You Shall Not Steal

Deuteronomy 5:19 “You shall not steal.”

I read an interesting article on the Ten Commandments that focus on the Eighth Commandment. It pointed out how people may deny the existence of objective truth with their mouths, but try to steal from them and you will soon see how furious they become that you do not believe theft is objectively wrong. All human beings have an instinctive awareness of God’s law because they are made in His image, but some statutes are reflected more in human societies than others. The eighth commandment of God’s Ten Commandments, which prohibits theft, is one of these commandments. We can find countless societies throughout the world that violate the command against idols, but we would be hard-pressed to find a culture that approves of outright theft. There are several types of theft, including the violent seizure of goods by a recognized thief. Yet, human beings rob one another in other ways as well. A second kind of theft consists in malicious deceit, when goods and possessions are carried off through fraud.

Proverbs 11:1 “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.”

Another lies in a more concealed craftiness, when a man’s goods are snatched from him by seemingly “legal means”. Few of us are likely to burglarize others’ homes or rob someone at gunpoint. However, we are tempted to steal in other ways. The eighth commandment from God also prohibits us from taking our neighbor’s goods and possessions “by means that appear legitimate”. Fraudulent merchandising and inaccurate weights and measures are two such means. Unjust weights and measures are forbidden throughout Scripture. There are several ways that a seller can alter measurements to fool buyers into thinking they are getting more than they are actually receiving. This is equivalent to theft because it takes more from a buyer than he should be paying. It falls under the thief category of "getting something for nothing”. Christians must never use false measurements or lie about what they are buying and selling. Do we really think that God doesn't see it?

Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal.”

The article pointed out that some of the most sophisticated means of theft are codified in law by our lawmakers. Politicians routinely promise to raise taxes on one group of people to pay for services for another group of people. This creates tax rates that demand a higher percentage of income from some people than others. This falls under the thief category of “steal from the rich to pay the poor”. Christians are to follow the laws in place and pay their taxes (Romans 13:6–7), but, as they are able, they must not perpetuate legalized theft. Voting a tax rate on others that we do not vote on ourselves is the same as stealing from our neighbor. You don’t rob Peter to pay Paul. It is still theft in the eyes of God. 

Blessings