“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15
What does this commandment mean?
This commandment forbids theft and robbery, taking what does not belong to you. Most of us know this is wrong.
“We understand that taking things that don’t belong to us is wrong—whether through breaking and entering, robbery, shoplifting, or larceny (the unlawful taking of the personal property of a person or business) this commandment also prohibits unlawful taking of people- slavery (Ex21:16)” (DeYoung, 2018)
“This commandment focuses on our human interaction with other humans. How do we love our neighbor? Do not steal from them. This commandment recognizes the right of property and prohibits the violation. Refusing to steal is a matter of obedience to God, personal integrity, and love for our neighbors.” (West, 2010)
To understand this commandment we should see it through the character and attributes of God. First, God owns everything. He is the creator of heaven and earth, so He owns it all.
Second, because God owns everything, all we have and need comes from Him. What we have has been given to us. Therefore, we own nothing that does not belong to God.
Lastly, the possessions we have, God has given them to us. We are going to be held accountable by God to take of them.
We are to be responsible and prudent with what He has provided us.
“It will at once be seen that there are only three ways in which man can come into possession of anything: either by the free gift of another person, or by toil, which receives something as legitimate return, or by theft, the taking that from another which belongs to him. The commandment recognizes the first two, and forbids the third.” (Morgan, 1901)
“The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.” Ephesians 4:28 NASB
How does stealing show up in our day-to-day lives?
This commandment, as stated before, is a way to show love for your neighbor. Stealing from your neighbor can be manifested in several ways.
Property- taking possessions or food from someone you did not buy or was not purposefully given to you as a gift. This could be taking supplies from your job, someone’s house, or their place of business.
Time – you can steal time from your friend or family by showing up late. Time is valuable, and you tell that person you don’t value their time by showing up late. Other ways are stealing from your employer by taking personal calls a work, pretending to be sick, or surfing the Internet.
Media – getting music or movies illegally, copying or downloading them from the Internet without paying.
Credit theft. This is the abuse of credit cards to live beyond our means without being able to pay our bills. “God provides for our needs, but we provide for our greeds .”(West, 2010)
As you can see, “To steal from another is not merely to steal his possession. It is to assault another’s dignity as a human being who has the right to the toil of his hands, to the produce of her talents, to the property that is rightfully ours.” (Mohler, 2009)
As we can see, there are many ways we can steal from others. Hopefully, this gives us pause to re-evaluate how stealing might have crept into our lives.
Bibliography
DeYoung, K. (2018). THE 10 COMMANDMENTS What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them
Mohler, R. Albert (2009) Words from the fire: hearing the voice of God in the Ten Commandments
Morgan, G.C (1901) THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
West, R.M. (2010) “The 10 Commandments—Then and Now”
