Commandment Eight: Glory Thieves

Introduction

Like the other commandments on the second tablet, this commandment focuses on how we should love and treat our neighbor (Romans 13:9).

If we do not view our neighbor with contempt and as an object, then we will want to love and care for them and not take their property.

Story of Achan from Joshua 6-7.

Why did Achan steal from God?

What is the root cause in our hearts that leads us to want to take from others?

Lack of thankfulness and contentment. . .

Key Point: Because God has given us everything in Christ, we should not steal from others but rather be generous givers.

What Does The Commandment Mean?

The word “Steal” in Hebrew means to “take without the owner’s consent,” or “to carry something away, as if by stealth.”

It can also communicate “tricking” someone (Gen. 31:26).

For Israel this commandment was given to protect the property of an Israelite citizen.

But this command also relates to issues of kidnapping (Deut. 24:7), as well as stealing someone’s dignity, self-respect, freedom, or rights.

The word can be used in the sense of cheating. . . by cheating someone out of something, you are stealing from him.

For us, this would look like. . .

Cheating on a test.

Cheating in sports or games.

But why is stealing so bad???

First, stealing is wrong because it is born from pride and self-centeredness.

If we care about ourselves more than our neighbor, we will not care about their good or well-being.

Stealing screams of entitlement. . . if we are all about ourselves and think we deserve something more than our neighbor. . . then we will take it so we can enjoy it and they can’t.

Think about it. . .

Stealing food leaves others hungry.

Stealing animals interrupts farming.

Stealing a child (kidnapper) tears a family apart.

Stealing clothes makes others suffer from the heat or the cold.

For us, we can steal by. . .

Stealing our employers money by wasting our time and not being productive when we work an hourly job and are on the clock.

Whenever we give anything less than our best effort, we are robbing our employer of the productivity we owe.

Calling in sick when we just want a day off.

Stealing of intellectual property through plagiarism.

Violating copyrights of books, movies, music (downloading or streaming something you have not paid for).

Second, stealing is wrong because anytime we steal, we are not trusting in God to provide what we need.

Keeping the eight commandment is an an exercise of our faith in God’s providence and our contentment in what he has given us.

Anytime we steal, we are robbing the provision he has given for someone else. . . essentially we are robbing God.

So, the negative side of the command is not to steal.

The positive side of the command is that we must steward God’s resources wisely.

Since God owns everything and we are stewards of his gifts, the eighth commandment is not just about stealing but also about stewardship.

To fulfill the eighth commandment, we must steward the possessions and gifts God has given us wisely for his glory.

We must use his gifts in the specific way he intended us to use them.

So, First. . . Good stewardship implies that we are not wasteful with God’s resources and that we do not squander his possessions (for example: spending our money on worthless things, gambling, etc.).

Second, Good stewardship implies working hard. . .

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

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.

This verse seems to communicate that the way to counter stealing is by working hard and being responsible to provide for yourself so you can bless others and give to those in need.

However, if we are lazy. . . this will most likely lead to poverty, and poverty leads to the temptation to steal (Prov. 6:10-11; 30:8-9).

Good stewardship lastly implies that we give generously to others who are in need.

“Jerry Bridges has observed that there are three basic attitudes we can take toward possessions. The first says, “What’s yours is mine; I’ll take it.” This is the attitude of the thief. The second says, “What’s mine is mine; I’ll keep it.” Since we are selfish by nature, this is the attitude that most people have most of the time. The third attitude—the godly attitude—says, “What’s mine is God’s; I’ll share it.”

We must store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. . .

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.” A.W. Tozer

The eighth commandment is applicable to us today under the New Covenant because this commandment is repeated throughout the NT.

Rom. 2:21; 13:9; 1 Cor. 6:10; 1 Pet. 4:15.

We Are Glory Thieves

If all the world is the Lord’s possession and everything was made for his glory, then we rob God of his glory when we do not glorify him with our lives.

We can see this play out in many ways in our lives. . .

Not being good stewards of our time, talents, and money.

wasting time, procrastination.

Not being generous with our time to serve others.

Not giving God the best of our time and talents.

All abilities that have been given to us have been given to glorify God. So when we don’t give our best, we are robbing God of his glory.

This means not giving your best in. . .

Your schoolwork.

The sports you play.

Your dance classes, choir rehearsals, band practice.

Your job.

And especially. . . your pursuit of the Lord in public and private worship.

Another way we can rob God is by breaking his law and denying him our obedience.

Worshipping other gods steals worship from God.

Not honoring the Sabath steals his holy day.

Murdering someone steals life.

Adultery steals purity.

Lying steals truth.

Everyone of these sins dishonors God and thus robs the glory that is due his name.

And here is the foolishness in our thievery. . . when we rob God of his glory in these ways, we are really robbing ourselves of our own joy, pleasure, and satisfaction.

Think about it. . . if we were created to worship and glorify God and that is the greatest joy we could ever experience. . . Then, when we don’t glorify the Lord and we rob him of his glory. . . we are also robbing ourselves of our own happiness.

When we truly understand the full intent of the law. . . we see how far we have fallen short and how the law condemns us as sinners, as idolators, as blasphemers, as Sabath breakers, as rebels, as murders, as adulterers, and thieves.

But this is why Jesus came into the world. . . to save sinners like us!

In fact, Jesus took our place on the cross and was considered a thief for us when he died.

The punishment in the OT law for thieves was to be hanged. . . Jesus was hung on a cross in our place so that we could be forgiven. . . he redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus interacted with many thieves, but there are two stories in particular that I want to end our time with tonight.

First, in the story of Zacchaeus, we learn that Jesus has the power to transform the hearts of the greatest thieves.

Example of Zacchaeus from Luke 19:1-10.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. . . which means he was a thief.

Yet, even though Zacchaeus was a sinner, Jesus loved him and came to fellowship with him and stay at his house.

Through the love of Jesus, Zacchaeus was convicted of his sin, repented, and demonstrated his change of heart by repaying all those he defrauded fourfold.

To pay someone back fourfold ment to give them back twice the amount the law required.

The love of Christ for a sinner like Zacchaeus is what transformed this thief into a generous giver.

Jesus’ love can also transform our lives. . . for by reflecting on Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we should respond by seeking to glorify God in all that we do. . . we should respond by wanting to give generously of our time, talents, and treasures to others.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. . . he came to save thieves like Zacchaeus. . . and like us!

Second, as in the story of Zacchaeus, we see Jesus’ power to forgive thieves when he forgave the thief who hung beside him on the cross.

Initially, Matthew 27:44 tells us that both robbers reviled Jesus.

Yet, later, Luke 23:39-43 says that one of the thieves realized his sin and asked Jesus to forgive him.

Jesus responded by forgiving him and telling him that he would be with Jesus in paradise.

However, the other thief continued to mock Jesus and cursed him until his final breath. He was too prideful to admit his sin and he ended up dying in his sin.

As we have seen tonight, we are all thieves and we all need a savior. The question is, which thief will you be like tonight?

The one who confessed and repented of his sin, trusted in Christ, and was saved. . . or the one who remained in his sin, rejected Jesus, and died in his sin?

Will you be like Zacchaeus, who was amazed at Jesus’ love for him and was willing to give up all his possessions because he knew he had everything he needed in Christ?

Or, will you be like Achan, who who sought is own glory and pleasure instead of giving generously to God and his life ended in destruction?

How will you respond tonight?