The Eighth Commandment: The Sacredness of Property - Respecting the Possessions of Others

The Eighth Commandment

The Sacredness of Property

Resp= ecting the Possessions of Others

= Exodus 20:15

Do not steal.

introduction=

When I was only about seven years old, I stole a toy t= hat was packed away in an old garage. I reasoned that it hadn’t been used= for a long, long time and that no one would miss it. But I could hardly sleep t= hat night and the next day I could hardly think of anything else for feeling so guilty. So late that day I snuck back into the old gara= ge through a high window and returned the toy to its original place.

Charles Keati= ng was all over television news.

He was the savings-an= d- loan swindler, booked on federal charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and fraud.= He was sentenced to twelve years and seven months in prison, but was later set free on a technicality. This was a man who had siphoned millions of dollars from Lincoln Savings and Loan in Irvine, California, into high-risk financial schemes that went bust. Mostly retired investors lost more than 2= 85 million dollars – their life savings wiped out in an instant.

Do you rememb= er watching the sentencing on TV?

It was depressing. Be= fore the court passed sentence, the defense attorney team in a last ditch effort to = save Keating from prison, brought in Keating’s children and grandchildren. They wept before the judge, saying, “Please don’t sentence our father and grandfather like this. We love our grandpa. He’s a good ma= n. But if he goes to prison, he’ll die there, and we won’t get to = grow up with him or spend time with him. Please don’t do this to him.̶= 1;

Do you think = that Mr. Keating ever thought for a moment about those consequences to his actions?<= o:p>

The eighth commandment basically speaks to ta= king something that doesn’t belong to me.

And yes, it applies e= qually to the toy in the garage or the millions of dollars!

At its simplest level the Eighth Commandment pro= tects what belongs to us – our property.

1. Why Is Stealing So Evil?

&nb= sp;     Why Is Stealing So Important That God Would Make It One of the Ten Commandments ?

     four fundamental reasons

1)   Stealing Is Robbing Someon= e of a Part of Their Life.

The value of the property is the value of the amount of someone’s life th= at was spent to purchase it.

2)   Stealing Is Wounding the H= uman Spirit of the Victim.

  &nbs= p;   Painful feelings of violation, vu= lnerability, and loss result.

  &nbs= p;   The Bible tries to compensate the victim for the hurt and loss.

  &nbs= p;   The Bible attempts to make the thief feel the exact loss he caused.<= /span>

      =     The Penalty for a Thief Who Turns Himself In<= /span>

= ;

Numbers 5:5-7 HCSB<= /p>
      The Lord spoke to Moses:
“Tell the Israelites: When a man or woman commits any sin against another, that person acts unfaithfully toward the <= /span>Lord= and is guilty.
The person is to confess the sin he has committe= d. He is to pay full compensation, add a fifth of its value to it, and give [i= t]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. to the individual he has wronged.

      The Penalty for a Thief That Is Caugh= t

Exodus 22:1 HCSB<= /p>
  &nbs= p;   When a man steals an= ox or a sheep= [2] The Hb word can refer to sheep or goats. and butchers it or = sells it, he must repay five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep.=

  &nbs= p;   Most of the justification for stealing comes from the notion that other people exist only as an opportunity for exploitation and gain – to serve you.

  &nbs= p;   But the Bible commands us to love= and serve our neighbor.

3)   Stealing Is Failing to Tru= st God as My Provider.

            Some people steal as a way to provide for themselves.

4)   Stealing Is Failing to Be Con= tent with What God Has Given Me.

      =     Proverbs 15:16<= /p>
Better is a little with the fear of the <= /i>Lord, tha= n great treasure with trouble.

2. Why Do Peop= le Steal ?

  &nbs= p; A. Because They Feel Entitled

America under the influence of today’s liberal th= inking is about entitlement.

Whereas the biblical world-view on which our country was founded promotes diligence= and work as the road to success, we have become a nation of people who believe = we should have that for which we have not worked.

Advertisers practice a craft known as “creative strategic discontent,” which means they know exactly how to convey the message, “You must have thi= s if you want to feel good, and feel good about yourself.”

The command “Do not steal” chafes against our sense that we must ha= ve whatever it is we want.

By prohibiting us from stealing, God points us in the direction of work. Honest hard work will get our “wants” and “needs” met..

To the Christian work becomes divine service, not a hardship.

(Eccl. 9:10 &= ; Col. 3:23) =

  &nbs= p; B. Because They Want Security

They think security in riches and “things” will make them happy.

      =     Proverbs 23:4-5=

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the w= isdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Money and possessions are no security at all!

The only thing secure in this life is the Lord God.

      =     Psalm 16:8-9

I have set the Lord always before me. Beca= use he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad.

C. Because They Want to Attract Friends o= r to Impress Them

            Proverbs 19:4

            Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man’s friend deserts him.

  &nbs= p;         Ask Mike Tyson.

When you’re winning and the money is rolling in you have lots of friends. =

But when you’re losing, and the money dries up, there’s a stampede = for the back door.

D. Because We’ve Forgotten About God’s Promise of Care

Fait= h is trusting God when we cannot see how He is going to work out our problem or = meet our need.

Faith isn’t easy!

Ask = Noah who had never seen rain! =

Ask Abraham offering Isaac!

Ask Jacob the night before he met his brother Esau!

Ask Moses going before Pharoah!
Ask Joshua attacking Jericho!

Ask David going up against Goliath!

Ask Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane!=

      =     Matthew 6:33 HCSB<= /p>
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.<= /o:p>

      =

The reason people steal<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New $W1$";mso-bidi-font-fami= ly: "Times New Roman"'> by manipulating, deceiving and cutting ethical corners = is because they believe their future lies in their own hands.

But when you know that God is your Provider, it changes everything!

It changes your heart.

It changes the way you live.

God is our Provider.

You = and I would have absolutely nothing if God did not give us the strength, the ability and the opportunity to work.

The tithe is our recognition and appreciation for God’s provision and blessing.<= /p>

      =     Proverbs 3:9 HCSB<= /p>
Honor the Lord = with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest.

Are you breaking this eight commandment?

Are you robbing God?

      =     Malachi 3:8 HCSB<= /p>
Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! You ask: “How do we rob You?” By not making the payments of 10 percent and the contribution= s.

Trust in God and Be Satisfied

      =     Hebrews 13:5-6 HCSB<= /p>
Your life should be free from the love= of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never le= ave you or forsake you. Dt 31:6
Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to&nbs= p;me? Ps 118:6

3. How Do Peop= le Steal ?

   &nbs= p; 24 <= span class=3DGramE>Ways !!!

   &nbs= p; Borrowing with no intention to pay it back

   &nbs= p; Defaulting on loans

   &nbs= p; Employees habitually taking long lunch breaks

   &nbs= p; Embezzlement by white collar workers

   &nbs= p; Petty theft by lower-ranking employees

   &nbs= p; Robbery

   &nbs= p; False Weights

   &nbs= p; Shoplifting Estimated at $10-12 billion annuall= y

   &nbs= p; Exorbitant Interest Rates

   &nbs= p; Vandalism

   &nbs= p; Burglary home 3.1 million in 2001

   &nbs= p; Larceny 8.1 million at highest level

Sloth on Job

   &nbs= p; Extortion

   &nbs= p; Lying Advertising

   &nbs= p; Swindles and Get Rich Quick Schemes

   &nbs= p; Defrauding by charging too much

   &nbs= p; Defruading by paying too little

   &nbs= p; Eminent Domain

   &nbs= p; Identity theft

   &nbs= p; Stealing wages – no longer an honest day for = an honest dollar

        False claims for expenses

   &nbs= p; Stealing other people’s ideas – plagiarism

   &nbs= p; Stealing someone’s innocence   “If a man seduce a virgin” Ex 22:14<= o:p>

conclusion

But as benefi= cial as this commandment is in protecting what belongs to each of us, there is even= a far greater benefit:

   &nbs= p; This commandment like the others constitutes the Law of God,

   &nbs= p; and is our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ!!!