The Eighth Commandment (No. CB077)

The paper The Ten Commandments No. CB017 is the summary paper which should be reviewed prior to this series on each of the commandments. It includes a general overview of the purpose of God’s Laws and a brief description of each of the commandments.

Introduction

As we have learned there are two great Commandments. The First Great commandment is composed of four commandments that help us to know who God is and how and when to worship Him. The Second Great Commandment is made up of the last six commandments. Today we will focus on the 8th commandment which is found in Exodus 20:15.

Exodus 20:15 You shall not steal.

What is stealing?

From Webster's dictionary we learn that stealing means to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice. This could mean taking someone’s toys, cookies or electronic equipment. Stealing also could be taking someone's answers on homework or tests unless you both were working cooperatively on a project. Not giving proper credit for research or information in a report would also be considered stealing. Finding something that belongs to someone else and not returning it is another example of stealing.

Besides physical things, we can also steal someone’s reputation. When we gossip or say negative or untrue things about a person we are stealing a person's good name or reputation. This could be viewed as libel, slander, or gossip and is a particularly destructive form of theft. Because, unlike money or property, once a person's good name has been stolen, it can almost never be fully restored. In today’s world of numerous forms of social media, it has become all too common to engage in forms of gossip which result in hurting others.

People gossip for many reasons: as a means to pass time, to take revenge on someone they do not fancy or are envious of, or simply because they want to feel superior at the expense of putting someone else down. No matter what the reason, putting others down is always wrong.

People can be hurtful to each other in many ways. Sometimes these negative comments also hurt others’ feelings or take their happiness away. We have talked about cyberbullying in the sixth commandment. Simply put, stealing is not just taking a physical object. No matter how stealing is done, it breaks the eighth commandment.

What does the Bible say we should do when we find something that is not ours?

We read in Deuteronomy 22:1-4 what we should do when we find someone else's property.

Deuteronomy 22:1-4: "You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and withhold your help from them; you shall take them back to your brother. And if he is not near you, or if you do not know him, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. And so you shall do with his donkey; so you shall do with his garment; so you shall do with any lost thing of your brother's, which he loses and you find; you may not withhold your help. You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and withhold your help from them; you shall help him to lift them up again.” (RSV)

In today's world this might be correlated to finding a very cute adorable puppy and taking care of it. Currently many pets are microchipped and we should take the puppy to a vet to see if the puppy is microchipped and belongs to someone else. We could also put up fliers to see if we can find the puppy’s rightful owner. The bottom line is we should try to find the puppy’s rightful owner before keeping the puppy for ourselves.

We see from scripture the old saying “finders keepers, losers weepers” has no biblical basis. This was an old saying from many years ago where people tried to justify keeping things that did not belong to them. God’s law is based on love, restoration and helping others; it is not based on getting things for nothing.

What if we borrow something and break it?

If someone lets us borrow something then we understand that they would like it back in the same condition as when they let us borrow it. If something happens to it while we are using it, then it becomes our responsibility to fix it or replace it.

Exodus 22:14 If a man borrows anything of his neighbour, and it is hurt or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. (RSV)

What is the penalty for stealing?

Exodus 22 discusses property rights and the penalties for theft. For example, if someone steals a cow or a sheep, the penalty is to return the stolen animal plus one additional animal. However, if the stolen animal was killed or sold, then the penalty is five cows or four sheep. If the thief is unable to pay the penalty then the thief was to be sold for his theft (in order to work off the debt). For most physical property that is stolen, if the thief is found, the penalty is to pay double what was stolen. In today’s society we have laws that prohibit stealing and the courts help someone demand restitution. However, we don’t do a good job of following the Biblical laws which outline the penalties and what to do if the person can’t pay it back. Basically that person would have to work off the debt instead of going to jail.

What is usury? What about interest?

The dictionary definition of usury is the illegal action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest. Sometimes in the Bible this word is translated as usury and sometimes it is translated as interest. We will now look at what the bible says about usury or interest.

According to God’s Law, when we charge someone interest, we are stealing money from him or her that is not owed to us.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20 You shall not lend upon interest to your brother, interest on money, interest on victuals, interest on anything that is lent for interest. ²⁰To a foreigner you may lend upon interest, but to your brother you shall not lend upon interest; that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are entering to take possession of it. (RSV)

This then brings up another question of who is our brother? In the New Testament, in Matthew 12:50, we see Christ said that a brother is anyone who does the will of God. This includes people who are not part of physical Israel, as salvation is now of the Gentiles (Acts 28:28). All nations are now open to the kingdom of God. Since we are to be the light of the world and living examples of God’s law, we should not charge interest to anyone that borrows from us.

Is it possible to steal from God?

The Bible says we can steal from God in our tithes and offerings. As we covered in other papers, God is the creator of all things; therefore logically He owns all things. God entrusts things to us and it is up to each one of us individually to manage, and use the things God has blessed us with in the correct biblical fashion. This includes our finances, time, use of the Sabbath day, and the gifts God has given each one of us.

We will first look at what God says to us in the book of Malachi about tithes and offerings.

Malachi 3:7-12 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ ⁸Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing thee?’ In your tithes and offerings. ⁹You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. ¹⁰Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. ¹¹I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. ¹²Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. (RSV)

Since God owns everything He asks us to manage our resources by returning ten percent of our net income back to Him. The first tenth (10%) of our net earnings (or increase) is our tithe. If we don’t tithe, we are robbing or stealing from God. God does not need our money; it is an opportunity for us to show our love and appreciation for all of the blessings that we have been given.

God set up a system that requires tithes and offerings so we can worship, care for the poor and needy, as well as participate in the annual Holy Days, Feasts and Sabbaths. We give our first tithe to the Church plus we are commanded to give an offering three times a year. We are also instructed to keep a second tithe for ourselves so we can attend the Feasts. The second tithe is set aside for the enjoyment of the Festivals of God. It is part of God’s system and therefore we must obey and maintain our second tithe. In the 3rd year of the Seven-year cycle, our 2nd tithe is used to help widows and fatherless. Therefore, we must manage our personal 2nd tithe so that we have some extra second tithe in the 3rd and 7th years of the cycle (see the paper Tithing (No. 161)).

What is the penalty if we steal from God?

What happens if we borrow from our first tithe or our second tithe and then replace the funds? Well in the first place if we withhold our tithes we are stealing from God; yet at times humans reason they can “borrow” from their tithes ‘because money is tight’ and then ‘repay’ it. Where a person needs to borrow some of his tithe to use it for his own purpose, then, just like in the previous examples, there is a penalty at the time of restoration. When the tithe is paid back, the penalty is that a fifth part must be added to it.

Leviticus 27:30-31 All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. (RSV)

Thus a mandatory 20% is added to any tithes used for any unintended purpose.

Are there other ways that we can steal from God?

When we don’t dedicate the Sabbath to God it is theft of God’s time and worship. God created us for His glory (Isa. 43:7). One way we glorify God is by dedicating time for worship and prayer to Him. The Sabbath was made for man. It is a special time that is dedicated to drawing closer to God and not doing our own pleasures.

Isaiah 58:13-14 If you turn back your foot from the sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; ¹⁴then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (RSV)

Matthew 25:14 begins the parable of the talents. From this parable we see that we are instructed to use the talents we are given and not be idle. God expects us to be a part of the body of Christ and contribute based on the blessings and strengths that we are given. That might include contributing in areas of music, computer knowledge, assistance with the elderly, prayers, financial contributions, or any other area where God has blessed us. If we have been given a blessing and choose not to use it for the good of others then the parable of the talents shows us that is not what God desires of us. When we use our talents for the good of others, we not only become a blessing to others, but we also receive continued blessings from God.

Therefore, we should consider how we use our talents to help others. Explore how you can use your talents to help others in your family and community. Consider what you're good at. The first step in using your talents is truthfully considering what you are good at and what you enjoy and try to fill a need.

Summary

The eighth commandment teaches us we are not to steal. We have learned that this can be physical things, but also applies to reputations, time, blessings, etc. No person can steal the quality of life of another and inherit the Kingdom of God. The law against stealing property is simply a physical representation of a higher, spiritual law. Stealing from man is simply stealing from God in another form. If we can not be trusted in upholding physical things, how can we be trusted in spiritual matters? We must repent and learn to love one another, keeping the welfare of each other free and pure. Let us all work hard so it can be said of us ‘well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful in a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master’.

Matthew 25:22 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’

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