Theft

Ex 20:15 ““You shall not steal.”

Worst kind of theft - Mal 3:8-10 “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe 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 a blessing until there is no more need.”

Why do we steal?

covetousness. Achan - Josh 7:21 “when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.””

It grows incrementally into other things.

sin is a fire, or a snowball - pick your ill.

you covet - you steal - you lie - you deceive - you murder.

Judas - John 12:6 “He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

But there are also subtle forms of theft.

“Well he’s just a shrewd businessman.”

If you are in business and you are perpetually fighting to shave someone else out of profits to get more for yourself, that’s wicked, not shrewd.

Lev 19:13 ““You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.”

Hosea 12:7 “A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress.”

Oppression of the poor

one of the charactistics of Christians is that they have a concern for the poor - and they don’t scam them. Goes without saying.

Amos 8:4-6 “Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?””

This goes as well for the many beaurecrats who have made quite the living off of “helping the poor.”

Matt 20:15 “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’”

extortion - the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.

in todays world - strikes are often just organized extorsion - if you don’t want a job, quit it, but it is wrong for one to take over another person’s business and hold it hostage until they get what they want.

they don’t own the business, that’s mob rule.

Matt 20:15 “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’”

inflation

Isa 1:22 “Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water.”

Your children’s inheritance is stolen via inflation.

This is why those who have retired are often in dire financial straights towards the end of the lives.

because what was a good retirement plan when they launched it in their thirties has depreciated via inflation over the last forty years to the point where it isn’t enough.

This is why it’s important to diversify - OUTSIDE of the dollar. Physical assets, property, crypto, pick one or a combination thereof.

but if all your investments are in Roth or 401k or mutual funds… watch out. It’s being weakened.

Partiality in judgement

Lev 19:15 ““You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”

This occurs often, cases lean one way or another, if you get picked on a jury be careful to not judge with your emotions.

Don’t be manipulated - hold to right judgement.

and don’t be shocked if you’re the only one in the room doing so.

Laziness - Pro 18:9 “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.”

This is a type of theft. From your family, from your grand children, your legacy, from your employers or clients.

Be accountable - make lists - set goals - execute those goals.

get a group of people around you that are like minded and fighting to be productive and not lazy.

have a friendly competition with one another to see who can do the most - pick whatever you like.

laziness excuses

“well I’m just so busy”

“I’ve been ill”

“I just don’t know how...”

How do we respond to THEFT when it happens?

Restitution!

Luke 19:8 “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.””

Work Hard

2 Thess 3:12 “Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

Generosity

Eph 4:28 “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

Contentment

Heb 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.””