Ten Commandments: Don't Steal Series

DON’T STEAL—Exodus 20:15

You go out for the evening, and when you get home and walk in the door, something doesn’t seem right. In the next room, the TV is missing, along with valuable electronics.

Or maybe it is not your house. Your purse is gone, or you get a text showing new charges on your credit card. You check your credit report, and your identity has been stolen.

The eighth commandment is short and direct: “Don’t steal.” We totally agree! If everyone would obey this commandment, life would be much better. Yet in Romans 2:21, Paul says, “You who preach against stealing, do you steal?” What did he think they were—cat burglars?

WHAT IS STEALING?

Stealing is taking something that belongs to someone else. It is obvious things like shoplifting, robbing banks, or burglarizing businesses. Less obviously, it is things like copying music or video illegally, or stealing credit for someone else’s work.

Other forms of stealing involve cheating, defrauding, misrepresenting, or deceiving. Maybe someone sells a vehicle, implying that it is perfect condition, when they know it has major problems. Someone files an insurance claim, including items on the claim that were pre-existing damage. A person in sales exaggerates the value or benefits of a product or service, or neglects to mention costs that will be added to the final bill. A student cheats on an exam or paper, stealing a grade that they haven’t earned. A mechanic or technician says work is needed, when it is not necessary or beneficial.

Fraud can take other forms as well. In relationships, Paul talked about taking advantage of others sexually, warning in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 not to “defraud” a brother or sister. This might apply to all kinds of relationships, like pretending to be a friend while using the person to get some benefit.

Stealing can also take the form of not giving what is owed: not paying debts, or delaying payment that is due. It can involve the government; Paul says in Romans 13:7, “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes…”

Stealing relates to employment as well. Leviticus 19:13 says, “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.” Deuteronomy 24:14-15 gives the reason: “Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.” Moses says that holding back wages from helpless workers is stealing, just as much as robbing them on their way home.

Employees steal when they don’t give honest hours and honest effort. ***A story is told about a company and union negotiating sick days. The company negotiator held up a newspaper, with a story about an employee who won a golf tournament. “This man,” he announced, “called in sick yesterday, so he could play golf.” The room was silent, until the union negotiator said, “Wow! Just think of what kind of score he could have had if he hadn’t been sick!”**

Stealing from people is bad, but stealing from God is worse. Malachi 3:8-10 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me." But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.”

The tithe is an OT obligation (10%), and we are not under OT law, but under grace. (We are so blessed, so rich, that many of us should be giving more than 10% to the church and kingdom work.) God does not ask for 10% of our income, but 100% of what we are and have, to be used wisely for those he loves, and to his glory. Most of our money will then be for our benefit, but we also have obligations to the poor and needy, to the expansion of God’s kingdom, and to the benefit of God’s people. If we squander money on excess (such as entertainment, gambling, extravagance, hoarding), we might be stealing from God.

WHY should we not steal?

• We trust God and his commandments.

Psalm 119:66 says, “Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.”

Maybe you have to deal with a culture of dishonesty at work. The standard behavior is to cheat the customer, steal time from the company, or take credit for the work of others. Whom do you trust: the culture of the workplace, or God? Honesty in your work might pay off, as people learn to trust you. However, If honesty doesn’t pay off as you hope, do you still trust that God’s way is best?