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The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments
02-09-2011 Vol. 3 Part 11
Psalm 31:1-5 NKJV To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. Jesus I ask you to bestow your blessing on the individuals and their families that are on the Prayer List. You know what each person and family needs and ask that your will be done, because you know what is needed. We raise you up and praise your most Holy and Precious name, Jesus. Amen.
Exodus 20:15 NLT “You must not steal.”
Here’s a few reasons I think people steal, what do you think?
They want instant happiness? | They want security? |
They want to attract friends? | They have forgotten about God's promise of care? |
Are you a Thief? Do you steal? Most people think of this, as stealing money, or something like a car, or something of great value. What about small things like time, paper copies, paper clips, downloaded music/pictures from the internet, being a class clown and stealing time from a teacher or pastor trying to teach something? What about in a Bible study class where someone rambles on and on about something? Are they stealing from God and what he wants to teach us? There are numerous ways that we steal.
Why did God give us this Commandment, “You must not steal?” It was given by God to Israel to protect the rights and property of all people. The right to own personal property and what an individual earns or inherits belongs to him and no one has the right to take it from him without just cause. Honesty really is the only policy as far as God is concerned.
This Commandment along with six other Commandments are linked with the second greatest Commandment given by Jesus? Matthew 22:39 NASB "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' So how does this demonstrate love and how are we to act toward our neighbors? Here’s how it fits in; Jesus doesn’t want us stealing because He is the One who will supply all our needs. He doesn’t want us to scheme, manipulate, and deceive to obtain things. What would we become if we did? He doesn’t want us to feel responsible for securing our own future. The truth is, every time we steal something, large or small, we are saying, "I will be my own provider. I don’t need anyone’s help, but when we place our trust fully in Him, we never lose. Through this commandment the Lord said, "Let Me provide for you. I want you to trust Me, rest in Me, and be content with Me." Peter states this; 2 Peter 1:4 NASB For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Jesus has pledged Himself to satisfy and supply our every need.
In Leviticus this commandment is further explained: Leviticus 19:11-13 NLT "Do not steal. "Do not deceive or cheat one another. 12 "Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the LORD. 13 "Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. "Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay. God still expects His people not only to be honest with Him, but honest and truthful with one another as well. The fact is you cannot be right with God if you are not right with other people. The person who is not honest with others will not be honest with himself, or with God!
In Old Testament times, under the law of Moses, the penalty attached to all types of stealing was restitution or "giving back to the owner that which was stolen or unlawfully taken away." But actually the thief had to restore more than what was taken away. For example, if he stole one ox or sheep, he had to restore two. If the stolen animals died in his possession, he had to restore four or five times more than he stole. Exodus 22:1 NLT "If someone steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, the thief must pay back five oxen for each ox stolen, and four sheep for each sheep stolen. Exodus 22:4 NLT If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief's possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal. Stealing was not considered a crime worthy of the death penalty. Nevertheless, if a man was caught in the act of stealing and was killed at night, there would be no penalty for killing the thief (Exodus 22:2 NLT "If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder.) If a thief was killed in daylight hours it was considered murder. Why the difference you ask, probably because the thief could be identified in the daylight and restitution could be made. Also, in some cases where the robber was unable to restore or repay the legal amount of goods, he himself could be sold as a slave until the debt was repaid (Exodus 22:3 NLT But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder. "A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft.) Maybe the Old Testament laws sound strange and old fashioned but history reveals they were very effective. Perhaps, we today would do well to consider some of the measures given by God to Israel in light of the fantastic yearly increase in crimes of all kinds, most of them involving some type of robbery or theft. The laws God gave to Israel were both just and workable.
Does Jesus forgive thieves? You bet he does. The thief who repented, as he was dying on the cross next to Jesus, isn’t the only thief who has ever been forgiven or saved. We can be grateful that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. This includes the sin of stealing. Yet the standard for the Born Again believer is simply stated in Ephesians 4:28 NASB He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Once Christ comes into the heart "old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). God's children are to be forever finished with the sins and crimes of their unbelieving past. Paul in another place includes "thieves" in his list of persons who will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Are you stealing if you cheat on a test, aren't you stealing someone else's answers? How about borrowing a comb, a book, a sweater, or tool, and conveniently forgetting to return it? What about children removing food from the cupboard or picking up pocket change from the dresser without their parent’s permission? Or using Mom's perfume or Dad’s tools without asking? What about while you are grocery shopping and you eat some grapes or strawberries to see how they taste and then you don’t buy them? How much time do you steal from your employer by standing around talking, walking around looking like you are busy, going and sitting in the bathroom numerous times, talking or texting on your cell phone, etc. What about making photo copies at work without permission? These are all examples of stealing.
The most common and unrecognized form of thievery is that of ROBBING GOD. That's right! You can and possibly do steal from God. In the book of Malachi, God accused the Israelites of "robbing" Him because they withheld their tithes and offerings. Malachi 3:8-9 NASB "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Are you giving a proper portion of your allowance or money you earn to the Lord? What about your time? Are you faithful, supportive, and volunteer your time to the functions of your church whether it is something within the church or for the good of the community? If not, you are stealing something from God that would give him Glory. Do you set aside some time each day for Bible study and prayer?
There is still another way in which we can rob God. If we take our lives and use them purely for selfish purposes, purposes that displease the Lord, then we are stealing from God, which is rightfully His! We have been redeemed so that we should not live for ourselves but for the One who died for us and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:15 NASB and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.)
Satan, the deceiver convinces us that taking something now will give us an immediate lift and will fill the voids in our lives, which of course, can only be filled by the Lord Himself. Proverbs 15:16 NLT Better to have little, with fear for the LORD, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. People sometimes think, If I can just grab this, it will give me the security I’m longing for. They think riches and "things" will make them happy. But money and possessions are no security at all! All the money that you possess by deception will fly away. God also knows that the very things we pursue to secure the future will fall short. A lingering illness can erase a life's savings. A house full of possessions can be wiped out by a flood or swept away by an IRS audit. The only thing secure in this life is God. Psalm 16:8-9 NLT I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. 9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.
No Christian should steal anything, anytime, anywhere from anyone for any reason. God expects His children to be honest, and He blesses those who are. And as you follow the Lord's way you will be able to say with Paul: (1 Corinthians 11:1 NASB Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.).
The only way you can keep this commandment is to make a decision and ask Jesus to come into your life and take control of your lifestyle. This is the only way to be satisfied. The book of Hebrews says this very pointedly: Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." 6 So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" The Lord says to us, "Don't you worry about that. And don't steal or spend all of your energy trying to scheme and manipulate things to your own advantage. Because if you obey My Word, I'll provide for your every need all the days of your life." When you know that God is your Provider, it changes everything. Your heart. The way you live. And it certainly changes the way you view your possessions. Trust in God and be satisfied.
Matthew 6:25-34 NLT "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.
My God, How Great Thou Art! Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Bill
Last Week’s Trivia: How many forced laborers were appointed to build Solomon’s temple?
Answer: 1 Kings 5:13-14 NASB Now King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men. 14 He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in relays; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home. And Adoniram was over the forced laborers.
This week’s Trivia: When God talked to Moses at the burning bush, what did God instruct Moses to do to get the Israelite’s to believe that what he was telling them was from God?
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