Do Not Steal

There is a book that I read a while ago called Void Moon. It came in one of those Readers digest condensed book thingy. It is a book that does a good job making you feel sorry for a thief, wanting the thief to win. The main character is Cassie Black. She had served five years in prison for conspiring with her previous partner-in-crime, Max Freeling, to steal the winnings of casino visitors while they were asleep. The last plan failed when an undercover investigator posed as the victim. Unknown to all, Cassie and Max have a daughter named Jodie, who was born when Cassie was imprisoned. Jodie was put up for adoption and Cassie has been tracking her development silently. When Cassie learns that Jodie will soon be moving to Paris with her adopted parents, she decides to return to theft in order to secure the funds needed to run away with her. go back to the Cleopatra, or "the Cleo", the casino in which the failed theft took place. Leo is confident of Cassie's abilities despite her long hiatus but warns her to avoid being in hotel room of her target, a high roller, during the period of the "void moon" on the day of action. Cassie successfully breaks into the room but is forced to remain hidden during the period of the void moon due to unforeseen circumstances. It all starts going badly for her, and the whole time you are rooting for her to win.

Robin Hood is a similar story. He is a A thief who steals for what people think is a good cause. He steals from the rich to give to the needy. Kind of like how taxes work except the opposite. Stories applaud people like that. I like to hear about getting free money that I didn't earn. Another law of the OT that seems like common sense to most people is th law that says that we are not to steal.

The Bible never presents stealing in a positive light. Stealing is always wrong. The Lord does not want us to steal anything from anyone. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, God tells us not to steal. Thus, stealing is always wrong, immoral, and unethical. The command to not steal was listed as one of the 10 Commandments, alongside the command not to murder, not to commit adultery, and not to give false testimony against your neighbor. we are still under the moral law, which includes not stealing. It is important that as Christians we do not rationalize the truth that we are still to obey God’s moral law. It is highly destructive to a person’s walk with Christ to live as if they are not obligated to obey God’s moral standards and ethics.

God has commanded us not to steal other peoples stuff but part of that means that all we have belongs to the Lord, we are just stewards of it.

Seems Easy Enough

It seems easy enough to not steal. I was reading someones take on this and some of the things that they where saying things like

Have you ever read a post on social media that was not original content but was used without permission? Maybe you listened to a sermon that was taken from another source and passed off as there own? Maybe you where like me and you got songs from somewhere like pirate bay or limewire and burnt them all on to a cd without paying for them? These are all forms of stealing, some seen as not as serious as the others.

You may not agree with it, but according to the bible, taking things that do not belong to you is what we call stealing. and that is where the next commandment comes in.

Exodus 20:15 CSB

15 Do not steal.

God tells us many times throughout the bible not to steal. What this talks about is fairly self explanatory. The consequences in the old testament though may not be.

Leviticus 6:2–3 CSB

2 “When someone sins and offends the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit, a security, or a robbery; or defrauds his neighbor; 3 or finds something lost and lies about it; or swears falsely about any of the sinful things a person may do—

Leviticus 6:4–5 CSB

4 once he has sinned and acknowledged his guilt—he must return what he stole or defrauded, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost item he found, 5 or anything else about which he swore falsely. He will make full restitution for it and add a fifth of its value to it. He is to pay it to its owner on the day he acknowledges his guilt.

If you where to steal from other people, then the consequences where that you had to repay them 1/5 the value back to them. Though the consequences from stealing from what was the Lord’s was a little more dire. Stealing was not something that the Lord took lightly anyways. Stealing conflicts with the image of God that we bear as followers of Jesus.

Deuteronomy 10:14 CSB

14 The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it.

God is the owner of the heavens and the earth because He created them all. He requires us to care for and be generous with what He has given us but never to steal what He has given to others.

Therefore we need to reflect the image of God by working hard, being honest, being generous with what He has given us.

But when laziness and selfishness drive us to steal, we forfeit the opportunity to share in God’s righteous character and reflect Him to the world - Dieudonné Tamfu - Professor, Bethlehem College & Seminary

So all this to say that we are not to steal what is not ours but rather as the opposite side of that, we are to reflect the glory of God as His image bearers if you are children of God by being generous with what He has given us rather then stealing what we have. To give back generously and sacrificially to God with what He has given us. But there is more to it then that, as we go into the NT and how it affects what the commandment needs.

All we have is God’s

The new testament also tells us that stealing is wrong.

Matthew 19:18 CSB

18 “Which ones?” he asked him. Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;

Ephesians 4:28 CSB

28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.

Back when I first moved out of my parents house, They had satellite TV. We had just recently got it and i liked the ideas of going from 2 channels to many. So I got a receiver registered at my parents place an hooked it up in my apartment 50 kms away. Technically accrodsing to the rules it was stealing, as they didn't allow it. I didn't care. Minor in the grand scheme of things. I was telling my pastor about it and he said, it may not be against the law but is it honorable? And so my conciounce won out and i stopped doing it.

This may not seem like a big deal but stealing is a sin according to the bible and not a good reflection of the glory of God. But what if there is more to it then that? What if...

All that we have belongs to God

What if we are just stewards of what the Lord God has given us? This is a concept that we see back in Deuteronomy. And throughout the bible as well. What if everything we have doesnt belong to us but belongs to the Lord God and we are just looking after it for a short while.

This idea is echoed also in the story of Annanias and Saphira in the book of Acts. Acts 5:1-2

Acts 5:1–2 CSB

1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

It was his property wasn't it? This same idea runs through the story. There land was given to them to be used for the glory of the Lord God. There sin was not in not selling the whole piece of land but lieing about it and stealing glory that did not belong to them. They stole glory and acclaim that they did not deserve.

This story echoes the story of Achan and his sin. During the battle of Jericho the Israelites where told not to take anything but to devote all the treasures to the house of the Lord. Achan desired some stuff He saw and took it for Himself and hid it. He died for His sin.

Follow this line of reasoning then. If stealing is a sin, even little form of stealing, the ones that we think are not that big of a deal, then we can probably all say that we are guilty. But the other side of that is that if all we have belongs t the Lord God what are we then doing with it? How are we using it? Who are we serving?

Romans 6:16 CSB

16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

The bible says that you are going to be a servant to something no matter what it is you try. You will either be a servant to sin or you are going to be a servant to righteousness. Whatever it is we seek in this life it is that we become servants to, so it is up to us to choose. Christ has called us to a new life, a life in Him free from the penalty of sin.

The only way to be a faithful steward is to first be a willing servant. If a steward is one that is trusted as faithful then we first need to be a servant. This also means that we need to ask is how are you living your life when there is no one around. When the people of the church aren’t around, when you are on your own? When all this is happening will we still be found as servants of Christ?

Paul puts it well in 1 Corinthians 4:1

1 Corinthians 4:1 CSB

1 A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God.

We are to be both servants of Christ and stewards of God. This means that we can’t have one without the other. We are to be seen by the world as stewards of the mysteries of God. That is that we have been put in charge of spreading the gospel to those around us. He goes on to say that he doesn’t really care what other people think of him, it doesn’t matter what the people of the world think of you, or how they judge you.

The bible goes on to say that there are different aspects of our life that we are just stewards of, not just the mysteries of the Gospel. We are stewards of our time, our talents and our treasure. In all these things we are told not to steal them all for ourselves but to use them for the Glory of God.

So when it comes to stealing, it is safe to say that this all works together. How are we using then what God has given us for His glory. We are not to keep it all for ourselves but rather be sacrificial and cheerful givers of our time talents and treasures.

Trust in the Lord.

If we do steal for what we need or want, or if we aren't suing what we have for the glory of the Lord as good stewards Then what is revealed is that we have a trust problem.

Stealing reveals a lack of love for God and neighbor, and it also reveals a lack of trust in God, “who gives generously to all without reproach”. Theft flagrantly disregards God’s generosity and that of others. Stealing assumes that God is not a provider; it fends for itself out of lack of trust in his sovereign power and fatherly care.

Trust in God’s generosity should drive out the thought of stealing from our minds. Kill theft on your knees, asking, seeking, knocking, with the assurance that God will supply your needs as he sees fit. God has provided for us so richly in the cross of Christ. He will not withhold any needful good from you whose plans are free of pilfering

The gospels are clear when it comes to the grace of God and his generosity to us. God will always provide for what we need, not what we greed for. If God will always provide His children with what they need, for His good then we can trust that as we give of what we have to have to God then He will provide for us.

Stealing from Others, not giving to the glory of God out of all He has given to us shows a lack of trust, a lack of faith in God.

So What?

“You shall not steal” means “You shall imitate God.” God is generous. God is hardworking. God is love. Satan is the first thief, who attempted to steal God’s throne. The serpent became the ruler of this world by stealing God’s people and bringing them into the kingdom of darkness. Because God now has stripped the thief of his power and delivered us in Christ, we must not walk in the serpent’s footsteps. We must rather imitate the one who lovingly created all things for our enjoyment and his glory, and who promises to share the world and his throne with us when we reign with Christ forever.

Let the Thief no Longer Steal

Stealing is a sin, that is no big surprise. But what about in all the little things? Illegally downloading music? I used to do this and had tons of CD’s with music on them. What about illegally downloading movies? They make billions of dollars anyways they are not going to miss the few dollars that I give them.

I am not here to tell you to stop downloading movies and music and the like, but is it something that the Lord would find honorable? It may seem nitpicky but read what the bible says. Let the thief n longer steal, let the sinner turn to the Lord God and repent of what they have done. If you are wondering if what you have done is wrong, then bring it to the Lord in prayer.

All we have is God’s

Following this same line of reasoning, what are we doing hten with all that God ghas given us? are we stealing them for ourselves or are we using them for the glory of God.

If all we have belongs to the Lord God then we should cheerfully give from what we have. How are we using then what God has given us for His glory. We are not to keep it all for ourselves but rather be sacrificial and cheerful givers of our time talents and treasures.

Rather then how are we trusting in the Lord God with all that we have and all that we have been given. How are we being image bearers of Jesus with the things God has intrusted us with.

So, let the thief no longer steal. Let the plagiarist no longer plagiarize. Let the pirate no longer pirate. Let the illegal downloader no longer download illegally. Let the adulterer no longer steal the spouse of another. Let the porn addict not enjoy the body they have not labored to love in marriage. Work hard, love all, trust entirely, obey wholeheartedly, and reflect purely, though dimly, the generous God you revere.