South Woods Baptist Church

Hands Off!
Exodus 20:15
June 25, 2006 

      I remember the days well when my family would park our car on the main street of our small town to shop, and leave the keys in the car with the windows down. We returned to find everything as we left it, even with packages on the seats, so that we could return to our home and go through the unlocked door that awaited us. We felt perfectly secure in leaving everything unlocked.

      A shift occurred, though, when I reached my teenage years. My friend, Ray Pritchard drove the two of us in his dad's yellow Oldsmobile sport coupe to visit with our church's pastor. Ray parked right in front of the pastor's home, and of course, as was customary, left the keys in the car. Once our visit finished, we stepped outside and didn't see the car. Knowing the penchant for pranks among our friends, we both figured that one of the guys had driven the car to another street. We laughed at first while we walked through the neighborhood, only to begin to have a bit of panic when realizing that the car was gone. None of the guys had taken the car. A thief took Dr. Pritchard's yellow Olds for a joy ride to a neighboring city where police found it later that night. Unlocked car and keys in the ignition changed for us overnight.

      Now most of us go through a careful routine. Am I in a well-lit area? Did I lock the car and make sure that nothing of value remained visible? Did I arm the alarm? Did I bolt-lock my doors and turn on the security system?

      Billions of dollars worth of personal property and cash are stolen every year. Thieves snatch purses, steal cars, break into homes and businesses, shoplift merchandise, and even rob banks in broad daylight. It seems that there's no end to the lengths people will go to take what does not belong to them.

      Ironically, that's not the worst of it. Rather than the common thief or burglar that terrorizes communities, the greatest loss through stealing comes outside of the break-ins, hold-ups, and car-thefts. "Employee theft of time and property costs American businesses and their investors more than two hundred billion dollars a year," according to Phil Ryken. Additionally, one-third of the costs of goods according to some estimates, "goes to cover the various forms of stealing that occur on its way to the marketplace" [Written in Stone, 171]. In one hotel's first year of business, they had to replace 38,000 spoons, 18,000 tiles, 355 coffee pots, "and one hundred Bibles!" [Ryken 170].

      And it's not just employees stealing from employers that breach this 8^th commandment. Employers demand more hours with less pay. Corporate executives reap the benefits of their employees' diligent work without appropriate compensation. In the case of several major corporations in the past few years, executives have pilfered hundreds of millions of dollars from the shareholders and employees to support lavish lifestyles.

      "You shall not steal," the 8^th commandment, addresses each of these issues. But it doesn't stop there. The four words of our English translation touches more of life than most of us imagine. Here is the call to recognize God's sovereignty over everything that we and our neighbor possess. The way we treat our possessions and those of our neighbor reflect our devotion to the Lord. How does this work out in the practical details of life?

I. Foundational implications

      Even thieves know the command, "You shall not steal," though they consider themselves exceptions to the divine rule. With the bent of not only our society, but also many others around the globe toward the attitude, "I have a right to have what I want to have when I want to have it," stealing multiplies. Many think that the world "owes" them what they desire, so that if they take it by ignoble means, no one should complain or try to stop them. Lazy leeches on society expect the government to dole out of others' pockets to keep them entrenched in their laziness. Greedy politicians add to the community's tax burden, not to serve others but to line their own pockets with gold and keep themselves in office. Obviously, such broad-brushing does not include all who are being helped by the government or all politicians. But an ample portion of each regularly breaks this commandment, and in doing so, affects the entire society in which they live.

      1. The God-given right of private ownership

      Following the Ten Commandments are numerous applications of the laws affecting relationships in the community. The Israelite community lived in close quarters, traveling about as nomads for many years. They had few possessions, but what they had belonged to them as a gift from God. You cannot steal from someone if he owns nothing. The very language of the 8^th commandment implies the right of private ownership given by God. So, when someone stole a man's ox and slaughtered it or sold it, once he was caught, had to restore five-fold the stolen ox. In this case, the thief felt the pain associated with his stealing, and the victim of the crime found satisfaction in the restitution (22:1). Or if a man let his animal intentionally loose in his neighbor's pasture or vineyard to graze, then he had to "make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard" (22:5). Or if someone started a fire that got out of control and burned his neighbor's standing grain, he had to make restitution (22:6).

      A man might not own much, just a few sheep and a couple of cows, but they belonged to him and to no other. What he owned came out of God's kind providence to sustain him and provide for his family. Remember that in the preamble to the Ten Words, God declared, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." In other words, they were owned by the Egyptians but now, their Redeemer, liberated them from slavery and gave them possessions to use wisely and enjoy. Later on, when the land was parceled out by Joshua in the days that the Promised Land became their land, each family had a stewardship from the Lord to protect his inheritance. A man might mortgage his land but in the Year of Jubilee, it returned to his family as their possession. When King Ahab offered Naboth another and maybe even better vineyard in exchange for the land that God had given him, Naboth rejected the offer, saying, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers" (1 Kings 21:3). He saw that what he possessed came as a stewardship from God, and that he had responsibility to the Lord and to his family to maintain it.

      To take what belongs to another as his stewardship from God, not only violates the temporal owner but the greater owner, the Lord God. Out of God's kind purposes, He has entrusted certain things to each one of us. Apart from God's gift of life, health, and abilities, we could earn nothing. Often, many things come to us in unusual ways that evidence God's kind hand. We are to acknowledge that the Lord God is sovereign over all that He has given to us. As Job explained, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21).

      Because we possess things does not mean that we are to allow things to control us or become the object of our worship and adoration. The rich young ruler did that so that Jesus called upon him to sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow after Christ. He turned away from Christ because "he was one who owned much property" (Matt. 19:22). Things are things! Possessions are possessions! All that we have received through work or gift or inheritance comes through the Lord God's providence in our lives. We are to find contentment in what God has given to us; finding our joy, not in things, but in the Lord God who has given us our possessions (Phil. 4:10-20). What He has entrusted to us as managers provide opportunities for developing contentment and exercising faithfulness in the way we utilize God's provisions. While the possessions belong to us, they are ours under God's sovereignty. So we are to enjoy what God has given us without frittering them away or hoarding them or neglecting them or worshiping them or wasting them; but rather we are to use our possessions to the glory of God. 

      2. Taking part in helping others enjoy God's provisions

      The prohibition against stealing calls as well for us to be instruments of helping others to enjoy and make the most of what God has provided for them. Rather than taking by illegitimate means the possessions of others, we must seek to serve one another in such a way that we learn to value what God has entrusted to each one. The 10^th commandment prohibiting coveting is a reminder that God has given to each one what he has so that we are not to try to find our satisfaction through what belongs to others. In the case of Israel, if a neighbor's donkey escaped and another found it, he was not to enjoin the axiom, "Finder's keepers, loser's weepers!" He was to take care of the animal until he could reunite it to its owner (Ex. 23:4-5; Deut 22:1-4).

      This can be worked out in many different ways. For instance, when the clerk at a store gives you back too much change, you are to serve him and the store owners by making sure that you return the excess. Unfortunately, what happens so often is someone complaining because of being short-changed and clutching their fists tightly with satisfaction if the situation is reversed. Brian Edwards told of a time that he had ordered a laptop computer and printer. The delivery came and he set it up. Within a few days another delivery came with the same products; an obvious mistake on the part of the seller. He called to tell them of the mistake and inquire about returning the second computer and printer. The company did nothing. He called yet again, and again they did nothing. After waiting for several weeks, he called again and said, I assume that by your inattention you intend for me to have two computers and two printers for the price of one. Someone soon came to his door to retrieve the items (The Ten Commandments for Today, 225-226). Though he could have kept the extra computer and printer, chalking it up to his good fortune, he understood that "the eighth Commandment allowed no juggling with the truth." "You shall not steal," is not ambiguous. 

      3. Rather than stealing, engage in legitimate work

      Paul amplified the 8^th commandment in a very helpful way in his Epistle to the Ephesians (4:28). "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." We gather from this that some of the new believers in Ephesus were accustomed to resorting to varied means of stealing to provide for their desires. The present imperative with the negative indicates that he called for an action in progress to stop. There were thieves among the new believers. All they knew was stealing. Pick pockets are not a new phenomenon! They would have joined the ranks of those who pilfered others of their possessions. Homes lacked much security, with easy access gained. Goods and merchandise on display in the markets were often easy pickings for the quick hands of thieves. However the stealing took place, the apostle reminded them that stealing has no place in the life of the Christian: "He who steals must steal no longer." It's got to stop, Paul told them. But how would they replace the loss of their employment as thieves? Start working with your own hands, he told them. But that's what we've been doing, someone might have said. We've just used our hands at a little different type of work! He clarifies, "But rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good." The word for "labor" means to work hard, to labor in a wearying fashion, or what we might say in modern vernacular, to "get after it!" No illegitimate work must replace their thievery. It must be doing "what is good." That qualifies the work as something that has value; that meets others' needs, that provides honorable and worthy services.

      Not all employment can be characterized as "what is good." One must evaluate it in terms of whether or not he can do the work nobly as a Christian. Does the work require him to do anything immoral, illegal, dishonest, shady, or for ignoble ends? Does the job further corruption in others? Will the job keep one from serving Christ or nurturing his family? Some jobs are certainly inappropriate for Christians.

      Instead of stealing, the believer is to work, using the abilities that God has given to him to fulfill his responsibilities in a God-glorifying way. Three objectives for work can be found here. First, working is the God-given means of providing for one's personal and family needs. Work is honorable. God gave Adam and Eve the gift of work in the Garden of Eden before the fall into sin, as we noticed in our study of the 4^th commandment. Work is not a curse; it preceded the curse. The fall into sin has made work more difficult but work itself is something that will follow us into eternity. John tells us that in heaven, "His bond-servants will serve Him" (Rev. 22:3). We're not going to be plucking harps and riding on clouds! We're going to be serving our Lord God; that involves glorious and joyous work of service. Each one has his own abilities that are a stewardship from God. As we work, we have the responsibility to use the good gifts to the fullest that God has entrusted to us. We are to find joy and fulfillment in work, knowing that it is the God-given means of not only providing for our families but finding satisfaction in being faithful stewards to God.

      Second, Paul tells us that the believer is also to work, "so that he will have something to share with one who has need." Work and the reward that comes with it, is never to be only for self-consumption. Our Lord set the example. He constantly gave of Himself during His earthly ministry, providing for others, healing others, ministering to others, and then He gave Himself on behalf of others. None of us can bear the weight of the world on our shoulders, but we can help others through generosity in service and giving. God provides for us so that we can give to further the work of God's kingdom through the local church and through global missions. We also have opportunity to help others individually with their needs. Here we must be sensitive to making sure that we provide for legitimate needs rather than furthering laziness or a sense of entitlement on the part of a few.

      Third, using our gifts and abilities in work offers testimony to the grace of God at work in our lives. The attitude on the job, the work ethic, the demeanor with which we face tasks, the way we handle relationships, and even the way we face difficulties provide vivid testimony of the power of the gospel at work in our lives. No one should outwork a Christian.  

II. A few useful applications of the 8^th commandment

      As with each commandment, this one calls us to being conscientious, especially toward our dealings with others in work, school, church, and society. "You shall not steal" reminds us that we must not take what belongs to another, we must help others through valuing what they possess and the way we treat their possessions, and we must diligently work at whatever God has given us to do. But consider how these areas are affected by the 8^th commandment. 

      1. Work life

      Aside from doing yard work as a kid, I had my first real job when I was about 15 or 16. I was part of a team of a dozen or more teenage boys doing the illustrious job of picking up trash on state roadways in our county. As I recall, I made $50 each week for my forty-hour work week. It didn't take much brainpower to pick up trash! But it was a job, and I was glad to be receiving the whopping $50 paycheck! Yet I noticed with this first job that everyone did not carry his own weight on the job. A couple of the guys were lazy. If the supervisor was not watching, they sat and did nothing while the rest of us worked. It bothered me to see these older guys failing to work for their paycheck.

      I wish that this had been an isolated event. However, as the years progressed, I found that in other jobs some would not work with diligence apart from constant supervision. That, my brethren, violates the 8^th commandment. "You shall not steal" means that you are not to steal from your employer by turning in hours that you did not legitimately work or doing other things than performing your responsibilities that you were hired to do. I've heard many employers over the past several years complain that it is difficult to find good employees who will do their work with integrity and diligence. When someone has invested in you by giving you a job, then anything less than doing your very best work in a conscientious fashion is stealing from the employer.

      When some of the slaves in Ephesus felt that they were being shortened by their masters, Paul did not tell them to cut corners or skim off the profits or take whatever they could from their masters when they could. Rather, he told them, "With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free" (Eph. 6:7-8). They were to work as though doing the job for the Lord. That's the principle that must direct all that we do in our work lives. For in God's sovereignty, He has appointed you to whatever work your hands find to do; so do it with diligence and faithfulness unto Him. 

      2. School work

      In the same way that older youth and adults have jobs that require conscientiousness, so do all of you who are students with your school work. "You shall not steal" must be a truth that burns in your mind as you conduct yourself with your school assignments and responsibilities. Do you do your own work or do you depend upon someone else's work that you can copy at the last minute and turn in as your own work? Do you make good use of the time that your teachers are investing in your education by paying attention, keeping up with your studies, and showing respect at all times?

      One area of stealing that has grown with the expansive capabilities of the Internet is plagiarism, "the misappropriation of someone else's work" [Ryken 173]. It happens when a report or term paper is assigned, and rather than preparing ahead of time and doing the work, the plagiarist copies all or part of someone else's work and passes it off as his own. Thousands of term papers are accessible on the Internet. I remember a few years ago at a local Christian school that two students availed themselves of Internet term papers. The trouble was that both of them happened to copy the same paper word for word! Both of them were caught and faced severe consequences for stealing someone else's work.

      This doesn't just happen in school but it often begins at that level and continues on into work life. Over the past few years, several reporters and authors of note have been shamed by the revelation of their plagiarism. The 8^th commandment is broken all too often with ministers as well. I remember receiving on more than one occasion, newsletters from other church pastors. As I read the articles, I had the thought that they appeared quite familiar. The familiarity came because I had written the articles and sent them out in newsletters. The other pastors had taken them verbatim and signed their name to the articles as though they had penned them. That's stealing and dishonoring to the Lord whether at school, as a reporter, as an author, or as a minister.  

      3. Business dealings

      When we willfully neglect paying our debts in timely fashion, then we are stealing from the company to whom we are obligated. It doesn't matter how large the company might be or how financially profitable they are, if we fail to be conscientious about paying our debts then we break the 8^th commandment.

      Stealing takes place in the business world on a constant basis. When someone sells an inferior product, claiming certain qualities for the product that knowingly are untrue, then that salesman steals from the buyer. When someone offers a service to others for a fee but fails to fulfill the obligations in the service, then that person steals from the purchaser. All of us have been duped and deceived by bad business dealings. But we must make sure that we are never on the delivering end of such shoddy service or inferior products! Otherwise, we willingly break the 8^th commandment and fail to glorify our God by acting with integrity in our business dealings. 

      4. Christian giving

      The Lord asked a strange question of the post-exile Jews. "Will a man rob God?" Well, of course not, they would retort. But the Lord declared, "Yet you are robbing Me!" They asked how they could be robbing God. He replied, "In tithes and offerings." Whether one practices tithing as a starting place for Christian giving or not, the principle is quite clear. Each of us, as did the early Christians, are to lay aside as God has prospered us so that we return to the Lord a portion of our living, demonstrating our love and gratitude to Him as our Provider. The Lord told Israel to test Him in the matter of bringing their tithes into the storehouse. They would see that God would open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing upon them as they were faithful.

      Giving with regularity, generosity, and cheerfulness captures the New Testament spirit of Christian giving. I still remember that first job with my $50 a week salary. I started giving a least a tithe out of that first paycheck, and have made that a practice since then. To do otherwise would be stealing from God. It's not that God is in great need of my money! Rather it is that giving mirrors the generosity of our God, guards our hearts from covetousness, builds in us a spirit of thankfulness, and allows us to partner with other believers in the work of God's kingdom. If you are not giving with regularity, generosity, and cheerfulness, then my friend, you are stealing from God. What you have is not yours anyway. It belongs to the Lord. We are stewards or managers of what He has entrusted to us. As we return a portion of what God has given to us, then we demonstrate our confidence in Him as our Provider and Lord. 

Conclusion

      By this time we look to breathe a sign of relief in our journey through the Ten Commandments. Maybe we approached the 8^th commandment with the idea that we're in the clear. But the only relief for any of us in the face of God's law is in the cross of Christ, where the guilt of sinners met eternal justice in the perfect Lamb of God crucified between two thieves. One of those thieves, a man who regularly broke the 8^th commandment, found forgiveness through Christ by the simplest cry of faith in dependence upon the dying Savior. May we know that same forgiveness and the new life purchased through the crucified and risen Christ.