Me on "Do not steal"

With due acknowledgments to those mentioned in previous blog posts, here are some jottings on the 8th commandment which might have been on a handout had I provided one.

An audio recording of the sermon I preached this morning should appear on our church website in due course.

10 commandments: duties to God then duties to others

Respect others’ lives (6^th commandment), marriages (7^th), property (8^th)

Stealing – taking what belongs to someone else without right or permission

Stealing often born of coveting (10^th commandment) and virtually impossible without lying (9^th)

8^th commandment: actions; 9^th: words; 10^th: thoughts

Stealing widespread, serious, costly

God is the ultimate ruler and owner of all thing by creation (Ex 19:5; Ps 24:1; 50:10)

Christians belong to God by redemption (1 Cor 6:19f)

All stealing is a sin against God (Eden)

Stealing God’s honour and glory

Making a god / idol of money or possessions (Lk 16:13)

God has assigned property rights (Gen 1:28-30

Ps 115:16) – wise loving dominion under God

All “ownership” is really stewardship, a trust

Types of stealing:

At work (Col 3:22), expenses, tax return (Mt 22:17-22; Rm 13:6-7)

Dishonest selling or services – a stealing mentality, take if I can

Piracy of music / videos / illegal file sharing

Delayed payment or unpaid debt (Rm 13:8)

Permanent “borrowing”

Idleness, waste or avoidable dependency (2 Thess 3:10)

Cheating in an exam – stealing marks

Stealing someone’s spouse, reputation, dignity

Failure to give to God’s work (Mal 3:8)

Antidotes / positive counterparts to stealing:

Honest hard work (Eph 4:28; 1 Thess 4:11-12)

Living within our means and saving (Prov 13:22)

Trust in God who is a wise, able, generous giver (Mt 6)

Family (1 Tim 5:8) and church family (Gal 6:10)

Generous cheerful proportionate giving & sharing (also of time, effort, hospitality) (2 Cor 9:7-8)

Restitution – make amends (Ex 22:1; Num 5:7; Lk 19:8)

Salvation for the thief (Lk 19:9; 23:39-43)

Brian Edwards on "Do not steal"

Some jottings from Brian H Edwards, The Ten Commandments for Today (Day One, 1996, revised edition 2002):

“The Home Office estimates that more than 8% of the people visiting a large store are likely to be stealing.” (p218)

“Agur, the wise man of Proverbs, appears to have been well acquainted with the Ten Commandments, for in one powerful poem he includes the substance of at least seven of them. Here is the way he refers to four of the Commandments: ‘Keep falsehood and lies far from me (9^th); give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the LORD?” (3^rd). Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God (8^th). Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it (9^th). There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers…’ (5^th). (Proverbs 30:8-11).” (p218)

“In the United Kingdom half a million shoplifters cost the nation over 10 million pounds every day. In 1994 Marks and Spencer alone spent 20 million pounds in security costs and still lost 30 million in stolen goods.” (p224)

“Within a two-and-a-half hour period on one January day, British Rail Transport Police detained one hundred people on Victoria Station in London travelling without a ticket.” (p226)

“Pay as you would be paid” (p227)

“According to the UK Christian Handbook for 1996/7, British churchgoers give around 1.8 billion pounds each year to Christian organisations. That doesn’t sound too bad until we realise that it is approximately 2% of their average income!” (p228)

J John on "Do not steal"

Some jottings from J John's, Ten:Living the Ten Commandments in the 21st Century (Kingsway, 2000):

8^th commandment: actions; 9^th: words; 10^th: thoughts

1999 newspaper article headline, “Britain a nation of cheats and thieves” – ¾ of all Britons steal from their employers (p73)

“Consumer affairs programmes like Watchdog are full of stories of mail order firms that never delivered, investments that were spurious, workers who never worked, special offers that weren’t special, price reductions that weren’t reductions and dream holidays that were nightmares.” (p74)

Inland Revenue Officials estimate that tax evasion in the UK amounts to 7 to 15 billion pounds a year (p75)

Stealing (8^th commandment) arises from coveting (10^th) and is practically impossible without lying (9^th)

The epidemic of stealing in our society may be because we look to wealth and possessions for satisfaction and security rather than to the living God

When we steal we insult God’s generosity, denying his love and care for us, claiming that we know better than him, that we can provide for ourselves better than God has

“The Inland Revenue once received an anonymous letter: ‘I am having trouble sleeping because of my conscience. Please find enclosed £100. If this doesn’t cure my insomnia I will send you the rest.’” (p86)

John 10:10 – stealing satanic

“The French novelist Anatole France quipped, ‘Never lend books, for no one ever returns them. The only books I have in my library are books other people lent me.’” (p88f)

Pink on "Do not steal"

Jottings from Arthur W. Pink Ten Commandments (Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2003) on the 8th Commandment:

The first sin
The 1^st human sin was a theft: Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit
The 1^st sin in the promised land was a theft as Achan stole from among the spoils (Josh 7:21)
The 1^st sin in the primitive church was a theft as Ananias and Sapphira kept back part of the price (Acts 5:2) (p47) [though their crime is more the lie than the theft?]

The crime of Arminianism!

“God is robbed when we withhold from Him the glory which is His due, and we are spiritual thieves when we arrogate to ourselves the honor and praise which belong to Him alone. Arminians are great offenders here, by ascribing to free will what is produced by free grace.” (p47)

Idleness, extravagance and waste can be types of theft

Robbing God of the Sabbath

Lying adverts are a breach of this command

Packer on "Do not steal"

Some jottings from J. I. Packer, Keeping the 10 Commandments (Crossway) previously Growing in Christ / I Want to Be a Christian on the 8th Commandment "Stop, Thief!":

Love to your neighbour requires you to respect not only his life (commandment 6) and his marriage (commandment 7) but also his property (commandment 8) (p89)

Ownership is stewardship - I am God’s trustee – all I have is leant to me on a temporary basis to be used for his purposes - One day I shall be asked to give an account of what I have done with all that God has given me

Theft by doing a shoddy job (e.g. as a tradesman)

Leaving debts unpaid a kind of theft – Rm 13:8

Stealing someone’s reputation - Shakespeare: “Who steals my purse, steals trash … but he that filches from me my good name … makes me poor indeed.”

In the Belfast revival of 1922-1923, converted shipyard workers brought back tools and equipment that they had “knocked off” in such quantities that in one place an additional storage shed had to be provided to hold them.” (p93)

More Frame on "Do not steal"

Here are some further jottings from Frame's chapters on the 8th commandment headed "Respecting Property" and "Wealth and Poverty" (The Doctrine of the Christian Life, P&R):

Ultimately all property belongs to God (Ex 19:5; Ps 24:1; 50:10)

God has given men the right of private property & dominion over the earth – Gen 1:28-30; Ps 8:6; 115:16 - The land of Canaan given to Israel and certain portions of the land given to each tribe - The land is given to Israel (Ex 33:1-3) but it is ultimately the LORD’s (Hos 9:3)

Scripture often affirms the property rights of human beings - 1 K 21:3-6; Acts 4:37; 5:4

“Scripture endorses the concept of private property, always with the proviso that God is the ultimate owner of creation and the one who has the ultimate authority over it. The eight commandment assumes this concept. Stealing would have no meaning, unless there were a clear distinction between what belongs to me and what belongs to someone else.” (p798)

Work ethic - Cf. 4 commandment – work 6 days, rest & worship 1

1 Thess 4:11-12; 2 Thess 3:10

“To keep the eighth commandment is both to give everyone his due and, beyond that, to sacrifice our own goods in love for others, as Jesus gave his life for us. The eighth commandment mandates both justice and mercy.” (p799)

“If theft includes robbing God of his due, then we can understand how, in a sense, all sin is theft. So the eight commandment is a broad mandate upholding God’s whole law.” (p799)

Even hunger is not an excuse for stealing even if its more understandable (Prov 6:30-31)

Malachi 3:8 - "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.” - Failure to tithe (under Old Covenant) is robbing God

Tithe was not on wealth or income but agricultural produce - Other offerings also given to priests

Tithe to Melchizedek (Gen 14:20; Heb 7:4-10) - not just an Israel in the land thing

2 Cor 9:7-8 – giving to be voluntary, cheerful and generous - Acts 4:34-37 ; Lk 21:1-4

10% a good beginning of financial discipleship for the Christian believer

Firstfruits – Ex 23:16; Dt 26:2

Paying taxes: Mt 22:17-22; Rm 13:6-7

“… the eight commandment mandates responsible use of the funds God has entrusted to us…. we have responsibilities to our families (1 Tim 5:8), to the church (2 Cor 8-9), to the state (Mt 22:17-22), and to ourselves (2 Thess 3:10). These responsiblities, in turn, require a seriousness about the use of money.” (p806)

“… Scripture does not condemn the expenditure of money for relaxation, for entertainment, or even for the consumption of luxuries. But these must be balanced by a conern for others and for one’s future well-being.” (p806)

“On the whole, Scripture has a favourable attitude toward wealth. Wealth is a covenant blessing, the prosperity promised to those who obey God (Dt 8:18; 29:9; Josh 1:7-8; 1 Kings 2:2-3; 2 Chron 26:5; 31:21; Ps 1:3; 112:1-3; Mk 10:29-30).” (p808)

Abraham, Job & David wealthy. Lk 8:3; 1 Cor 1:26.

“… it is not sinful as such to be wealthy. Nor is it sinful to desire to enjoy God’s material blessings. God commanded Israel to feat before him (Dt 12:6-7, 17-19; 14:22-23; cf. Job 1:1-5). Jesus attended a wedding feast and supplied additional wine (John 2:1-11). He also ate with wealthy people (Lk 7:36-50; 11:37; 14:1, 12). He praised Mary’s extravagant homage to him, despite Judas’ insincere argument that her gift should have been sold for the poor instead (John 12:4-8). Indeed, as Paul says, in the context of a warning to the wealthy, God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17).” (p809)

“It is wrong to say that justice requires an equal distribution of resources as such. It does not. But when the rich oppress the poor, to defend the poor against them is simple justice.” (p815)

"The family was then [in biblical provision], and today remains, the first and most solid defense against poverty. In Israel, it was understood that parents would provide for their children, that children would provide for parents in their old age, and that parents would leave an inheritance for their children…. In Israel, this pattern was not compromised by income or estate taxes. In modern society, the breakdown of the family through illegitimacy and divorce is one of the major causes of poverty. Nothing can do more to alleviate the problem than the restoration if a biblical family structure.” (p816)

Hebrew slavery “was in fact a kind of household apprenticeship, where offenders, for a period not exceeding six years, learned habits of discipline and ways of making a living…. a family virtually adopted the servant for a time…” (p818)

Hospitality – Rm 12:13; 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Pet 4:9

This commandment rules out Marxism / Communism that is opposed to private property. It is idolatry to make the State the ultimate controller and owner of all things. (p826)

Ways of Stealing

Have I mentioned how rewarding I'm finding John Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life (P&R), which I've been using to prepare sermons on The 10 Commandments?

Here he is on types of stealing according to the Bible (from p799) - no plagiarism here!:

In the narrow sense, Scripture notes the following forms of theft:

1. Property theft, normally requiring double restitution (Ex 22:4, 7)

2. Kidnapping or manstealing, a capital crime (Ex 21:16; Dt 24:7; 1 Tim 1:10)

3. Swindling (Jer 22:13-17; Amos 8:4-6; Hab 2:9-12)

4. Stealing from widows and orphans, which is especially heinous (Matt 23:14)

5. Defrauding employees (James 5:4)

6. Land theft (Isa 5:8)

7. Unjust weights (Lev 19:35-36; Dt 25:15)

8. Misleading someone for economic gain (Prov 20:14)

In the broader sense, Scripture speaks of theft in metaphorical, but important ways:

1. Stealing affections (2 Sam 15:6)

2. False prophets, who steal God’s word from the people and proclaim their own words as God’s (Jer 23:30)

3. False religious leaders as thieves and robbers (John 10:1)

4. Merchandising in the temple (Matt 21:13)

5. Robbing God of tithes and offerings (Mal 3:8; cf. Josh 7:11)