guilt, feeling defeated, wanting the easy-way out, one's perceived self-importance becomes shattered, emptiness, loneliness, repeated failures, alcohol and drug use, lack of faith and doubting Yah as the Creator.

If we allow any one of these mental states to creep in and linger in our thoughts they could eventually tempt one to end their life. If life is a gift from YHWH how could we think it's alright and without consequence if we take our own lives.

It seems that we have a moral obligation to live
and to promote life in others,
as in 'do unto others as you would have them to do unto you'.

Luke 6:31 ~ 

And as you desire how others should treat you, 

you also do likewise to them. 

┋━┋━┋

I agree, in part, with what I read in Answers in Genesis.  Yahweh wants all people to love, obey and hold fast to Him and thereby find life.

“They cry out and He hears and saves them from all their troubles. He is close to the brokenhearted; those crushed in spirit He delivers. Though the misfortunes of the righteous be many, He will save him from them all" (Psalm 34:18-20).  

BUT in order for our Creator to do these things we must take the first step and come into covenant with Him.  In obedience to His Instructions we gain life which is eternal. Choosing death is rebellion against Yahweh. 

Yahweh saw His work of creating Life on this earth as good. Death came into the world as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience when they both ate from the tree of knowledge of good and bad (Genesis 2:16-17).  And by that act of disobedience sin entered the world and by means of sin death entered (Romans 5:12).  The wages of sin is death; but the gift of Elohim is life eternal through our Master Y'shua the Anointed One (Romans 6:23). 

Deuteronomy 6:24 ~ We are to observe all the laws, to revere YHWH our Elohim, for our lasting good and for our Survival, as is now the case. It will be therefore to our merit before YHWH to observe faithfully this Whole Instruction (found in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) as He has commanded us. 

As far as my research has gone, so far, I have not found one faithful steadfast Set Apart believer in Yahweh who has committed suicide, which is the illegal or immoral taking of one's own life aka: murder. My husband mentioned Judas, but even Judas was not filled with the Spirit of YHWH at that time. We read that murder is sin. Sin is rebelling against our Creator by not living according to His Instructions. If we are rebellious children we shall not inherit the promised land. From what I have read in Scriptures it seems to me that to commit suicide is an rebellious act defying YHWH's gift of life which makes us part of His Creation.

To wrap up this study I think the introduction into the book of Job is appropriate.

Yahweh said to Satan, 
"Have you noticed My servant Job? There is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears Me and shuns evil!"

Satan voices his opinion on the subject, and then challenges Yahweh: 

"But lay Your hand upon all that he has and he will surely blaspheme You to Your face." 

Yah takes Satan up on this challenge and allows him do what he will to test Job, but forbids that he lay a hand on him and not to kill him.

Every bad thing that follows is from Satan. Satan is told by Yahweh not to kill Job and as we read, Job did not end up killing himself. No matter how bad things seems in your life it will be worse if you decided to end it all instead of enduring those temptations = lures that Satan uses against our Creator by trying to corrupt His children. Our fear and awesome respect for Yahweh helps us to shun evil and carry on. Be in His Word daily; resist temptation and the devil will flee from you. Do not trade your inheritance for the lies of Satan.

As a side note:
I feel this study isn't 100% complete because of the variables one could come up with, but I am 100% certain that committing suicide goes against our Creator's set of Instructions and affects one's state of perceived salvation.  (I will do a spin-off study later on in regards to one's station in the Kingdom to Come as we read some will be greater and some lesser, which may or may not tie in with this current study). If we are without God it is easy to go the way of the world: abortion, assisted suicide, drugs and alcohol, life support systems, false religions, icons and idolatry etc.....  These are things He warned His people about way back when and there is nothing new in today's world.